Anand Organic Product’s Perfume Powders— A boon to the incense industry: Anurag Gupta

Anand Organic Products, a supplier of specialised raw materials and fragrances for the agarbatti and dhoop industry, also produces its range of agarbatti products under the Anand brand. Founded in 2015–16 by Anurag Gupta and Ajitesh Gupta, the company has grown steadily by leveraging its homegrown business experience and diversifying into new ventures. In an exclusive interview with Sugandh India, Anurag Gupta revealed that their father was in the oil mill business, which inspired him and his brother to explore a different industry. They launched their raw materials business for agarbatti in 2015 and expanded into chemicals and fragrances by 2017–18. Currently, the company offers a comprehensive range of raw materials and premixes for various products, including masala and scented agarbatti manufactured under their brand. Anurag highlighted that most raw materials are imported from China and Vietnam, supplemented by domestically sourced materials, ensuring a diverse and reliable supply chain.

Anand OrganicProductscontinues diversifying its portfolio, expanding beyond the agarbatti industry into detergents, cosmetics, and essential oils. Speaking with Sugandh India, Anurag Gupta credited his younger brother, Aiitesh Gupta, a chemical engineer with a passion for fragrances, for driving their entry into the aromatic chemical sector. The company began manufacturing scented agarbatti under its brand to meet rising market demand, leveraging expertise in raw materials and fragrances. Anurag noted that their primary business remains the supply of raw materials and fragrances, but the Anand brand now offers agarbatti products in zipper and pouch packs. They have around 20-25 products in Rs.10 and Rs. 20 segments. Looking ahead, Anand OrganicProducts plans to expand into high-quality masala agarbatti production. The company has also tapped into the significant demand for loose agarbatti, which constitutes 60% of the market in regions like Nagpur, compared to 40% for packaged products. The company aims to meet the growing demand by supplying loose agarbatti nationwide.

Sharing with Sugandh India, Anurag Gupta, highlighted their innovative approach to raw materials and fragrances. Founded in 2015–16, Anand OrganicProducts operates on a pan-India level, with Maharashtra as a primary market and a significant presence in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Odisha, among other states. Anurag detailed their development of specialised perfumes tailored for products such as scented agarbatti, masala agarbatti, dhoop, sambrani cups, and cones. Offering approximately 250 fragrance profiles—including floral, oriental, Aldehyde, and fancy notes—the company caters to diverse preferences across regions and individual customers. He explained that fragrance retention poses a critical challenge in raw agarbatti, where 30–50% of the scent often evaporates during drying, leading to inconsistent quality. In contrast, masala agarbatti achieves precise formulation and consistent results. Putting these complications to task, Anand OrganicProducts developed a perfume that has gained significant demand. This innovation ensures 100% fragrance retention, even when dried in sunlight, making it ideal for agarbatti, dhoop, cones, and other products. Although the company offers liquid perfumes as well, Anurag highlighted that these [perfumes] can lose as much as 40–50% of their quality during the drying process, especially in dhoop products— By offering a superior alternative, Anand OrganicProducts continues to set a benchmark in the fragrance and raw materials industry.

Anand Organic Products has emerged as an industry pioneer with the development of perfume powder, a groundbreaking innovation in the fragrance sector.Anurag Gupta revealed to Sugandh India, that no other company introduced similar products to date. The perfume powder was launched a year ago following 18 months of intensive research, which began in 2022. Anurag highlighted the product’s effectiveness in addressing key challenges faced by manufacturers of scented sticks, dhoop sticks, and cones. Traditional dip technology often leads to a loss of fragrance during the drying process, compromising product quality. By contrast, perfume powderis integrated directly into the manufacturing process, ensuring consistent fragrance retention in the final product. This innovation has gained widespread adoption across the industry for agarbatti, masala agarbatti, cones, dhoop, dry dhoop, and sambrani cups. The launched perfume powder marks a significant advancement, setting new standards for quality and consistency in the incense and dhoop market.

