Bright Future for Bamboo-less Products in Assam and the North East: Aditya Chandak
At present, nearly 95% of the market in Assam and the Northeast consists of agarbatti products, while only 5% belongs to products such as dhoop, dry sticks, cones, cups, and similar categories. However, the market for bambooless products is expected to grow rapidly in the future. In a conversation with Sugandh India, Mr. Aditya Chandak, head of Jaishree Agencies, said that the future belongs to bamboo-less products.
He explained that although agarbatti products currently dominate the market, manufacturers and distributors believe that the shortage of good-quality bamboo and the growing reluctance among people to burn bamboo during religious rituals for religious reasons will increase the demand for bamboo-less products across the Seven Sisters region as well. It is worth noting that in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and several other Hindi-speaking states, dhoop products have already captured nearly 40% of the market and may continue to overtake agarbatti products in the coming years.
He added that dry sticks cannot be sold as cheaply as agarbattis. Their prices are naturally higher because agarbattis use bamboo sticks, whereas dry sticks and dhoop products mainly consist of fragrance masala material.
Aditya told Sugandh India that his uncle, Mr. Jai Kishan Chandak, started the agarbatti business nearly 40 years ago and took the firm to great heights. From the very beginning, the company has been associated with Bengaluru-based manufacturers. Even today, they deal in brands such as Denim from Shashi Industries, A. K. Products, Alpha Perfumery Works, Rathnam Agarbatti, Amrutha, and Jay Incense.
He said that while they mainly work in Assam, their supply network extends across the entire Northeast region. Apart from Guwahati, their network covers North Lakhimpur, Upper Assam, Lower Assam, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Nagaon, Barpeta, Rangia, and several other areas. He also mentioned that premium-quality products have a market in Imphal, Manipur. According to him, the usage of agarbatti products is comparatively lower in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. Replying to a question, he said that Assam is considered the gateway to the entire North East or the “Seven Sisters.”
He further told Sugandh India that nearly 100 distributors work with them and manage the entire supply network. According to him, ₹10 products dominate the market, while demand for products priced at ₹20 and ₹50 MRP is gradually increasing. Zipper and pouch packaging have very limited demand in the region, while box packing remains the most preferred format.
Speaking about popular brands in the market, he said that apart from Zed Black, Cycle, Darshan, and ITC, some products from Bengaluru, Rajkot, and Siliguri also perform well. However, Denim from Shashi Industries remains their top-selling brand. After that, Rupali from Rathnam performs strongly. In A.K. Products’ Kesar range, there are around 10–12 varieties, including Kesar Chandan and Kesar Kali. Woodland’s Emotion and Rich variants are also performing very well in the market.
Replying to another question, he said that strong fragrances are preferred in the region, including rose, musk, and fancy notes. Comparing the Guwahati market with Bengal, he explained that eco packs do not perform well in Guwahati, whereas they are highly popular in Bengal. Bengal also has a larger customer base for premium products compared to Assam.
Aditya said that Jay Shree Agency is known for supplying quality products, which is why they still handle Zed Black’s Pan-50 brand. He explained that earlier they handled Zed Black products directly, but even after the company opened its own depot, the Pan-50 brand business continued to remain with them, while the rest of the Zed Black business shifted to the depot. He described this as a significant achievement.
Replying to a question regarding agarbatti products, he said that Bengaluru-based companies and branded products dominate the market, although locally manufactured products are also sold on a limited scale.
He further stated that the market for wet dhoop is still very small, while demand for bamboo-less and dry products is increasing steadily. In wet dhoop, Zed Black’s Manthan performs well. Speaking about sambrani cups, he said that the category is growing slowly. Although they do not deal in camphor products, Zed Black and Cycle products are selling well in the market, mainly through pooja material shops, because agarbatti dealers in the region generally do not sell camphor, chandan tika, or roll-on products.
