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“We are working towards innovative products using seeds, dry fruits & spices”
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Monday, 07 February, 2022, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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 As times change the needs and demands of the customers change as well, hand processed spices and condiments have gained prominence. We can see a major shift in consumer behaviour and response towards organic foods due to the change in lifestyle and rise in awareness of what we consume on a daily basis. As organic foods become a household phenomenon we expect the demand for organic spices to climb rapidly, said Adhvika Agarwal, co-founder, Orco Spices, in an interaction with Nandita Vijay. Excerpts:
How would you describe the current scene for spice condiments in India?
Spices are the essence of any kitchen in India and across the world. Hence the demand for the same remains constant. Consumers have always been buying spices from physical markets after smelling and tasting their authentic flavours and colours. However the sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic led to the shift in consumer inclination from conventional brick-and-mortar distribution channels towards online retail platforms for the purchase of spices in India.
Some of the major players in the India spice industry who have built trust over the years include Aachi Spices and Foods, Badshah Masala, Eastern Condiments, Everest Food Products, Mahashian Di Hatti, MTR Foods, and Patanjali Ayurved. However the organic movement that has been slowly brewing has some effect on the consumers who are more aware than others of what they eat.
As times change the needs and demands of the customers change as well, hand processed spices and condiments have gained prominence. We can see a major shift in consumer behaviour and response towards organic foods due to the change in lifestyle and rise in awareness of what we consume on a daily basis. As organic foods become a household phenomenon we expect the demand for organic spices to climb rapidly.
What are the visible trends and challenges you see in this space?
Covid-19 has proved as a major catalyst in several lifestyle changes including a surge in demand for healthy and immunity building food items. Organic spices and condiments which are a vital part of our daily foods aid to fight diseases as they increase immunity. Spices like cumin, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and even saffron are extremely beneficial for increasing immunity. Henceforth, rising awareness among consumers about maintaining a healthy diet will be a key factor influencing the market share.
Some of the challenges include awareness amongst large customer segments who still buy mass produced consumer spices which contain artificial colour, flavour. Also the lack of awareness for the numerous health benefits that Indian spices embody.
How has the brand been faring since its launch in 2017 and which markets are your growth drivers?
The brand since its launch has grown from 2 to 20 women, getting an average of 1,000 orders in a month. The major growth driver is our own website where we see a traffic of more than 50K visitors. In the second year, we added another line of products to the portfolio covering superfood organic seeds and now plans are on the anvil for a few more products.
We also have a strong offline presence in stores like Modern Bazaar, Krishna Super Marche, Honey Money Top. The organic spices can also be bought online through Flipkart, Soka Solution, Amazon, Organikness, Organic Brand Factory, Bharat Supply, Soulahe and Harvest to Health all across India.
How is the product positioned against competitors and what makes your customers choose your product?
The organic spices space is still gaining awareness and acceptance from a wider audience, however there are many players selling organic spices but Orco differs by taking a little extra step to ensure its 100% natural without any heat involved. Our spices stand apart because of their manufacturing process. We ground all our spices in a hand mill or chakki without any heat or electricity. The spices are freshly procured, hand pounded, and ground below 200 RPM. The process allows the spices to breathe and retain all their nutrients, flavour, colour and aroma, which is otherwise lost in processing them on machinery.
Share details on the manufacturing facility and the manual processing along with the hand mill (chakki) below 100 RPM. What spices are hand ground?
As mentioned we hand clean, hand pounded on marble and mortar, further we roast and ground the spices as per definitive quantity to ensure consistent texture on a hand mill (chakki) manually without any heat or electricity. The spices tend to retain all the nutrients, colour and flavour due to not being processed. The spices are known for their freshness and high quality due to being gently processed. The mortar and marble also have medicinal properties and ensure the spices taste as per their natural potential.
Share details on the contract farming and sourcing efforts by the company.
We procure all our spices from verified organic farmers who we personally visit and verify their farming process. Most of the spices come from Rajasthan and Sikkim.
Your presence is largely concentrated in the north and you are yet to tap the western, eastern and southern markets.
Since we are a Delhi based startup, so we are present in our presence in Delhi NCR is definitely higher, however we do sell and cater equally to all parts of India through our website and other online e-commerce websites like Amazon and Flipkart.
Our mixed blend is very well received by the southern states, Organic Fish Masala being the top seller. We see a great number of sales happening in Bangalore, Mumbai and Tamil Nadu.
Not only this we have international customers as well who relish our organic offerings and have executed several international orders in Germany and we are in process to export to other European and Middle-East countries very soon.
Is this concept empowering women with every pack purchased a one of a kind effort by a food processing company? What is your game plan to increase the workforce from the current 100 to 500 and thereafter?
Women have become a very important part of the work-class now, from being at senior positions to CEO’s of the companies. However the section of women who are uneducated or untrained face issues in acquiring respectable jobs. We wanted to cater to this segment of women who are not allowed to work.
Several startups and brands are women-centric now giving them opportunities to thrive. The goal is to provide women the chance to work honourably and support their families financially.
Our concept of ‘helping women with every packet we sell’ is a direct reflection of our values and functioning as a brand. As Orco grows we will be able to hire more marginalised sector women and help them grow with us. We provide a safe working environment to women and the opportunity to work at their own pace.
What kind of investments were required to set up the operations of Orco and was the funding through VCs or PEs?
We are a bootstrapped startup that started with our own backyard with a minimal investment to buy our equipment, raw material and packaging material. As the brand gained some prominence and we shifted to a small facility nearby. We might try to get some external funding next year to build our brand further.
Going forward, where would you manufacture flours and the ready-to-eat foods like handmade chips, pappad, cakes, bakes, beverages?
We are working towards exploring and developing innovative products made using seeds, dry fruits and spices. At the moment we have a portfolio of 55 organic spices, mixed blends and seeds. We have a vision to open small Orco plants all across India and have the brand selling in all the retail stores which will allow us to support more marginalised sector women.
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