AGARBATTI

Household Supplies

Details of the Product

Flowers are abundant in India and are frequently utilized at weddings and ceremonial gatherings. Nearly one-third of the nation's total solid trash is made up of the ensuing floral waste. One of the causes of our nation's rising worry over water pollution is these blooms. According to reports, 16% of all river pollution comes from floral waste. The pesticides sprayed on them leech into the water and endanger marine life, while rotting flowers have an impact on the water's quality.

Raw Material Sources

The handling of flower debris from places of worship like temples and churches can be a sustainable source, floral designers. Events and gatherings.

Jigat powder (bark of the tree- litsea glutinosa)

Technology and Process

Flowers Waste

To deal with the massive volume of wasted flowers, many inventive products have been developed. Farmers purchase compost that has been created from floral debris. But making organic, chemical-free, and charcoal-based incense and cones is where the actual value lies. Additionally, organic leather created from flowers is currently being tried, as is biodegradable packaging. Since incense cones have been around for so long, they are a common product in India.

Since ancient times, people have used incense to treat unpleasant odors with a pleasant perfume, as part of spiritual rituals, or more recently, in aromatherapy to treat conditions like anxiety. The same goes for the usage of incense and essential oil diffusers. Both release volatile chemical molecules that might cause lung irritation. Make sure you burn incense cones away from youngsters and on an inflammable surface, and never leave the room alone. The Indian Agarbatti and dhoop market was worth more than INR 3000 crores in 2011–12. Incense sticks and incense cones were also very popular. It has enormous promise for producing organic incense sticks without Sulphur or charcoal utilizing flower waste. Ayurvedic herbs may also be added to it to enhance its therapeutic properties.

PREPARATION PROCESS

The agarbattis are utilized in homes and other locations as fragrances. They serve as natural disinfectants and insect repellents. Given that they are formed from flowers, agarbattis are organic.

TECHNOLOGY AND PROCESS

The mixing step is the most important one in the production of agarbatti.
Following the feeding of the mixed material through the Agarbatti machine, Agarbatti cones are created.
To get rid of extra moisture, these cones are dried in dryer equipment.
To improve scent and aroma, the Agarbatti cones are steeped in essential oils.
After drying, the cones are put in the proper container.

INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE & USE THE INCENSE CONES

To make Agarbatti from floral waste, follow these steps.

Collect flowers from different sources such as temples, Ghats.
Following this, the flower petals are placed in a dryer to remove moisture.
To make fine powder from dry flowers, they are ground in a grinder.
The grounded powder is mixed with other ingredients (binders) in a ribbon blender.
In general, Jigat powder serves as a binder.
Add the cinnamon & nutmeg to a bowl. Stir.
Grind the cloves with a mortar & pestle or an old coffee grinder. Measure out 1.5 tsp. And mix it in the bowl.
Add the marshmallow root.
Slowly add the water, stirring as you go.
Finally, add the honey and combine well. The mixture should hold together well enough to shape the cones.

SHAPE THE INCENSE CONES

MOULD

Use a tiny pipe cone to hold the incense mixture inside. Push it in until it is firmly adhered to one another. After that, use a toothpick to cut a hole in the cone's center. (This will improve the burn.) Next, firmly tap the pipe cone onto the table three to four times. Although it won't be removed, it will aid in making it more flexible. The incense cone should then be pushed out of the pipe cone with the aid of the toothpick. Continue until all of the incense mixture has been utilized. (You may also manually shape them by starting with a ring and working your way up. It will be challenging to drill a hole in the base since they will be smaller.)

DRY THE CONES

The dashboard of a car on a sunny day is the finest spot to leave the incense cones to dry. Cones should be transferred to an airtight container after 1-2 days. Since honey is a humectant, this is a crucial step when incorporating it in the formulation. If it's not sealed up, it will draw in moisture and the cone won't burn as quickly.

PREPARATION METHOD

Use these procedures to create agarbatti from floral waste. Gather flowers from a variety of locations, including ghats and temples.

