Samir Dombe is the owner of Pavitrak brand and he is based out of Pune in Maharashtra. He was recently interviewed by Gauri Popalghat on the FTB platform of Krishi Jagran. Samir introduced himself as a Mechanical Engineering graduate and a fig (anjeer) farmer. He said his technical education has given him different way of looking at things than other farmers, his outlook is different. He believes in providing high quality products and that every little thing matters. He started farming in 2014 and started processed food, including jams production in 2018.
Branding and Marketing Platforms
He chose to give his work a brand name as it defined his production process and helped in marketing as his product could be uniquely identified. Customer who like his product will return to buy more of these. He wants to promote his products nationwide with the facility of home delivery. They try to keep their products fresh, in the hope that their customers will get taste of fresh recipes. All products of his brand Pavitrak are certified.
When asked about the platforms through which he sells his products. Mumbai, Kolhapur, Bangalore, Hyderabad are some of the cities where he supplies his products. He also sells his products online through E-Commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. His product reach customers through malls, marts and home delivery. Reliance stores also sell their products.
He was asked about his distribution network and how he set it up, he replies that he has tie ups with the traders, some of whom that are close by are delivered by himself and those far away have to arrange transport. His is well connected with societies, dealers and distributors. They deliver on demand. He asks how much they need and he replies with how much he has in stock and when the products will be ready for delivery or pick up. For online orders, the delivery system is well defined by the E-commerce companies.
Why the career change?
On a question as to why he left a good job which matched his qualifications and instead took up farming, he replied that he likes to work on his own rather than depend on anyone. Jobs may provide financial security but for him his own business is more fun. He wanted to be financially independent, he wanted to be innovative and solve bigger problems. He worked for a year in a corporate company but he was keen on working in agriculture. Initially he faced problems with irrigation, manpower, logistics and distribution. He took farming to next level in his local area with his technical insights. He was taunted sometimes for leaving his job and working in farms, but today he is a success.
He has been awarded for "Cleanliness Initiatives" by ICAR, "Innovative Young Agro Entrepreneur" by Krishithon, "Krishibhushan Dr Appasaheb Pawar Krishinisht Shetkari award" by Agriculture department, "Excellent farmer award" again by Agriculture department, "Anjeer Ratan" by Akhil Maharashtra Anjir Utpadak Sanshodhan Sangh, and many more.
Why his figs?
Figs are high on nutrition, they are rich in minerals like Calcium, Iron and vitamins. They have high sugar and fiber content. You can eat figs raw or dry them so that they last longer. Figs help fight cancer and diabetes. Figs are an important food for sugar patients. Figs help fight anemia, cholesterol and control blood pressure.
He says most of fig jams in the Indian market are imported from overseas, only his product is made in India. His is the first Indian brand to sell fig jam. Their product is pure, free from chemicals, made from 100% organic recipes, is of high quality and has excellent taste. This jam is good to eat for 12 months. Once you open the cap you must keep it refrigerated. His products are made from 100 percent pulp, from fully ripened fruits.
A message to farmers
He said to the farmers that they should have complete knowledge about the field they are working in. They should keep their customers in mind when developing the product. They must work hard and learn with experience. Their production and marketing must be interlinked. Try to minimize the role of middlemen when selling your products. It is important to work hard on all aspects of your business especially packaging. Make sure that your product is not harmful in any way and stay in the company of progressive and knowledgeable farmers and make use of the latest technologies. Click here to se the video.