Cycle Brand Dominates Malda: Uttam Basak
U Traders, based in Malda, is a super stockist firm dealing in Cycle Pure Agarbatti along with other FMCG brands. The firm’s head, Uttam Basak, told Sugandh India that apart from Malda, they also cover North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur, and in all three districts, the Cycle brand holds the number one position. Uttam Basak is also the general secretary of the Malda Chamber of Commerce.
He shared that in the agarbatti and dhoop category, apart from fromvarious products, sambrani cups and puja pujamaterials are highly highlypreferred. Responding to a question, he said that while other brands are also present in the market, they face no real competition. The company maintains a family-like relationship with superstockists and distributors—from the owner to the employees—which has strengthened Cycle’s dominance in the market.
He further mentioned that he is also a super stockist for around 10 brands, including Himalaya, Bajaj, L’Oréal, Garnier, Emami, and Shalimar. In a conversation with Sugandh India, he hesaid that U Traders has been in FMCG trading for 34 years. His father and uncle previously ran a business under the name Kamla Agency. Although he worked with them, he wanted to build something of his own.
During this time, he met Gautam Bhumi, a senior employee of CyclePure Agarbatti, who offered him the super stockist role for three districts. Through hard work and strong support from the company, the business grew rapidly. He built a distribution network across regions like Dalkhola, Farakka, and Balurghat, further strengthening Cycle’s market presence.
He added that the company’s working style is excellent—it never pressures partners to increase sales, and there is no need, as demand often exceeds supply. The company operates in a corporate manner, resolving claims and issues promptly. With good leadership, the company maintains strong teams and distributor relationships. Currently, he manages 74 distributors for the Cycle brand.
He noted that while the agarbatti business was once very strong, sales are now slightly declining. Consumers are shifting towards products like dhoop, dry sticks, cups, dhoona, and camphor. One reason is safety—people used to light agarbattis and leave them unattended, which sometimes led to accidents. Now, they prefer smaller, quick-burning products. As a result, agarbatti still holds 85–90% of the market, while dhoop accounts for 10–15%.
In Malda and Dinajpur districts, the most in-demand cycle products include 3-in-1, Rhythm, Lia, SambraniCup, Naivedya, and camphor. He mentioned that demand for Naivedya is so high that supply often falls short, especially during festive seasons. Similarly, cycle camphor is also highly popular.
Regarding company schemes, he hesaid that attractive gifts are periodically given to dealers. Speaking about the Malda market, he pointed out that, unlike Kolkata, undercutting is not common here, and business operations remain smooth across the three districts.
As general secretary of the Malda Chamber of Commerce, he also handles broader responsibilities. The chamber is the largest traders’ organization in the region, with a presence in every block and around 185 units. It actively works for traders’ welfare, addressing issues like law and order, GST, regional development projects, and other concerns. The chamber has approximately 110,000 trader members.
