Spearheaded by 75-year old entrepreneur, Radha Daga, Chennai-based Triguni Foods, is popular for its Magic Upma and Magic Biryani in Indigo Airlines. The company’s next step is to grow its export business and extend its product mix to serve the retail segment.
The 75-year-old dynamic entrepreneur, Radha Daga, always wanted to be her own boss. And, she achieved it by starting an export garment business which, as luck would have it, eventually led her to become a food entrepreneur. She entered the food business in 2012 with Triguni Foods, which owns and markets ready-to-eat meals under the brand, Eze Eats. In fact, if you are a frequent traveller on Indigo Airlines, the company’s Magic Upma is something you would have surely come across, if not tasted.
When we spoke to Daga in 2015, the company closed FY15 with a revenue of Rs. 8 crore. It is now a ISO 2200 certified company with proper systems and quality documentation done on a day to day basis and its Halal certification is under process.
In the ready-to-eat segment, packaging is a critical factor; Triguni is currently working on a travel pack with a single tub and four pouches, which will reduce the volume and weight in the bag
Creating A Stronger Presence
The company has made strong strides over the last couple of years. It started its journey with food items like lemon rice, poha and rava kichdi and went on to offer two categories of dehydrated foods; rice and sweets. All the recipes are from Daga herself and according to her, the challenge is to get it right without losing the aroma.
The company currently offers dishes like biriyani, bisibelabhath, pongal, tamarind rice, cheese rice, rava kesari, rice kheer, moong dal halwa and carrot halwa. And, Daga plans to increase this list further. The company is also looking at coming out with diabetic-friendly food series shortly, and introducing WOW Vadas that can be used with Curd or Sambar, primarily targeting the homemaker segment.
Triguni currently has a capacity to produce 10,000 tubs a day in three shifts and aims to increase this number to 14,000 tubs a day. With a higher production capacity, it even plans to expand further across India. In fact, it has already started building a presence in shops in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai and has a presence in all the prominent A1 stores like Waitrose and Nilgiris in Chennai. It has also started exporting to UAE, Singapore and Netherlands.
Tapping Newer Market Opportunities
The company plans to come out with travel packs which will reduce the volume and weight in bags. This essentially means that there will be one tub with lid and four pouches which can be used with that single tub. With a keen eye on quality, the company aims to become the top ready-to-eat brand in the Indian market and have a strong presence in all the metros and in the overseas markets. “We also plan to reach out to the outdoor adventure segment, as our ready-to-eat products are ideally suited for this category,” says Daga, on a concluding note.
Insights from Triguni
Market Development Approach: It has already started making its presence in shops in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai and has a presence in all the prominent A1 stores like Waitrose and Nilgiris in Chennai. It has also started exporting to UAE, Singapore and Netherlands.
Production Approach: It currently has a capacity to produce 10,000 tubs a day in three shifts and aims to increase this number to 14,000 tubs a day.
Product Development Approach: It is looking at coming out with diabetic-friendly food series shortly and WOW Vada, a food item that can be used with Dahi or sambar.
