Kapil Bidada, Director, Bidada Foods Pvt Ltd is a true visionary. Panchamrit Energy, the flagship product of Bidada Foods, is his brainchild, which aims to revive the age old Indian recipes that have proven health benefits. Coming from the illustrious Charbhuja Marbles family, Kapil is also on the strategic development and marketing board of Charbhuja Marbles. A scholarship award holder and an alumni of Swinburne University, Melbourne, Kapil is a self-confessed workaholic. In this conversation with Business2Business, Kapil shares with us more about Panchamrit Energy, which is India’s first Panchamrit based drink and a lot more:
More about Bidada Foods: Kapil shares, “Bidada Foods was formed with the idea of providing a nutritious and healthy breakfast drink to children. Kids who refuse to drink milk will love Panchamrit Energy as a tastier and healthier alternative. We believe in the policy of no adulteration and hence use all natural ingredients. Panchamrit Energy is the result of strenuous research and revisiting this ancient recipe which is formulated without any preservative, artificial colours and artificial flavours.”
Bringing Health, Traditions and Taste together: Elaborating more on the idea and the products offered, Kapil says, “The core ingredients of Panchamrit Energy comprise milk, nutmeg, mace, clove, cardamom, saffron, basil and honey. Each ingredient has its list of benefits and when combined to form this concoction we get a great source of instant energy. The drink replenishes one’s body and soul.” He adds, “It is amazing to know that Panchamrit has been attributed as the drink of Gods, it finds its mention in the ancient Vedas and scriptures. It is a thousand year old recipe with proven health benefits. I wanted to bring this to the doorstep of every Indian household.”
Long-term vision and plans for Bidada Foods: “We want reach Pan Indian households. We also plan to launch various natural flavours like rose, mango and butterscotch of Panchamrit Energy. Bidada foods also envision launching an adulteration free range of health drinks and food items,” replies Kapil.
Route to the market: Sharing more on how they make their product reach the market Kapil shares, “We are very happy to announce our association with Future Group. Panchamrit energy will soon be available in all Big Bazaar stores and Easy Day. We are currently selling through Heritage Foods, Neelgiris (Chennai), Modern Bazaar (Delhi and Gurgaon), All Needs, and Big Basket with availability in Delhi, Haryana, UP, Punjab, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata.”
Expansion plans: Sharing more on their national and global expansion plans, Kapil says, “Our current focus is completely on Indian market. We first want to maximise the distribution channel in India and then focus on the International markets.”
Customer feedback: When asked that how the consumers are reacting to the product, Kapil says, “Within just a period of just 3 months since launch we have been able to sell out the products at most of the major stores. Our first product lot was sold out in one week. So I guess the customers are enjoying the blessings of Panchamrit Energy. We are very thankful to Lord Charbhuja ji and Lord Krishna ji as this is all because of their grace and blessings.”
Future Outlook of the wellness industry: While consumers are now shifting towards such wellness products, Kapil elaborates,“With the consumers becoming more aware of the harmful effects of preservative laden food products, we have seen a massive shift towards wellness products. With more brands spending on R&D and developing a healthy range of food items, we shall see a phenomenal growth in this sector.”
Challenges faced: “From getting the recipe right to production and finally to marketing – it’s been a bumpy ride. Every day was a challenge and I am really lucky to have great teams like Greenroom Creative, my wife Shikha, my daughters and my father Mr Suraj Mal Bidada,” shares Kapil. He adds, “Any business cannot function without a dedicated team in place. In my moments of doubt I had the backing of my family to just keep going.”
Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: If you think you can do it than trust you can do it. Just follow your heart with integrity and the rest will follow.