KOCHI: Native to Iran and Afghanistan, asafoetida is a famed spice in Indian cuisine. A pinch or two of ‘hinge’ adds a lingering depth of flavour and brings savoury taste to a lot of dishes. In Kerala, asafoetida, also known as ‘kaayam’, packed neatly in white bottles, dominates sambar, dal and rasam. Though the pungent aromatic dried spice is used widely here, Kalamassery native Varsha Prasanth understood that the product is sourced majorly from outside Kerala and only small-scale manufacturing happens in the state. That led to 3VeeS International. Varsha, along with her sisters, Vismaya and Vrinda, does large-scale manufacturing of hing and 30 other products, including breakfast essentials and curry powders.
Varsha, 26, manages the unit’s daily activities, while Vrindha, a BBA graduate, puts the products online through social media promotions and campaigns. Vismaya, who is doing CA , manages the venture’s financial matters. “While doing MBA, I didn’t have any specific business idea in my mind. During my job search, I decided to start small, something of my own. I was looking for a business where I’ll just have to invest a small amount as capital. So what’s better than food,” says Varsha.
After doing a fair bit of research Varsha narrowed it down to starting a manufacturing unit which deals with hing exclusively, as she realised how much the state depends on brands from outside. “When Varsha approached us with the idea, understanding the possibilities of hing, we decided to lead our support as well,” says 21-year-old Vrinda. “We did thorough research on its usages, other brands and competitors before venturing into the business. Since it’s not manufactured on a large scale, I knew there is bigger scope,” adds 23-year-old Vismaya.
The sisters went to Agropark Piravam to get exclusive training on the technical side, manufacturing, licensing and even curating a recipe on their own. 3VeeS had to undergo a bit of a rough start to get the proportion of the recipe, right. “During trial runs, we failed to get the powdery texture of Asafoetida, after trying for around ten times, we managed to create the authentic 3vees Asafoetida in the right proportion,” adds Varsha.
When she started her unit Varsha was sceptical of how the product will be accepted in the market. To analyse its demand, they started a unit in a room adjacent to their house and started producing in a very limited amount. “During the first three months, my father and I used to introduce our product to shops, marts and hotels. Once it got in, we started receiving rave reviews of the quality. This motivated us to manufacture on a large scale,” says Varsha.
Hing is available in powder and cake form. Raw materials are procured from Delhi-based dealers, who import them from West Asia. The sale increased after 3VeeS collaborated with Supplyco. The rise in demand for hing made Varsha bring out other products including curry powder and chilly, turmeric, sambar, chicken, and fish and breakfast essentials. Now, 3vees has 30 products in total.
The youngsters make an annual turnover of over Rs 50 lakh. Their father, Prasanth who was the chairman of a pharmaceutical company heads the marketing division of 3vees, whereas their mother, Sarala handles the production department.
Women supporting women
Around 10 women work in the production department. They help with powdering and packaging. “These women are from my neighbourhood. I always wanted to support and help them grow with us,” says Varsha.
The products are available on Amazon, Flipkart, Indiamart. “We have also added our products in the start-up apps like Rich Indians, Highrich etc,” adds Vrinda.
Visit: 3veesinternational.com