Dhanlaxmi Brand Gaining Strong Presence After Opening Depot in Guwahati: Tara Kinkar De
The Ahmedabad-based Dhanlaxmi brand has opened its depot for Assam and the North East region. Mr Tara Kinkar De, head of Mahavir Traders, was previously involved mainly in the distribution of FMCG products, confectionery, Patanjali products, biscuits, and similar categories, and is now also handling the responsibility of the Dhanlaxmi depot.
Speaking with Sugandh India, Tara Kinkar De said that the Dhanlaxmi depot covers the entire North East region. Although the depot started operations only three to four months ago, the brand is expanding rapidly across large parts of Assam and the North East. So far, 36 distributors have been appointed, and Assam has been divided into four different zones from a distribution network perspective. Separate operational areas have been created based on Upper Assam and Lower Assam regions.
Replying to a question from Sugandh India, Tara said that all Dhanlaxmi products are excellent, but products such as Ganga, Jamuna, Saraswati, Aqua, White Stone, and others are considered extremely high-quality offerings. Apart from these, products like Jai Ganesh, Grand Flora, Ganesh Flora, Rajnigandha, Mogra, Lily Flora, and Lavender have unique fragrances and distinct identities of their own.
Highlighting one of the unique featuresof Dhanlaxmi products, he said that the color of the incense stick is matched with the product name and fragrance theme. For example, the name Mogra naturally creates an impression of the color green, so the incense stick is green in color. Similarly, the Flora range carries a red theme, so the incense stick is designed in red. According to him, the company has made a strong beginning by opening the depot a few months ago.
In response to another question, he said that economy products have strong demand in Lower Assam, while both premium-quality and low-range products perform well in bigger cities like Guwahati and Dibrugarh. Products also have good demand in Upper Assam. Apart from this, Tinsukia and Jorhat are also strong markets. In Shillong, Meghalaya, the market is growing gradually. He explained that incense demand is comparatively lower there due to the larger Christian population. Similarly, agarbatti consumption is lower in Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, although Dimapur remains a reasonably good market. Assam and Tripura, however, are considered very large and s trongagarbatti markets.
Replying to another question, he said that ₹10 box packs are the most popular format in Guwahati, followed by box packs priced at ₹50 MRP. In Lower Assam, ₹20 box packs also performwell. He added that zipper packaging has only recently entered the market, which is why its demand is still limited.
He further told Sugandh India that Dhanlaxmi mainly competes with brands like Cycle, Darshan, and Shakuntala in the Guwahati market. Brands such as Zed Black, Moksh, Balaji, and ITC also perform strongly in the region. Explaining ITC’s success, he said that kirana and general stores purchasing other ITC products are often encouraged to stock their agarbatti and dhoop products as well. According to him, premium products account for only around 10–15% of the market, while most consumers prefer mediumrange products that offer better fragrance at affordable prices.
He explained that the dhoop category is currently in its early growth stage in the region. There was a time when people used to bring dhoop products from Haridwar, but now almost every company is manufacturing dhoop and dry stick products. Even so, the category still represents only around 5% of the market. In wet dhoop, Balaji performs well, while sandal sticks are popular in the dry stick category. Dhanlaxmi also has its own dhoop segment.
He added that bamboo-less products are growing rapidly in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and now consumers in the North East are also gradually developing similar preferences. Because of this, he believes the share of agarbatti products may decline in the future, while wet and dry dhoop products are likely to grow further.
He also mentioned that sambrani cups are witnessing good sales in the market, and Dhanlaxmi is preparing to launch its own cup range soon. Apart from this, cup products from Shakuntala and Forest Bahubali are also performing well in the market. He added that the camphor market is also reasonably good in the region. Besides this, consumers are now increasingly preferring fine perfumery notes in fragrances.
