Caption:
1) Some of the honey, jams and sauces produced by Nectar Fresh. 2) Chayaa Nanjappa with business partner Rajappa at Ahaar expo in Chennai. 3) The entire processing unit consisting of a container to feed honey to the settling unit.
They say ‘fruit of hard work is sweet’ and in this case it is metaphorically and literally sweet. Shall we call this a success story of a lone lady who made it big in the small scale industries sector or the growth of a brand which has today become one of the leading names in the field of honey? It is difficult to describe one without the other as this is the story of a lady who started a honey brand from scratch which has grown to great heights over the years. In this Weekend Star Supplement, SOM introduces its readers to this lady who says ‘If I could make it, then any other lady can
’ A flavour for every season
History:
Nectar Fresh was launched by Chayaa Nanjappa in 2007 at Bangalore and was backed by Khadi and Village Industries Board. Born on June 20, 1971 at Kodagu, Chayaa says, “I had a gut feeling and wanted to do something connected with my hometown. That instant I knew I wanted to start honey manufacturing and wanted to name it as Nectar Fresh.”
“The plant was doing well in Bangalore but due to some circumstances we had to relocate to Mysore in 2010.
Initially people said that Mysore is a small town and is not feasible for such businesses. But for me Mysore has been a lucky mascot. Most of the major deals were struck after we shifted here,” she says.
The plant was relocated to Kadakola near Mandakalli Airport when Chayaa partnered with Rajappa of MyStore.
Speaking about Nectar Fresh, Chayaa says, “We are one among the top 5 honey manufactures in India and are the only ones who are manufacturing different varieties of honey. Usually the Khadi and Village Board products are not considered as product for the high end markets. But today we have replaced international brands in hospitality sector under the Board. We have used their logo in our brand because it is the Board which has supported us. Also, there is a notion that business is only for the elite class who come from the same background or have the educational qualification for it. But we have proved this wrong. Anyone can do it if they have the survival instinct. Today we employ around 50 persons all over the country and around 20 in our Mysore plant.”
Chayaa, a PG Diploma holder in Mass Communication, underwent specialised training at Central Bee Research and Training Institute, Pune. She is also a member of the National Bee Board and is the first lady to have a honey processing plant in the country.
Process
The company has its mobile vans placed near the fields across India. Hence they are the only producers of a variety of honey in the country. They are also the first brand to launch honey blisters.
“Every month we have different varieties of honey according to the flowering season. This month it is acacia, clover and Himalayan honey,” says Chayaa, adding that lychee honey has the greatest demand.
Although Nectar Fresh has a wide network, it’s manufacturing unit is only at Mysore. The unit produces around 1,000 tonnes a day and is planning to increase it to 4,000 tonnes by procuring more equipment.
Processing plant: First, the honey is loaded into the container. This honey undergoes around 30 microns of filtration. It later undergoes moisture reduction and then again 2 microns of filtration. It is then cooled and sent to settling tanks. This will later be filled in containers and packed.
The brand has also started dealing with jams and sauces to help sick women groups. It aims to provide them with the technical knowhow and quality assurance and in turn market their produce thereby giving them a channel to avoid middlemen.
The processed honey is tested for quality at Pristine Laboratories, Bangalore and also at the units’s in-house laboratory.
Varieties
Nectar Fresh is known for its varieties in honey which include Coorg honey, rapeseed/mustard, eucalyptus, lychee, sunflower, Himalayan, acacia, clover, south Indian etc.
Market and export
Nectar Fresh today exports its produce to the Middle East, Malaysia and Australia. They will be looking forward to capture the US and European markets very soon.
The brand has replaced top international brands in India and today has a monopoly with the five star hotels.
“Previously we were not keen on our own private labeling and would supply in bulk and to the hospitality sector. But now we are entering the retail market also. We are the major suppliers to the Honey Society and are vendors for DFRL in city. Apart from this, ITC, Kerala Ayurveda, Taj group of hotels, Apollo etc., bottle their products here,” says Chayaa.
Mission beyond market
With an aim to be a leader in their business in India, Nectar Fresh is also seeing to offer its service beyond market. Apart from helping women with jams and sauces, they have empowered the locals around Kadakola region by providing them training and employment. They are also backing tribals by sourcing honey from the Sirsi belt.
The company is also associated with various charitable organisations helping girl child and Chayaa herself is a member of many women organisations in the country.
Competition
When asked about their major competitors in the market, Chayaa said “We have replaced many international brands including Australia’s Beerenberg Farm. In India, our major competitors are Kashmir Apiaries and Kejriwal Enterprises.”
Future
The company will soon be launching honey pouches with an aim to make honey available to even the lowest section of the society. The pouches are being prepared with the help of CFTRI. They will also be launching premixes of coffee and tea. The mix, which comes with milk, sugar and coffee/tea powder, can be prepared by just adding to a cup of water. With this the company plans to rule the Indian market and introduce Mysore and Kodagu to international customers.
Work hard and believe in yourself
I am not a feminist. But I support those women who work hard to stand on their feet. Most of the time, laws favouring women are abused and the most genuine cases do not have the privilege to use it. Hence, through our brand we intend to empower such women.
“Believe in yourself and have that never-let-go attitude. The success you achieve through this will give you a lot of self-respect rather than finding easy ways of making money.
“I have faced many hardships while coming this far. As a single woman, it was initially difficult for me to survive in this field. But that did not discourage me. With help from Corporation Bank, the government and of course from my business partner, now sky is the limit for Nectar Fresh. If I was able to achieve so much, then any woman can.”
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Feature Articles / October 29th, 2011
