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 SUCCESS
STORIES
Profile
of Successfully commercialized Technologies:-
1.
Spray Dried Coconut Milk powder
General
Spray
Dried Coconut Milk powder is an unfamiliar product
to the Indian consumers where as a premium product
in the world market. The product was inaccessible
to the Indian consumers for want of a viable technology
for its manufacturing. However, the technology
for the manufacture of spray dried coconut milk
powder has now been developed by the Central Food
Technological Research Institute, Mysore in Karnataka
under the sponsored programme of the Coconut Development
Board. The product, which is developed and packed
in laminated foil bags, contains 62 per cent fat,
14 per cent protein and 2 per cent moisture which
can be used in place of fresh coconut milk for
food preparation / beverages in household and
food industries. It can be reconstituted into
coconut milk by diluting with water. It offers
additional advantage such as less storage space,
enhanced shelf life and reduced packaging cost.
1.2.
Success story of M/s. Sri Ram Coconut Products
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Spray
dried Coconut Milk Powder |
Fascinated
by the success of the manufacturing units of
Spray dried coconut powder units elsewhere in
the world, Mr. Rajendran, an unassuming, appealing
and enterprising personality ventured into the
commercial production of spray dried coconut
milk powder. Mr. Rajendran, already a professional
industrialist set up the first and unique industry
in the country in 1998 with an investment of
Rs.3.5 crores having a production capacity of
one ton powder per day from 20,000 nuts. M/s
Sri Ram coconut products, managed by Mr. Rajendran
is the first unit in the country successfully
ventured into the manufacture of spray dried
milk powder. The unit which was primarily a
Desiccated Coconut unit started in 1979, was
a pioneer in coconut by product utilization.
The husk which was wasted in the desiccated
factory was utilized for running a coir factory.
Motivated by the Sri Rams’ success in
DC and coir sector fifteen Desiccated Coconut
Units came up in Tamil Nadu during nineties.
It
took two years for the construction of the factory,
selection of machinery, procurement, installation
and commissioning. The first trial run was made
by September 1998. The plant produces 600 MT
Coconut Milk Powder per annum and 400 MT of
low fat Desiccated Coconut or coconut dietary
fibre as the by–product besides producing
1500 ton Desiccated Coconut annually. The capacity
utilization of the plant at present is only
16% of the installed capacity and is expected
to achieve the full capacity utilization on
market expansion.
India
could make an entry for the first time into
the export market of coconut milk powder through
Sri Ram coconut products. This gives immense
satisfaction to Mr. Rajendran, fulfilling his
desire of being the pioneer in the field. Even
though the product is comparatively price disadvantageous
in the international market Sri Ram could able
to export 50 tons of Coconut Milk Powder to
Middle East, UK and Pacific countries. The quality
standard of the product is well maintained so
as to compete with the products of other developed
countries like Philippines, Malaysia and Sri
Lanka who have already established their products
in the market. The company is optimistic in
tapping the vast potential exists in the domestic
sector among the South Indians, Sri Lankans
and the South East Asians as well as that in
the Middle East, UK and in the Pacific countries.
“The scope in the industrial sector is
overwhelming and the target groups are mainly
Europeans. China is an emerging market for Indian
food products”, Mr. Rajandran expressed
his optimism.
2.
Success story of M/s. Sri Ram Coconut Products
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Cocojal
Cocojal Tender Coconut Water Pouches |
Success
Stories
Tender
coconut water is a gift of nature, rich in
vitamins, minerals and proteins. The harmful
effect of the synthetic drinks on human health
has induced health conscious consumers to
depend on natural drinks like tender coconuts.
This change in the consumer behaviors in turn
has increased the demand for tender coconut
in the country in general and the coconut
producing states in particular. Nevertheless,
the bulkiness of the tender coconut and its
poor keeping quality due to the tendency to
undergo biochemical changes and spoilage after
harvesting restrained its popularization and
marketing in its natural form in the non-producing
consuming centers. The increasing demand for
natural drinks necessitated the urgency of
making available, tender coconut water in
convenient packet without spoilage and loosing
its inherent qualities.
The
Coconut Development Board in search of finding
a solution for the preservation and packing
of tender coconut water in cans/ pouches had
succeeded in the venture. Thanks to Defence
Food Research Laboratory, Mysore for developing
a technology for the preservation and packaging
of tender coconut water in its natural form.
