Increase in Brands, quality and customers : Pawan Sankla
RP Sankla Agencies stands out as a prominent figure in the incense business in Hyderabad. The firm serves as a wholesaler and distributor for over 20 companies, including Metro Agarbatti, BIC, Balaji, Shri Trading, Shri Dhan, First Choice, Shahani Industries of Jaipur, Parivar Agarbatti, AJ Agarbatti, the Paranami Company of Baroda, and Shah Fragrances. RP Sankla Agencies also offers products under its own Sankla brand name. In a conversation with Sugandh India, Pawan Sankla, the agency chief, highlighted that the market is currently rife with beliefs and speculation about incense and bamboo-free products which has led to a 25% market share for bamboo-less products in Hyderabad. Despite this, incense continues to dominate, accounting for 75% of the market. Pawan Sankla also noted that, following the COVID-19 pandemic, both the incense industry and its market have expanded rapidly. New companies have entered the sector, and the number of customers and demand for high-quality products are increasing. This suggests a very promising future for the industry. Incense and dhoop cater to followers of all religions in India.
In a conversation with Sugandh India, Pawan Sankla revealed that his family has been in the business for 87 years. RP Sankla Agencies was established in 1937. Initially, the agency focused on dry fruits, with only a small counter for incense products. Later, his father began supplying incense and delivered the goods to the market by bicycle. Unsatisfied with the dry fruit business, his father received financial assistance from his grandfather, which he doubled and repaid within six months. Pawan Sankla highlighted that in Hyderabad, Gaffar Seth’s Metro brand of incense is well-known. They took on the agency for Metro and continue to operate as its agents today. The Metro brand, renowned for its Maratha Kewda, was popular decades ago and remains equally popular today. It is a high-quality product known throughout Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He noted that his father initially rented a small shop for ₹800 per month and began supplying incense. Today, their business operates from a three-storey building with five warehouses. Sankla Agencies’ name and popularity are closely linked to Metro Agarbatti.
In response to a question, Pawan Sankla explained that the agency’s network covers Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He noted that they have launched seven products under the Sankla brand, with MRP prices of ₹5, ₹10, ₹20, ₹40, and ₹70. While Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are the primary markets for SanklaAgarbatti, they also supply to Nanded and Latur in Maharashtra, as well as Bhopal, Indore in Madhya Pradesh and Raipur . When discussing challenges in the business, Pawan Sankla shared that the industry is filled with many supportive and helpful people. He recounted a significant incident from twelve years ago when their warehouse and shop were destroyed by fire. At the time, they had an outstanding bill with Amrutha Agarbatti. The local news covered the fire, and Subramanyam Shetty, the owner of Amrutha Agarbatti, called within minutes and delivered new stock within nine hours. His support was crucial. Additionally, Mr Bharat, Mr Bhaskar, and other industry members also offered assistance. This collective support was instrumental in overcoming the loss. Pawan Sankla acknowledged that while some individuals in the industry might withdraw in times of crisis, many others are ready to help.
In response to a question from Sugandh India, Pawan Sankla highlighted that their top-selling products include those from the Paranami, Amrutha, BIC, Shri Dhan, Balaji, Allied, and Metro brands. Amrutha’s dry stick incense is particularly popular, while Balaji’s rose, musk, and bela varieties, along with Amrutha’s 3-in-1 and Firdous, are among the bestsellers. Allied Agarbatti’s Anubhav Incense, Hari Puja, Bakhoor, and Royal Oudh are also in high demand due to the shop’s reputation for quality, prompting customers to request these brands specifically. He noted that in Hyderabad, dry stick products are priced between ₹35 and ₹70. The Jain community has a preference for wet dhoop, with products priced at ₹50, ₹70, and ₹100 being especially popular. Pawan Sankla also observed a growing trend towards zipper packaging, with consumers favouring jumbo packs of 200 and 400 grams. He pointed out that premium products enjoy greater popularity in this market. While branded economy products do sell, local company products also achieve significant sales.
Pawan Sankla noted that popular brands in the wet dhoop segment include BIC, Black Musk, Shivam and Kasturi , Bansi from Jaipur, Balaji’s Red Dhoop. Additionally, Hari Darshan and Dev Darshan also have a presence in the market. Products with an MRP of ₹35 achieve the highest sales in wet dhoop, followed by premium products priced at ₹100. Regarding the camphor market in Hyderabad, he mentioned that Swastik is the top seller and they have its dealership . Other popular brands include Ambika, Mangal, Jyoti, and Ganesh. In the Sambrani Cup segment, Anubhav Incense is in high demand. Other notable brands in this category are Singapore Royal, Panadi, Naivedya from Cycle, BIC’s Chandan and Google, GT, Amrutha and Delta. Among sambranidhoop sticks, products from Ashta Lakshmi Company are highly sought after in Hyderabad. Pawan Sankla also mentioned that they have recently begun working with Sri Ratnam Agarbatti from Bengaluru, which has shown a promising start. In the perfumes and roll-ons segment, Shah Fragrance’s Choice, Firdous, and Majmua are popular. Due to the large Muslim population in Hyderabad, traditional fragrances such as Sandal, Oudh, Bakhoor, Rose, and Firdous are in high demand. For mosquito repellent agarbatti, products from Comfort, Balaji’s Freedom, Aashika, and several other brands are popular. He observed that 7 out of 10 customers at their shop either request products by brand name or seek the highest quality items.