Anurag Gupta, elaborated on the unique advantages of perfume powder over traditional dipping technology. Unlike the dipping process, which applies fragrance post-production, powder perfume is integrated directly into the manufacturing process, ensuring consistent fragrance retention throughout. The company has developed around 100 powder fragrances and offers tailored recommendations to its clients on optimal dosage levels. Depending on the desired product grade—economy, medium, or premium—the quantity of powder perfume is adjusted to achieve the required fragrance quality. For premium-grade products, the formula involves dilution in a 3:4:20 ratio, delivering superior fragrance results. Economy-grade products, on the other hand, use dilution ratios such as 4:2:8, 4:2:10, 1:2:10, 1:2:15, and even up to 1:2:20. Anurag explained that the principle is straightforward: a higher dose of perfumepowder results in premium-quality products, while a reduced dosage yields economy-grade offerings. This innovative approach has allowed manufacturers to achieve precise control over fragrance quality, setting new benchmarks for consistency and product differentiation in the agarbatti and dhoop industry.

The company has addressed a key manufacturing challenge in the sambrani cup segment with the development of specialised filling materials. Talking to Sugandh India, Anurag Gupta revealed that these raw materials are curated to simplify production while significantly enhancing product quality. The filling materials are available in two variants: water-based and oven-based. The water-based variant is ideal for smaller manufacturers who do not have access to ovens. The water-based variant can be filled into sambrani cups and dried in sunlight for three to four hours, delivering a high-quality product. Contrastingly, the oven-based is tailored for manufacturers with oven facilities, allowing the cups to be filled, placed on trays, and cured in an oven for optimal results. Anand OrganicProducts has developed these filling materials in ten fragrances, including loban, guggal, and bakhoor (post-extensive research.) The formulations are curated from over 20 natural ingredients, which are often difficult for individual manufacturers to source and utilise effectively. By offering this innovative solution, Anand OrganicProducts has streamlined the production process, enabling sambrani cup manufacturers to produce superior products with ease and consistency.

Anand Organic Productshas distinguished itself by addressing key challenges in the agarbatti and dhoop industry through innovative raw material solutions. In an interview, co-founder Anurag Gupta shared that their business approach focuses on solving manufacturing issues rather than merely trading raw materials. Powder perfume addressed problems in producing flora and masala agarbattis and the inconsistencies in the fragrance retention of scented products. Similarly, they resolved the time-intensive and costly process of filling materials for sambrani cups by creating an efficient and user-friendly solution. Gupta highlighted that their raw material offerings include premixed formulations containing essential ingredients such as joss powder, guar gum, wood powder, and charcoal. These premixes are curated to simplify the manufacturing process, saving time and effort while enhancing the quality of the final product. By prioritising innovation and customer needs, Anand OrganicProducts continues to set new benchmarks in the industry.

Anand Organic Productscontinues to innovate in the agarbatti industry with its unique range of premixes. Co-founder Anurag Gupta shared that Nagpur, known for its renowned lobanagarbattis, supplies approximately 80% of the lobanagarbatti in the country. Recognising interest from manufacturers across India in replicating Nagpur’s quality, Anand OrganicProducts developed Loban premixes. These are offered in economy, medium, premium, and extra premium ranges to suit diverse market needs. The company has also created premixes for other popular agarbattis, including Guggal, Bakhoor, and Oud varieties. Their extensive catalogue includes 50 top-selling raw materials with a variety of fragrances. To cater to custom requirements, Anand OrganicProducts allows manufacturers to modify their premixes. Whether clients choose to enhance the premixes themselves or seek tailored assistance, the company provides support. Additionally, they offer solutions for customising powders, ensuring clients achieve the desired product quality. This customer-centric approach solidifies Anand OrganicProduct’s position as a leading innovator in the industry.

In the end Anurag Gupta, shared insights into the company’s plans to introduce innovative products that address market needs. The aim, he stated, is to simplify processes and enhance the “ease of doing business” for agarbatti manufacturers. Anurag revealed that the company has begun research on perfume paste, a highly fixative material that enhances fragrance, making it more appealing and long-lasting. Anand OrganicProducts is also exploring ways to integrate powdered paste into manufacturing processes for greater efficiency. In addition, the company is focused on developing premium-quality masala agarbattis, aiming to match the standards of top incense brands. These products are intended for a nationwide launch. With in-house raw materials, perfumes, and research capabilities, Anurag expressed confidence in Anand OrganicProduct’s ability to deliver superior products and maintain its leadership in the industry.