INCENSE

INDUSTRY :
AGARBATTIS
Current Scenario
and
Opportunities

KAVYASHREE
NEHA UPADHYAY
SHARAD SHARMA
SAHIL
SUDARSHAN JAIN
 Industry
• The size of the incense stick industry in India about Rs 1000 crores
a year growing at 7% p.a Exports- Rs 300 crores .
Source: http://www.itcportal.com/newsroom/press_sept30_04.htm

• Current industry consumer spend estimated at over Rs. 900

crores p.a.

• Use of Incense : India – Worship , Overseas – Ambience

creation/Aromatherapy

• Fragmented supply base arising from small scale industry; highly

disorganized sector

• The Indian incense industry, supplies up to 60% of the world

incense market.

• Assam, Tripura and Eastern India presently supply incense sticks to

the rest of the country. Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh also have
 Companies/ Key players
ITC ‘ s MANGALDEEP
– Superior fragrance experience based on
research.
– Fragrances approved by IFRA , Geneva.
– Consistently superior product experience
• Systematic quality management
approach
• ISO 9001:2000 Certified Vendors.
• IFAT-certification.
– Attractive & functional packaging
• Special fragrance locked packaging
• ‘Mangaldeep’ : the only National brand
in the country

• “ASHA”
Assistance in Social Habilitation
Sudarshan Dhoop
• was founded by Mr. K. N. Kesri way back in
the year 1952
• The company’s Managing Director Mr.
Manoj Kesri and Joint Director Ms. Jyoti
Kesri are responsible for marketing and
export business.
• 300 fragrances. Products - Incense sticks,
coils, cones, natural agarbatti & garden sticks
& magical charcoal tablets.
• clubbed with a wide range of metal, glass and
ceramic handcrafted accessories that include
ash catchers, stick holders and lamp rings
• Production - 3 million sticks per day
• A special R & D department
• Designing, printing and packaging - All under
one roof
• Annual Turnover- Rs 5 Crores, 50 employees
 N Ranga Rao & Sons
• Cycle Agarbatti is one of the
world’s largest manufacturer of
devotional incense sticks. Many
people in India are illiterate, they
recognize the brand via the
bicycle picture
• Mysore based company.
• Only incense stick company
whose advertisement campaigns
feature in
www.adsoftheworld.com
website
• Mr Arjun Ranga, CEO and
Managing Partner of the Rs 160-
crore NR Group
• Five-decade-old ISO-9001-2000
Certified Enterprise.
• Cycle brands currently have a 30
 Mahendra Perfumery Works
•
 
Year of Establishment - 1961
• Export Markets - South East & Middle East
• Export Percentage - 20%
• Production Type - Manual
• Memberships - Export Promotion Council For
Handicrafts (EPCH) , Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)
• Product Range
– Arali Flower Incense Sticks (Agarbatti)
– Mogra Incense Sticks (Agarbatti)
– Rose Incense Sticks (Agarbatti)
– Bouquet Incense Sticks (Agarbatti)
– Sandal Incense Sticks (Agarbatti)
– Champa Agarbatti (Incense Sticks)
– Chinar Incense Sticks (Agarbatti), etc.
 Hari Darshan Sevashram Pvt.
• Incorporation :1980 Ltd
• x Export Markets :US, Europe, Gulf and Middle East Asia, China,
Singapore
• Largest manufacturing infrastructure and installed capacities
• In House full time Research and Development and dedicated
technical team.
• Only Incense manufacturer in India to have manufacturing units in
North, Central and South India to capitalize on regional natural
resources and competencies.
• In house fragrance development capability.
• In house packaging development and design capability.
• No. of professional staff : 160
 Hurdles to Growth
• Disorganized Sector
• Inefficient Capital
• No Big Players
• Low Profitability
• No automation
• Successful companies mainly target
exports
• Improper Distribution
• Lack of government support
• Less Promotion as compared to
 Strategies for a better
1. ITC ‘s ASHA Tomorrow
(Assistance in Social Habilitation through Agarbatti):
•Start up support provided by ITC
Training to workers
Stipend during training period
•Use of IT infrastructure to monitor the progress.
•Over 1500 women trained in rolling of incense sticks
•Initiatives by NGOs- SEWA, AOL, n-logue etc

6.Financial assistance – banks

7.Building quality in the supply Chain.
8.Export houses
9.Govt Assistance
• State Sponsored Melas / Promotions/ emporium .
E.g.- Ganesh Chaturthi- Cycle Brand
Emporium- Kaveri Emporium – known for
Sandalwood incenses
• Understanding Consumer needs.
• Patent new fragrances for capturing global market –
R&D
• Establishing product specifications.
• Partnership with NGOs/SHGs
• Brand Building
 The Incense Triangle
SHG’s Self Help Groups
•Essentially Groups of the SHGs Employment generation
Fair practices
Poor Women’s empowerment
•A community organizing
mechanism
•Helping communities
understand why they are poor
and the debt trap
•The issues among the poor
are common and can also be
solved commonly
•Credit is necessary
•Livelihood generation is the
next step

Corpora SSIs
te
Consumer Needs. Domain knowledge
Brand building Entrepreneurship
Distribution Quality
Fair practices
11
 People Contacted /Assistance
taken
• Mr. Chetan Gowda
Asst . Sales Manager
Darshan International, Bangalore
Phone : 91-802675315/ 26759461

• Mr. Pawan
Director,
N Ranga Rao & Sons,
Address : NO. 1553, VANIVILAS ROAD, M G ROAD,
MYSORE - 570004, KARNATAKA, INDIA
Phone : 91-821-2521227/2361485
Mobile : +919980144197
Fax : 91-821-2361485
Queries ???