ASSAM: What started with a clay furnace to bake biscuits and bicycles for delivery is today one of Assam’s well-known bakery brands. Entrepreneur Pallab Jyoti Baruah’s determination turned a modest unit into a major name. With limited resources but strong willpower, he built the business along with his brothers, Pankaj Jyoti Baruah and Partha Jyoti Baruah. Monisha Bakery products are now relished across the state.
Pallab opened a small shop in Baruah Chariali, Jorhat, in 1991–92. He sold biscuits purchased from other bakeries. As he also had to look after a relative’s restaurant nearby, Pankaj, the eldest brother, took charge of the shop. The brothers named it Monisha after their only sister. Partha, the youngest, was then studying at a college in Jorhat.
A turning point came in 1993–94 when Pallab availed of a Rs 1 lakh bank loan under the Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana. It changed their lives. “Pallab set up a clay furnace at our Meleng village on the city outskirts and began baking biscuits. Monisha, Partha and I chipped in. We moved from place to place, riding our bicycles to sell our biscuits. We also sold those through our shop in Jorhat. That’s how it all began,” Pankaj said.
The siblings’ hard work showed results. As the business grew, they bought a scooter and later a small delivery vehicle. When demand increased, they installed another clay furnace in the village.
In 1999, Pankaj got a teacher’s job at a government-run school. The family then closed the Jorhat shop as Pallab and Partha were busy at the production unit. A few years later, Pallab secured a job in the Brahmaputra Board under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and the responsibility of running the business fell on Partha, who now spearheads it.
The next major boost came in 2012 when the state rural bank granted them a loan. “In 2012, Assam Grameen Vikash Bank granted us a substantial loan. With this, we relaunched Monisha Bakery in Jorhat, offering biscuits, sweets and other products. We did brisk business. We now have more than 40 vehicles,” Pankaj says.
The family opened a second bakery in Jorhat. They set up shops in several places, including a bakery and a production unit on Majuli Island. The brand now has 13 outlets, including two restaurants.
“Our biscuits are sold across Assam as we maintain quality. We try to give what we like. Earning money is not our sole aim. We always think about how we can satisfy our customers by giving them the best service. Customers know that we started from scratch. They are aware of Monisha Bakery’s success story,” says Pankaj.
The bakery extends humanitarian support. It helps patients suffering from serious diseases. The Barua family provides financial assistance to local organisations during cultural programmes. Pankaj is an approved artist of modern and folk songs at All India Radio, Dibrugarh. The brothers and their families live together with their mother. Their father, who served in the railways, is no more. Monisha is happily married.