Divine is synonymous with quality products: Deepak Shah
“OUR VISION IS TO CREATE EXTRAORDINARY PRODUCTS”: PARTH SHAH
Mr. Deepak Shah, head of Bangalore-based Divine Industries, who is working on the tagline “Bring Home the Divine Luck,” has more than four decades of traditional
knowledge in agarbatti (incense) manufacturing. This is the reason his products are not only premium in quality but also visionary, appealing to all sections of society as
well as the younger generation.
In an exclusive conversation with Sugandh India, Mr. Shah said that his father and his Four brothers had been manufacturing agarbattis since 1981. Under the name Deepak Agarbatti Works which was established by his uncle Mr Gulabchand K Shah & Mr Ratilal K Shah, they produced base agarbatti and raw agarbatti, supplying raw sticks to all major agarbatti companies in the country for nearly 30 years. Sunil Agarbatti Works was a new venture established in year 1988 after the family separation by his father, as the family grew, many members started their own businesses. At that time, Sunil agarbatti works produced about 1 ton of hand-rolled agarbatti daily. He added that he himself was in the plastic pipe business, while his brother is still a distributor for a PVC pipe company. In 2021, he started his own production under Divine Industries.
Mr. Shah further shared that their products were supplied on a large scale both in India and abroad, but operations were stopped around 2010–11. Later, in 2016, they resumed work through imports. Currently, Divine Industries offers more than 300 product ranges, including agarbatti, Dry Dhoop sticks, cones, masala agarbatti, sambrani cups, base agarbatti, and handrolled agarbatti.
In response to a question, he said that Divine Industries’ products range from MRP ₹6 to MRP ₹250, and are of excellent quality. He emphasized that they produce everything from economy to premium products. Their most premium product, Divine’s Oud Amber (50 grams), is priced at MRP ₹250.
Answering another question, he said that they mainly produce white agarbatti, base agarbatti, masala agarbatti, and hand-rolled agarbatti. Among their products, Oud Amber, Sai Flora, and Arabian Bakhoor are the best sellers. Their agarbattis are most in demand in zipper and pouch packaging.
He mentioned that while dhoop sticks are gaining popularity, agarbattis still dominate sales. In the future, the market share of agarbatti and dry sticks/dhoop is expected to remain around 50–50. Their products are supplied across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Kolkata, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, with the strongest markets being Gujarat, Mumbai, and Chhattisgarh. Hand-rolled products sell more in Maharashtra. Economyrange products also sell significantly. Regarding Kolkata, he noted that competition there is very high. When asked about challenges as a manufacturer, Mr. Shah said that marketing and payment issues are the biggest task in the industry. Speaking about strategies to promote products, he said they regularly run schemes. For example, in Kolkata, they offer one free zipper pack on the purchase of two dozen Aroma 3-in-1 products, along with margins of up to 6% based on quantity. They are also focusing on digital marketing.
He added that six new agarbatti products are being launched for festivals, including hahi Amber, Rose Amber, Lavender, Pure Sandal, and Musk and many more new products. He also mentioned that if the production capacity of the entire family is considered, they rank among the second or third largest producers of Raw Agarbatti in Bengaluru. He emphasized that making quality products requires hard work, and even today they personally visit markets with product samples.
Now, the third generation has joined Divine Industries. Mr. Shah’s son, Parth Shah, has started managing the business and is planning to launch body perfumes in attar, roll-on, and spray formats. He told Sugandh India that the trend of perfumes is rapidly growing among the younger generation. While the older generation preferred attars and rollons, the younger generation favors fine fragrances and sprays.
This is why they are introducing both traditional and new fragrance products. Parth Shah shared that their brand name is “Voilà,” a French word, and several products under this brand will be launched in the coming months with pan-India supply. All these products will be in
the premium range.
He added that their roll-on fragrances last at least 21 days on clothes after application, and
even if the clothes are kept in a wardrobe, the entire wardrobe will smell fragrant. The scent remains even after washing for two days. The product is Sukhad. He also mentioned that they are conducting R&D on wet dhoop products, which will also be in the premium range. The goal of Divine Industries is to always create extraordinary products. He said his father is a visionary who values premium quality, and he is following in his footsteps.
