75 Years of Legacy, The Success Story of Safari Big
Sharing Seven Decades of Business Experience – Hasmukh Thakral
Thakral Group’s flagship product, Safari Big incense sticks, is counted among the industry’s best-selling products. Safari Big is a unique, remarkable and outstanding creation of the Thakral Group, which has reached the peak of popularity across Maharashtra and several other states. Thakral Group has been associated with the incense industry for more than 75 years, and its head Mr. Hasmukh Ratilal Thakral is, much like his brand and his own name, a cheerful, versatile, warm and people-friendly personality, combined with remarkable business acumen. He has the ability to handle even the most difficult situations, challenges and problems with ease and without stress. Sugandh India had a special conversation with Mr Hasmukh Thakral about the incense industry, business, the market and his own entrepreneurial journey. His views offer meaningful insights into life and the way business evolves over time.
75 Years of Success
How has Mr Hasmukh Thakral’s journey in the incense industry evolved through its ups and downs, and what kind of challenges has he faced? Responding to this question from Sugandh India, he explained that the Thakral Group has been in the incense business in Nagpur since 1951. Over these 75 years, we have focused nearly 90% of our efforts on incense stick manufacturing, while the remaining 10% comprises dhoop, cones and sticks. We completed 75 years in 2026, but my own journey began while I was still studying. After entering the business, I was able to see in practice what I had studied and understood earlier-that whether it is business, fashion or customer sentiment, everything goes through cycles of ups and downs. At that time, I did not fully understand this, but once I entered business, I realised that it was not merely theory; it was a reality. Similarly, although the incense industry may currently appear to be going through a downturn, it is also moving towards an upswing. This cycle could continue for the next five years, after which we may see a boom that could keep the trade performing very well for the following ten years. He said that the fashion industry itself provides an example, as trends tend to return every 20 years. Mr Thakral believes that one can look at everything with a positive outlook. Change, after all, is a constant process. There have been many positive changes over the past decade. Ten to twelve years ago, the business was in a much better position. During that period, many new people entered incense manufacturing, even though they had no previous experience or background in the trade. Then difficult times arrived and some people began leaving the industry. Today, the situation is that around 15% new players have entered, while another 15% of the existing players have exited the business. The coming future will be good, he believes, and this cycle is simply part of how life and business continue to evolve.
The Safari Big Journey
Responding to a question about the success of Safari Big, Mr Thakral said that it is the group’s flagship brand. It generates high volumes and is the backbone of the Thakral Group. Although the company’s other brands are also performing very well, Safari Big remains the product that supports the day-to-day business. Speaking about the story behind Safari Big, Mr Thakral said that his elder brother had developed its perfume. When he first tested it, he found the fragrance extremely strong and it even gave him a headache. Nevertheless, he took some of it to a grocery shop one evening to give to a friend. His friend used it that evening and immediately responded that it was excellent and that he had never experienced such a good fragrance before. This encouraged his brother to prepare some more material.
Around the same time, laminated packaging was entering the biscuit industry. His brother launched Safari Big in laminated packaging at a price of ₹10. This was also the period when I entered the business. He explained that Nagpur is a major hub for incense manufacturing and therefore selling incense there is extremely difficult because of intense competition. Similarly, almost the entire Vidarbha region is a challenging market for the incense industry. Therefore, I took Safari Big to Pune and Nashik, where it received a very positive response. I then told my brother, why not focus on Maharashtra itself? At that time, sending goods to other states involved the use of C-forms and several complications. He gave me a free hand, and we began supplying Safari Big across markets in districts such as Jalna, Nanded, Solapur, Kolhapur, Parbhani, Nagpur and Yavatmal. At that time, there were no complicated permit requirements for moving goods within the state. Why do the consumers prefer Safari Big? Responding to this question, Mr Thakral said that nobody can say for certain. Safari Big has been running successfully for years, but understanding the mindset of the customer is extremely difficult. When a customer becomes satisfied with a product, that brand becomes successful. We constantly try to understand the consumer’s mind and observe why a customer chooses a particular product, but it is very difficult to understand completely. If a manufacturer manages to understand this, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, sales teams and the entire market network naturally begin to support that product. He then gave the example of movies. Sholay was a superhit film, but on its release, it was considered a flop on the opening day. A few days later, however, the movie picked up and went on to break all the records. Something similar can happen with an incense product as well.