It was a shot in the arms for stabilizing
the Indian coconut sector and also a great
challenge to the Board, the challenge of commercialization
of the new technology. No entrepreneurs were
ready to accept the technology and undertake
the risk in the first instance. At last the
Board has succeeded in identifying the willing
entrepreneurs and transferring the technology
for setting up the industries. M/s Jain
Agro Food Products, from Assam is
the first applicant for acquiring the technology
and has succeeded in setting up the first
industry in India at Maddur, Karnataka in
2000. It was the beginning of a new era in
disseminating a natural drink in consumer
packs. At the beginning, Mr. Ajay Jain, the
hard working and ambitious young dynamic personality
and the proprietor of the unit faced a lot
of production and distribution problems. “Initially
our brand, ‘Cocojal’
was neither an accepted product by any super
markets in the country nor I could find any
agent for distribution. I was willing to give
the distribution on credit basis in order
to keep the factory running to avoid rusting/similar
deterioration of the machineries. I could
not even utilize 10 per cent capacity of the
factory which has not only resulted in default
of the repayment schedule of the huge loan
taken from the Federal Bank,” Mr. Jain
said. Finally after 5 years of untiring and
incessant efforts with strong confidence,
Mr. Jain could establish not only a strong
consumer base for his product but also to
push his product among the major buyers and
hence acquired a strong buoyancy in both domestic
and international markets. “To-day,
I am distributing my brand to various pioneer
consuming sectors like, Indian Railway, Indian
Army, besides, placing my product to leading
Super Market Chains like Nilgiris, Food World
etc. My product is also available in the leading
supermarkets of Gulf.” Shri. Jain added.
“The support from the Coconut Development
Board in the form of financial grant and the
aggressive product promotions were really
a relief and greatly contributed for the accomplishment
of my difficult task,” he complemented.
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| A
view of the the factory |
Today packed and preserved tender coconut
has niche market under different brands. Thirteen
entrepreneurs in the country spread over different
States have procured the technology from the
Board and two more units have already commenced
commercial production. Apart from M/s. Jain
Agro Food Products Pvt. Ltd., in Karnataka,
M/s. Shakthi Coconut Products, Tamil Nadu
and Chaithanya Food Products Pvt. Ltd., Kerala
have already set up their units and entered
in to this beverage markets. M/s. Sakthi Coco
Products and M/s. Chaithanya Food Products
Ltd have set up their units in 2002 availing
financial assistance from the Board under
Technology Mission on Coconut for the adoption
of technology.
Mr.
C. M. Kamaraj, the proprietor of M/s.
Sakthi Coco Products, Pollachi is
an ardent and leading industrialist in the
coir based industries. He is the president
of Tamil Nadu State Coir Manufacturers Association
from 1985-96. He is also a pioneer in the
manufacture and exporter of coir pith briquettes
which is a rooting media and has found extensive
uses in nursery sector for sapling productions.
The packed and preserved tender coconut water
produced by Mr. Kamaraj is traded in the brand
name “Tender Coco”
and is available in all the metropolitan cities
of India. Having rich experience in the coconut
processing industry, Mr. Kamaraj has already
established an indelible identity for his
products in the domestic as well as in the
world market. Currently he is manufacturing
an array of commercial products including
high quality desiccated coconut powder from
his integrated coconut industry. He has also
envisioned the manufacture of coconut chips,
a novel convenience food product which is
currently gaining momentum in the indigenous
market.
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Ms/. Chaithanya Food Products Ltd. - Factory |
M/s.Chaithanya
Food Products Ltd. is a partnership
venture jointly run by NRI’s who have
the maiden entry in the processing industry.
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Merriba - Pure Tender Coconut Water |
Mr.
Tomy Mathew, the Managing Director of the
unit, is a B. Com graduate and diploma holder
in Information Technology who is supported
by Mr. Shaji K. V, the Director of the company
who is also a Commerce graduate and Diploma
holder in Travel and Tourism.
The
company has succeeded in pushing their brand
“Merriba” in
the Indian market.
3.
Coconut Vinegar
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Coconut Vinegar |
Vinegar
is an important ingredient for many food
preparations for enhancing their tastes
and keeping qualities. Besides, it is also
used in canned and packed food products
like pickle, meat products etc. The vinegar
available at present is mainly synthetic
origin. The consumer preference in all over
the world, particularly in European countries
towards natural food ingredients and their
aversion on synthetic substance due to its
carcinogenic effect induced demand for natural
foods. The change in the consumer preference
has embarked upon the transformation into
new products. The Coconut Development Board
in search of utilizing the matured coconut
water for value addition has succeeded in
developing a technology for the manufacture
of vinegar through Central Food Technological
Research Institute Mysore. Mature coconut
water, a by-product virtually wasted in
copra production units can now be developed
into quality vinegar through a quick generation
process using vinegar generators. The wide
spread acceptance for the Board’s
technologies and accreditations received
for the products from the consumers has
helped in a great extent to transfer this
technology for commercial exploitations.
