Mr. Priyanku Pratim Pathak (31) is an entrepreneur from the Sonitpur District of Assam. After completing graduation in 2012 with a specialization in animation, he started a company in the domain of graphic designing and event management. However, deep within, he knew that he wanted to explore other avenues and do something different. After years of self-reflection and gaining on-ground experience, he finally decided to venture into the world of food processing. He navigated his way through a lot of ideas and eventually found his answer in ‘King Chilli’. He finally decided to start a King Chilli sauce-making unit locally known as ‘Bhoot Jolokia’ sauce.
After months of research and personal investment, he produced the first batch of Bhoot Jolokia sauce in the month of February 2021 and distributed it among his friends, relatives and neighbours for testing purposes. The feedback that he received for his product was extremely positive and it encouraged him to get into the business full-time. Named after his mother, he established “Tulika Enterprise” in April 2021 as a food processing enterprise.
One day while scrolling through his social media account, he got to know about the PM Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme. He realized that the scheme would enable him to take his business to the next level. In order to understand the scheme better, he visited the official website of the PMFME Scheme and later approached the District Industries and Commerce Centre (DICC) of Sonitpur. The interaction with the DICC officials motivated him to apply for the credit-linked subsidy support under the PMFME Scheme. In the month of March 2022, his loan under the PMFME Scheme was sanctioned for an amount of Rs. 13,35,000.
Mr. Priyanku invested the loan amount primarily in purchasing machinery like Pneumatic Pouch Packing Machine, Industrial Printer, Ginger Peeler, Garlic Peeler, Paste Making Machine, Air Compressor, and Vegetable Chopping Machine. After the installation of the machinery, the production and revenue of the enterprise increased significantly. With the support of the PMFME Scheme, the production capacity of the enterprise increased from 50 kg per day to 100 kg per day. At the same time, the enterprise also witnessed an increase of more than 50% in terms of revenue generation from Rs. 1000 per day to Rs. 3000 per day.
Tulika Enterprise is presently selling products in local stores, retail outlets, wholesale in Sonitpur, and through social media platforms as well as e-commerce websites. However, Mr. Priyanku has a keen desire to extend the scope of his market. He intends to sell his products across the country and envisions a day when Tulika Enterprise will become a name synonymous with King Chilli (Bhoot Jolokia) sauce. He has become a source of inspiration for many who aim to think out of the box and attributes his success to the PMFME Scheme and his family members who believed in him throughout his entrepreneurial journey. The financial turnover of Tulika Enterprise for FY 2021-22 was approximately Rs. 50 lakh.
(Content shared by Assam Industrial Development Corporation Ltd.)