Challenges are opportunities for us: Chintan Sheth
JB Fragrances and Flavours is a one stop for high quality fragrances
J B Fragrances & Flavours is a top player in the fragrance industry. The company, based in Ahmedabad has kept their standing for more than seven decades. They specialize in supplyingfragrances and flavours for high-street fragrances, cosmetics, agarbatti, incense, candles, tobacco, deodorants, detergents, soaps, and other products. Additionally, they also supply flavours to the pharmaceutical, medicine, and ice cream industries. With its strong reputation for excellence, JBFF has been able to expand its reach to countries such as the UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Uganda, Nigeria, USA, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Russia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Speaking with Sugandh India, Mr. Chintan Sheth, the third-generation owner, said that his grandfather started the business in 1950 with a small shop in Ahmedabad. He remarked joyfully, “Our products launched in the 50s are still in demand today. That is the legacy my grandfather created.” Mr. Sheth shared that Nag Champa and Chancy Flower were our most popular fragrances at that time and are still running.In 1970’s, my uncle and my father took over and expanded this business, added Mr. Sheth. Since then, the family has continued working in the fragrance industry, with Mr. Sheth and his cousin,Mr Niraj Shethtaking over the business in 2006-07.
Over the past 73 years, JBFF has undergone phenomenal changes. What once was a business run from a small shop with all manual work now spans across multiple fully automated units.From raw materials to production and packaging everything is automated. When asked about JBFF Products, Mr Chintan Sheth said, the company stands out from its competitors due to its unwavering focus on product quality. JBFF follows a “High-Quality Product,Best price” policy. If a product is priced at ₹500, the company ensures that the consumer receives full value for their money. This is what sets JBFF Company apart from others in the market.
In response to Sugandh India’s inquiry, Mr. Sheth noted that the industry poses challenges, with its knowledge-based nature being a primary factor. Like any other industry, fragrance industry has also seen increase in number of players over the time. Unfortunately, this has led to a trend of prioritizing low rates over high quality, which can result in dissatisfied customers and complicating the market. Multinational companies are also a challenge but we take it as an opportunity. The competition improves us. Even the Indian companies now prefer Indian fragrance manufacturers that have good infrastructure over MNCs. On issue of raw materials, he said that the market is stable right now and will be same for a year. Fluctuations always happen once a year andthe opportunity is, learning when the prices are down and purchasing in bulk tocontrol cost.
According to Mr. Chintan Sheth, the industry has seen significant changes over the past couple of decades in terms of the widespread use of technology. Previously, manual labour was the norm. Today, high-tech machines are installed for manufacturing and packaging. Consistency is ensured through quality control machines and parameters. The company has been focussing on flavours for the past ten years, which make up 10% of their production, while fragrance accounts for the remaining 90%.
JBFF is a certified business operation. GMP, ISO 45001:2018, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 9001:2015, HALAL, HACCP and GLP are some of the certifications earned from a long list of industry certifications. Additionally, the company also has MUI HALAL certification from Indonesia. Obtaining this certificate is a stringent process in which auditors from Indonesia visit the unit and do extensive checks. The company along with domestic fragrance industry, has a strong presence overseas too.
JBFFhas two units in Ahmedabad and boasts an impressive 1,50,000 square feet of space, with 70-75,000 square feet of that space dedicated to production facilities. The company has invested in high-tech automated machinery, including 3 fully automatic machines with a capacity of 3 tons/ batch. For bigger batches, company has 6 tanks with different capacities ranging from 4 to 18 tons. This makes for the total production of 35 to 50 tonnes per day.The company employs 110 workers.
On the topic of export-related challenges, he mentioned competition with larger companies in Europe. There was a perception in foreign markets that Indian companies could not provide good fragrances and produced cheap, low-quality products. Additionally, some countries believed that Indian companies were unable to maintain the quality of products exported for the first time, while European companies consistently provided higher quality products.Mr. Sheth, confidently remarked that after a considerable effort, we have managed to break such notions.
In response to a question about the future of the agarbatti industry, Mr. Sheth expressed optimism but emphasized the importance of quality maintenance. He suggested that companies should expand into FMCG sector to offer a complete package in the market. Many companies are growing rapidly, and he believes they could benefit from this approach.
When asked about the JBFF products supply in the tobacco industry, he explained that each company in this field has its unique flavours. Our company provides them with compounds.Some brands have their own special compounds. We offer advice and assistance to those who want their product to stand out by suggesting special combinations. Our company does not supply ingredients, but we can assist or do the entire compounding for them. Additionally, we can offer a complete structure to our clients. The use of natural aromatic oils like sandalwood can increase the cost of their products. Therefore, we have substitutes that are high on qualityat lower prices. Finally, when asked about future plans, he disclosed that the company plans to venture into backward integration in the next two to three years.
JBFF not only does business but also works with organisations like PrabhatEducation Foundation that train differently abled individuals so they can work and earn a living for themselves. Mr Chintan Sheth told Sugandh India that the company has hired differentlyabled employees to work in departments like packaging& filling. PrabhatEducation Foundation provides education to these such individuals living in slums. They train them for employment. Five such individuals have been given jobs in the company.