TROUBLESHOOTING

The smudge sticks are breaking: Add more binder, break them up into a mixing bowl, and then restart. If not, burn and handle cautiously.
When forming the cones, the dough won't adhere properly: Include additional water.
There is a partial burn of the incense: Wait a full 3 - 4 days before burning it. Perhaps your cones are too thick. To ensure that no portion of the incense cone is excessively thick, it is helpful to poke a hole through it. Lastly, there might not be enough foundational material (clove, pine, sandalwood).

AGARBATHI MAKING MACHINES TO BOOST PRODUCTION

You could decide to equip your agarbatti unit with some machinery. Both the quantity and quality of production will rise. In order to produce agarbatti, it is essential to choose the appropriate equipment.
There are essentially three basic types of equipment on the market. They come in manual, partially automatic, and fully automatic varieties.
A manual pedal-type machine does not require the use of electricity. In comparison to rolling by hand, it simplifies the task. The manual machine starts at around Rs 10,000.
All machines in a semi-automatic system are automated but not integrated. It's powered by electricity.
This machine's output in terms of output. However, one person must continuously supply the machine with bamboo sticks. The semi-automatic model starts at Rs 60,000.
The completely automatic equipment is ideal for operations on a big scale. The most agarbatti are produced each hour by the fully automatic system. Furthermore, you are not required to use sticks to feed the machine. Therefore, a business owner can install these devices to grow her enterprise. Costs for the fully automatic machine start at Rs. 1 lakh.

HOW TO PROCURE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

The majority of the tools and equipment required by an agarbattis manufacturer can be obtained from a nearby city or town. Here are some recommendations for buying tools and supplies for producing agarbatti.
For information on the suggested tools, equipment, raw materials, and sources for them, speak with your local District Industries Centre (DIC) or individuals with agarbatti-making experience.

Rolling Tool

Agarbatti-making equipment's price is influenced by the motor's horsepower capacity, the caliber of the raw materials, and the level of efficiency. Check each one thoroughly.
You must compare prices from many providers before submitting the final purchase order. To assist you compare prices, it is a good idea to check the price online if at all possible.

Ribbon Blender Tool

It is wise to purchase the equipment from a local vendor. It will make it easier for you to seek future mechanical support from that business
Don't forget to bring the correct paperwork and receipts when buying tools and machines. It will be useful for your project's adequate documentation.

SETTING UP UNIT

Company Registration: The first step in beginning a business is to create incense, which entails registering your company with the ROC register of corporations, the ROC as a corporation, or both.
GST Registration: Only after completing the registration process is every business owner need to register for GST and GST number issues.
EPF Registration: This registration is only necessary if a manufacturing unit employs more than 20 workers.
ESI Registration: This ESI (Employee State Insurance) has more than ten workers.
Trade License: Every person who owns a business must do this. It is obtainable from local government entities.
Udyam SSI Registration: Everyone who runs a business is required to do this. It can be purchased through regional government agencies.
Pollution Certificate: The State Pollution Control Board must inspect the site where one's manufacturing unit is located in order to provide this certificate, which is necessary before one may open for business.
Factory License: The bare minimum for large scale is a NOC and a factory license. India’s incense market has a growth rate of 6% per year. It is also one of the largest exporters.

PACKAGING, BRANDING INPUTS

As vital as producing the agarbatti is the packaging. The packaging attempts to safeguard the agarbatti throughout the entire supply chain, up until it is in the hands of the final consumers. It also has a close connection to marketing. The creation of eye-catching packaging is the first aspect taken into consideration to promote the sale of agarbatti. Here are some essential points that an agarbatti maker should take into consideration:

The packaging must convey the alluring message that the manufacturer of agarbattis wants to convey to its target audience so they will want to purchase their products.
Clear and visually attractive information should be presented on the box. In the case of sandalwood agarbattis, for instance, the packaging may include additional information in addition to the brand name, such as this agarbatti is made using natural ingredients, local products, is free of child labor, etc., which helps the consumer to trust the product and encourages purchase decision.
In order to stand out from the competition, the package design should be distinctive from other brands on the market, using unique colours and logos.