Several units have come forward to avail
the technology for manufacturing vinegar
from matured coconut water from the Board.
M/s.
Green Indus Group, Mathilakom, Thrissur,
11; M/s. Paradise Coconut Drying Unit, Paravakkal,
Kadumgapuram, Malappuram - 679 321; M/s.
Associated Products Pvt. Ltd, 34/1784, D3
Penta corner, Edappally P. O., Cochin -24;
M/s. Kerala Malanadu Karshaka Produce Coop
Mktg. Society Ltd., Thiruvambady, Kozhikkode;
M/s. ARS Trader, 83, DNS Puram Road, Sithayankottai,
Dindigul Dist, Tamilnadu, etc. are a few
units in the commercial production of coconut
water vinegar and successfully marketing
the product.
4.
Coconut Chips
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Coconut Chips |
The
coconut chips are manufactured from fresh
coconut by oven drying. The finished chips
with a moisture percentage of are crisp
and brittle and are tasty to eat. It can
be made either sweet or salty with the natural
flavour. The technology for the manufacture
of coconut chips was developed by the CPCRI,
Kasaragodu, Kerala, India under a sponsored
programme of the Coconut Development Board.
Many aspirants have come forward and acquired
the technology and successfully set up their
units in various parts of the country. All
the units have separate brand identity and
traded through exhibitions, melas and supermarket
chains. The product has a viable market
potential in central, north, west and north-eastern
parts of the country. It is used as an edible
snack food item and in the preparation of
sweets, kheer and also consumed along with
pan (a mixture prepared with betel leaf,
areca nut, lime etc.). During winter season
dry coconut is eaten quite often as a source
of energy as well as for preventing the
lips and face from dryness because of its
oil content. It is also reported that pregnant
ladies in North India eat edible copra.
5.
Coconut Shell based Industry
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Coconut Shell Powder |
Product
diversification and by product utilization
of coconut for food products have attained
remarkable achievements and its promotion
have significantly attributed to the present
level of price stability in coconut. It
is for the first time in the history of
coconut development, no market intervention
programme (MIP) had been operated for the
past three years. Coconut Development Board
has played a salubrious role in this transition.
Even though considerable breakthrough is
attained in removing the coconut oil market
dependency, the Indian Coconut Industry
has to go a long way to exploit its full
potential. In the field of byproduct utilization,
only the coir industries have made significant
stride in the economy. In case of coconut
shell utilization, Philippines, Indonesia,
Sri Lanka are far ahead of India. Considering
the immense potential and the need for promotion
of shell based industries in the country,
the Board has played a salutary role. In
India coconut shells are used as fuel in
households, bakeries, brick yards, lime
kilns, iron foundries and other small scale
industries. It is a natural product made
up of hardened cellulose with high lignin
content, which renders it to be very durable,
enabling it to resist quick degradation
and easy decomposition even under wet conditions.
This product has captured the attention
of the elite in the Western and European
countries who are slowly doing away with
the synthetic non-biodegradable packing
and going in for the naturally available
bio-degradable packing. Coconut shell which
is the only material container with varying
sizes, toughness and durability has assumed
importance worldwide. A few copra processing
units in Kerala exported 12 lakhs coconut
shells in the form of ice cream cups, forks,
spoons and hookahs to Spain, Italy France
and other European countries. It is unbelievable
that export enquiries received from countries
like USA, Netherlands and Austria and Western
countries are more than the total production
of coconut shell in the country. The shell
is certain to find new uses as a packing
media throughout the world. This would not
only help to earn valuable foreign exchange
for the country but also generate employment
opportunities to the rural people. Coconut
shell being very hard is carved into all
kinds of lovely curios items. It could be
inlaid with silver or other metals and generally
used with great ornamental effect. Articles
of very attractive appearance are being
produced by expert craftsmen in various
parts of the country. Coconut shell is today
being commercially exploited for the manufacture
of coconut shell powder, coconut shell charcoal
and activated carbon. The value additions
in coconut shell have salubrious effect
in increasing farm level income which is
a prerequisite for making the coconut industry
globally competitive.
Coconut
shell powder is extensively used as compound
filler in the plastic industry, synthetic
resin glues and as filler cum extender for
phenolic molding powders. This unique product
is used for specialized surface finishes,
mastic adhesives, mild abrasive products
& polyester type laminates. In India,
the coconut shell powder has extensive application
in the manufacture of agarbathy, mosquito
coil etc. The ‘Tortoise’, ‘Goodknight’,
‘Mortein’, ‘Odomos’
are the strong mosquito coil brands available
in the country. The Godrej and Hindustan
Lever are some of the leading manufactures
of shell powder based products in the country.