The Most Important Link Between the Brand and the Customer: Retailer
Responding to Sugandh India’s question about current trends in sales and marketing, he said that along with offering a product of excellent quality, business relationships and company schemes also matter, because change is a fundamental rule of nature. The market has undergone a major transformation in recent times. Online sales have grown significantly. Earlier, people generally worked with margins of 5-10%. Today, many expect margins of 10-20%. This has increased the costs for manufacturers. Under schemes, distributors and retailers look beyond simply selling the product and consider what additional benefits they can receive. In response to another question, he said that there is no better businessman than a retailer. A retailer strives to provide complete satisfaction to customers. If a customer does not like a product or raises a complaint, the retailer is immediately willing to take it back or replace it, and does so happily with a smile. In malls and large supermarkets, customers often do not receive the same personal attention and respect that a retailer offers when welcominga customer. He said that because of this approach and personal relationship, the retailers of today will become the real kings of the market in the coming five years. The retailer is the strongest and most important link between the manufacturer and the customer, and every businessperson should always keep this in mind.
Market Reality: Ups and Downs
Speaking about the current situation, Mr Thakral said that raw material prices are currently high due to wars and global events. Businesses are talking about increasing prices, and prices will rise, but they cannot be increased every day. Events taking place anywhere in the world can have an impact on individual countries. For instance, when Nepal faced a flood disaster, its effects were also felt in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Similarly, our trade is also affected by developments taking place elsewhere. There are challenges related to bamboo and other raw materials, but these problems will remain for some years and solutions will eventually emerge. Recently, with the prices of raw materials, labour, rent, freight, packaging and other inputs all increasing, there has been discussion about raising prices by as much as 20%. Responding to this, Mr Thakral referred to the popular song “Hai Mehngai” from the film Roti, Kapda Aur Makaan, saying that inflation is also a part of the market and will eventually stabilise with time. The 20% increase in prices will not happen all at once. Businesses will raise prices gradually, perhaps by 5% at a time. There has also been a trend in our trade of reducing the gram weight and the number of sticks in a pack. When a new product is launched, it may contain 100 grams, and gradually this can come down to 90 or 80 grams or even lower. In this way, things eventually settle and consumers also become accustomed to the change. He said that the most positive aspect is that although there is considerable turmoil across the world, India has remained relatively stable in comparison.
Starting an Incense Business Is Relatively Easy
When Mr Thakral was asked a hypothetical question-suppose the Thakral Group has not been established yet and he were 20 years old today; what would his plan be if he wanted to start an incense business? – he laughed and said, “This is my favourite question.” There are thousands of different businesses in India and around the world, but I believe there is no business as beautiful as the incense trade. If you have ₹1,000 today, you can go into the market and purchase 8-10 kg of raw incense sticks, which would cost approximately ₹700.With the remaining ₹300, you can purchase perfume and packaging material, start your business and earn around ₹1,100-1,200. However, it is essential to have at least some understanding of the trade and fragrances. If you have absolutely no knowledge of perfume or incense sticks, it will be difficult to operate the business.
He said that it would be even better if someone started with ₹10,000, ₹50,000 or ₹1 lakh, as that would allow them to build a stronger business from the beginning. This is an industry where even a newcomer can become a successful entrepreneur with a modest amount of capital and some knowledge.
Good Relationships, Successful Business
Based on his successful business journey spanning several decades, what message would he like to give to new entrepreneurs? In response, he said that he does not give advice to newcomers entering the trade, nor does he feel he can, because he sees many of them as more knowledgeable and capable than himself. They have access to enormous amounts of information and knowledge. Nevertheless, there is one thing I would certainly say: they should be good human beings and develop strong interpersonal skills. The number of people who maintain good relationships and conduct themselves well is declining in today’s world.
We have a large number of employees who have been working with us for 25-30 years, whereas I see in many other places that staff members are replaced within just four or five years. Building good relationships and maintaining good behaviour are extremely important. Beyond this, if a businessperson treats consumers like members of their own family, success will follow. Every business runs on teamwork. Your employees, business associates and customers should all feel like members of one family. That, according to Mr Thakral, is the fundamental mantra of success.