Cardboard boxes, polythene bags, tapes, and paper are the most popular materials that can be used to package agarbattis. Agarbatti can be manually packaged using tools like heat sealers. Mostly the packaging of agarbattis are properly counted or weighed and packed through these three stages-

Filling in inner polythene pouches and sealing if required
Filling in outer Packet & Sealing
Bulk packing and wrapping up with shrink rap

MARKET STRATEGIES

You may have seen that there are numerous producers of the same product in your area, but some of them sell their wares quickly and effectively while others must wait for clients to enter their stores.

Many of them have interpersonal communication skills. They are knowledgeable about the products they are offering as well as how to interact with customers. And they do it in a really unique way. They attract a sizable number of loyal clients as a consequence of their polite behaviour and effective communication, which aids in the smooth operation of the firm. Other elements, including appropriate conduct and effective communication, have an impact on a company's sales. Working on these 4Ps brings a business closer to its customers and helps improve product and company sales. 4Ps concept in our agarbatti business.

Product: The product that a company offers to its clients is the good or service. A product should satisfy the customers' specific needs or establish a market among the customers, making them believe they need the product. For example, offering a broad variety of agarbattis with different fragrances and uses that are in great demand from customers.

Price How much money will the customers pay for a product? The answer to this question describes the second P of the 4Ps. While pricing a product, we need to consider the following:

How much should be the price of the item?
At what price are other competitors selling the item
Is the more significant section of customers have the ability to pay that price

Place: Any firm must consider location as a key component. If you want to offer your product to end consumers directly, you must choose a location with good visibility and a healthy volume of foot traffic. The majority of homes regularly utilise agarbatti. Therefore, it would be advantageous to set up your retail stores next to a residential area. Here, the Agarbatti maker will decide where to sell the product and how she will deliver the product to the arranged place. The agarbatti maker should consider the following:

Accessibility of people to the place where the shop located
Considering local competitors who are running the similar shop
Displaying the agarbattis so a customer can easily access her preferred stuff or beautifully placing varieties of agarbattis in order so customers can easily
Find the agarbattis of their choice.

Promotion includes advertising the product and making good relations with people using practical communication skills. Here, the seller should:

Talk with the people who will buy the product and explain why they need it and why they should pay a specific price.
Pay full attention to the customers and listen to them carefully.
Give some price discounts to customers who are buying a larger quantity.
Advertise your product through a sign board and banners in different places in your locality.

APPROACHES

Built a distribution channel, going through wholesalers and trying to tie up with big retail chains and Institutional buyers (Hotels, Ashrams, etc.)
Embracing user feedback/reviews, customers share personal stories and exchange ideas.
We have to collaborate with online selling platforms like websites for Organic and Herbal Products, like organicindia.com, naturalmantra.com, etc.
Storytelling is one of the most effective methods of marketing. Promoting our product story through blogs and social media pages promoting environment-friendly products.
Collaborating with NGOs for mutual benefits.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND POLICIES

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (Ministry of MSME)

As part of the plan, KVIC will give the craftsmen under the programme automatic agarbatti-making and powder mixing machines. Additionally, it offers assistance with training, unit setup, raw material acquisition, hand holding through workshops, and monitoring to make sure that production is not hampered and that they are able to investigate export markets.

Atmanirbhar Bharat: Govt expands programme for agarbattis units

With the support of the Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission, private producers of khadi can increase their output without having to make any further financial commitments. In addition to the additional 500 pedal-operated machines that will be provided to SHGs and individuals through 20 pilot projects in India, the updated programme will provide 400 automatic agarbattis producing machines as opposed to the 200 that were originally planned.

MICROFINANCE

By establishing a Joint Liability Group (JLG) or Self-Help Group (SHG), an agarbatti producer can obtain a loan from a microfinance institution to launch or expand their agarbatti business.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana

The maker of agarbattis can apply for a Mudra loan under the Micro Credit Scheme, which is primarily provided by Micro Finance Institutions. These institutions give credit of up to 1 lakh for a variety of micro enterprise and small business activities. Loans are provided by MFIs to individual entrepreneurs for specific income-generating microenterprise/small company operations, even though the distribution channel may be through SHGs/JLGs/individuals.

Scope of Market

Since it is used for various reasons, it has a wider consumer range.

Ayurvedic and retreat centers
Spas
Resorts and hotel industry
Religious/holy places
Therapy clinics
Households