Presently there are about 25 shell powder
producing units located in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
& Northern Kerala manufacturing about
1500 tonnes of the product on an annual
basis.
Coconut
shell charcoal finds wide use as a fuel
and as a base material for the manufacture
of activated carbon. Presently crude methods
are being employed for the manufacture of
shell charcoal resulting in inferior quality
and poor recovery of the product. However,
there are a few units adopting modern methods
like the drum kiln methods and waste heat
recovery technology for the manufacture
of good quality shell charcoal. Coconut
shell based activated carbon is the widely
accepted material for application in pollution
control and removal of colour / odour of
compounds, air purifications, purification
of industrial as well as potable water etc.
It is also used in refining and bleaching
of viable oils and chemical solutions. India
has not attained any triumph in fully utilizing
the large quantity of coconut shell indigenously
available mainly for want of know-how. However,
a few units have recently been set up in
the country with foreign collaboration producing
excellent quality of activated carbon. M/s.
Indo German Carbon Ltd., Kerala, M/s. Coco
shell Carbons, Tamilnadu, M/s. Adsorbent
Carbons Ltd. are such units manufacturing
activated carbon based on imported technologies.
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A view from Adsorbent Carbons Ltd. |
M/s.
Adsorbent Carbons Limited, a sister concern
of M/s.VVD Group, is one of the successful
industries manufacturing activated carbon
in India. Mr.Niranjan, the proprietor of
the firm is the owner of a century old integrated
coconut processing complex. His coconut
oil “VVD oil” is a widely accepted
brand in south India. The credibility established
for the oil has bestowed advantages for
him to emerge as the pioneer in the production
of super quality special grade activated
carbon. Their operations are based at Tuticorin
in South India, a major port city in South
East Asia. Their customer base extends across
Europe, US, Australia and South Africa.
Located in SIPCOT Industrial Estate, M/s.Adsorbent
Carbons Ltd is the only unit of its kind
in a back ward region with the ISO 9001
certification. Mr.Niranjan acknowledged
with profound gratitude the catalytic role
of Coconut Development Board for his success.
6.
Coconut Curios
Coconut
palm does not carry any part off use.
A lot of artisans in the coconut growing
tracts in the country are finding their
livelihood from coconut based handicrafts.
The discarded coconut palm parts like
coconut spathe, coconut wood and shells
are made into objects of beauty and utility.
We can come across many craftsmen whose
artistic talents work wonderfully on coconut
parts by cutting chiseling, shaping and
polishing.
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Shri. Kumaran Achary, Artisan |
Shri. Kumaran
Achary who hails from Cherai, a coastal
village in Vyppin Island in Ernakulam
district, in his incessant journey for
the last seven decades has left out memorable
carvings in his area of work. These artists
and craftsmen are a part of our common
heritage and they deserve help and encouragement
from all quarters. The artisans add value
to the materials wasted from coconut.
Such creative crafts will help infuse
the new generation with artistic mind
and will develop domestic market for coconut
byproducts. The artifacts made out of
coconut products attract many within and
outside the country. This enables to pin
our hopes on the tremendous potential
in expanding area of coconut handicrafts
making. The Coconut Development Board
in search of talented artisans for converting
the coconut shell and wood based products
into high value utility materials has
played a key role in developing and establishing
rural artisans units in various parts
of the country, particularly in the coconut
producing states. This in turn has made
a face lift of the rural economy through
employment generations and value additions
of the byproducts.
Curios made out
of Coconut parts
Apart
from the above products and by-products
ample opportunities are still available
for further exploitations. Some of the
commercially important products for which
technologies and recipe available are;
Nata-de-coco,
Snowball Tender Coconut, the coconut based
convenient food products; like, Coconut
jam, Sparkling coconut water drink, Coconut
burfi, Yoghurt, Paneer, Whey drink, Coconut
cookies etc. The Coconut Development
Board is in the verge of promoting more
industries for commercial production of
more products and by products from coconut
at least to the tune of other countries
like Philippine, Sri Lanka if not to the
existing full potential of 152 products.
The Board has also succeeded in developing
coconut oil based engine oil with the
expertise from CUSAT which expected to
be a breakthrough in the global coconut
industry. The Technology Mission on Coconut
which is in operation in the county will
address all such issues and act aggressively
for the accomplishment of this goal.
Coconut Products Directory
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