Live Touch Brand Aims at Staying in Touch and Strengthening Relations: Bhavik Khakhkhar
Live Touch brand owned by Balmukund Industries, Rajkot (Gujarat) is gaining acceptability in wholesale and retail markets at home and outside Gujarat as well according to Bhavik BhaiKhakhkhar, the owner. In a conversation with Sugandh India,he said that his company is manufacturing high-quality scented and masala incenses, dhoop, premium quality sambrani cups and room fresheners. Dashang and Guggal dhoop have created an X factor for consumers.
Explaining ‘Live Touch’ (his) brand name, Bhavik bhai said, “We believe in staying in touch with people and that strengthens the relations, that’s how we came up with the name Live Touch.” Although his company was established in 2015, his father, Vinod Bhai Khakhkharhas been in the incense-manufacturing business for the last 35 years.
Speaking a bit about his background Bhavik said that his family used to live in Jasdan, a town some 58 kilometers from Rajkot. Incense making business was started by his father Vinod Bhai, when the family moved to Rajkot. Before making incenses, his father was a distributor. Long-standing experience as a distributor made his father move towards starting his own brand of incense sticks.
Live Touchhas over 75incense products that range from Rs.10 pouch to 400 gram jumbo pack. Around 22 different kinds of incense products are sold weighing 60g to 150g. Bhavik Bhai informed, “The trend of black incense is changing to white and that’s why our company has a separate production dedicated to premium white incensealong with organic masala incense as well.”
Bhavik Bhai told Sugandh India, “in case customers don’t like their products (for any reason,) we request them for return.” He said, “Our USP stands on 100% quality.” Explaining their policy of recalling their products he said, “An incense stick must burn in full. When that isn’t the case, it comes under manufacturing defects. Though we know that weather plays a huge part in combustion (in incense products.) Moreover, the fragrance should remain for at least an hour or two, post-full combustion. That’s what we expect from our products andthat’s how we make them.”
Mithdi is their top-selling incense stick brand. “People love Mithdi all over India,” said Bhavik Bhai. The name means sweet. Its scent is sweet and alluring. Talking about their newly launched RamRakshaMandir Sambrani Cups, he informed, “Ours are in a rectangular packaging. A set of nine cups comes at 135₹ andin comparison to Sambrani cups made by others, though they provide 12 cups but our quality is superior.”Ram Raksha Mandirsambrani cup is purely herbal with medicinal values.
Talking about cow dung-based incense products, Bhavik Bhai said that companies are selling anything in the name of cow dung. “We simply call it herbal. We haven’t mentioned it on the packet for selling such products.”
On plans, he informed, “We soon are going to introduce masala incense brands for premium customers.” According to Bhavik Bhai, besides Gujarat, company products are made available in; Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and West Bengal. Maharashtra is the focus market for the Live Touch brand after Gujarat.
Sugandh India wanted to know whether they supply all their incense products to all the states? Bhavik responded, “different regions have their sense of fragrance and aroma.” Bhavik Bhai clarified, ” Incense products and fragrances are customized according to states and regions. We know what to supply and where.”
According to Bhavik Bhai, their company is exporting incense products to; Malaysia, Germany and many African countries. There’s a big market for our premium products in Malaysia and Germany. Luxury segment incense products made by our company have a good market in Europe.
Speaking on various challenges operating in a cutthroat business environment Bhavik Bhai said, “We have to compete with local suppliers who are one too many. A supplier can get established with a meagre Rs.5000 and up to Rs.5 cr capital. They are a challenge! We are more consumer-oriented with our incense brands. High cost of raw materials is a big challenge.” Talking further on challenges his company is facing, “Despite the rapid growth of this industry the ever-shifting consumer behaviour keeps manufacturers like us on the toes. The demand trend is switching over to dry sticks from incenses sticks and that’s why we are bringing new and better products into this segment. Young customers always want something new. They don’t stick to traditional products. There’s a growing demand for room fresheners.” Talking more, he said that the trend of diffusers has grown a lot in recent times. Such products from our brand cost anything between Rs.50 to Rs.500 a pack. We make premium quality diffusers that can be sprayed more than two thousand times.”
