INSIDE THE SUCCESS OF CHAMUNDI AGARBATTI – A JOURNEY BUILT ON QUALITY KANTILAL PARMAR SPEAKS
Breaking Boundaries: How Balaji Darshan Expanded into Online and Export Markets – Gautam Parmar’s Insight
Bengaluru-based Chamundi Agarbatti India Private Ltd has successfully expandedits brand Pan-India, establishing itself as a leading player in theincense sector. Thebusiness started growing regionally in Karnataka. Theirflagship brand has gained astrong foothold in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha, WestBengal, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
Kantilal Parmar, the head of ChamundiAgarbatti Company, has overcomesignificant challenges in theindustry. Speaking to SugandhIndia, he shared how hetransitioned from working inprinting and packaging tosupplying raw materials and eventuallyestablishing his manufacturing operations. Hisunwavering focus on quality, integrity,and innovation has been instrumentalin the growth of his business. Now,his son Gautam Parmar is leadingefforts to position the brand as amarket leader in e-commerce andexports. After completing hisstudies, he joined the company togrow the digital footprint of theirproduct portfolio globally. Lookingahead— the company plans toenhance its product portfolio withpremium offerings, including newfragrances and coloured variantsfor the export market.
Additionally, it aims to diversifyinto roll-ons, detergents,perfumes, soaps, and otherconsumer products to strengthenits presence in the industry. MrParmar, founder of ChamundiAgarbatti Company PrivateLimited, has built a thrivingbusiness from humble beginnings.
Speaking to Sugandh India, he shared his journey fromRajasthan to Bengaluru, where he established the companyin 2003. His entrepreneurial journey began in 1985 whenhis elder brother, employed in Bengaluru, started workingwith printing and packaging materials for the agarbattiindustry. Seeing an opportunity, Mr Parmar joined thebusiness, supplying PP bags and pouches to the trade.In 2000, he launched Pooja Agency, a retail shop onCottonpet Road, a key marketplace for rawmaterials used in the agarbatti industry. Thisventure helped him build strong industryconnections, leading him to expand into rawmaterial supply. Recognising the potential formanufacturing, Mr Parmar founded ChamundiAgarbatti in 2003, initially operating from a900-square-foot facility near his shop. Asdemands grew, the company expanded itsoperations, constructing a four-storey factoryon one acre of land. Today, ChamundiAgarbatti manufactures a comprehensive range ofproducts in-house, including raw agarbatti, whiteagarbatti and masala agarbatti, as well as baseagarbatti, dhoop, dry sticks, and cones. Their growthhighlights its strategic expansion and commitment toquality manufacturing in the incense sector.
Chamundi Agarbatti Company has strategicallyexpanded its production and marketing network to cater toincreasing demand across India. Mr Parmar, highlightedthe growth from a 900-square-foot facility to a25,000-square-foot production unit, ensuring a steadysupply of high-quality products. Initially focusing on localmarket demand in Karnataka, the company established arobust marketing network in 2009. Today, its distributionnetwork includes over 750 distributors and a 75-membersales team. The company operates its supply chain inmultiple states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Bihar,Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. Each state hasa dedicated sales team of 8 to 10 members, with over80-100 distributors per region.
Leading the digital and export strategy— Mr Parmar’sson, Gautam Parmar fulfils business strategy in the onlinedigital space. To tap global demand opportunities:Chamundi Agarbatti has introduced premium hand rolledhalmaddi based products and is developing premium-coloured variants for exports. He emphasised that globaldemand for high-quality Indian agarbattis is rising, andinnovation is key to staying ahead in the competitiveexport market. With this vision, the company is activelyexpanding its digital presence and export operations tostrengthen its foothold in international markets.
Chamundi Agarbatti Company initially launched itsproducts under its original brand name but later rebrandedfollowing personal inspiration. Mr Parmar, shared in aconversation with Sugandh India that during a visit toBalaji Tirupati Nath, he decided to rename the brand BalajiDarshan in honour of his devotion. This strategic movehelped the brand gain rapid popularity across Karnataka.Following this success, the company consolidated itsbranding, ensuring products carried the Balaji Darshanname. Today, Chamundi Agarbatti offers 150+ productagarbatti variants, including premium quality flora, baseand masala agarbattis and dhoop and dry dhoop cones.These products are available in pouches, boxes, and zipperpackaging, catering to diverse consumer preferences.
The company has strategically priced its products toappeal to a broad market, with MRPs ranging from ₹10 to₹250. Among these, the ₹50 pack is the top-selling product.Additionally, the 50g, 100g, 150g, and 200g packs, priced at₹70, ₹80, ₹100, ₹125, ₹150, and ₹250, continue to see strongdemand. By leveraging strategic branding and a diversifiedproduct range, Chamundi Agarbatti has positioned itself asa leading player in the industry,catering to domestic andinternational markets.
The agarbatti industry is witnessing intensifyingcompetition, with numerous manufacturersintroducinginnovative and differentiated products. Mr Parmarhighlighted the importance of closely tracking; quality,quantity, and pricing to maintain a competitive edge. Hestressed that market engagement is crucial for brandsuccess, as staying informed about current and emergingtrends has been instrumental in his journey—fromprinting, packaging, and raw material supply to full-scalemanufacturing.
Chamundi Agarbatti also expanded its exportoperations, supplying zipper and pouch-packed cups anddhoop products to several international markets.Discussing future growth plans— Mr Parmar revealed thatthe company has introduced Deepam oil, commonly usedin religious rituals, particularly in South India, where it hasgained popularity due to its jasmine-infused fragrance.
Furthermore— the company has launched its camphorbrand to cater to the growing market demand. Lookingahead: Chamundi Agarbatti is expanding its product rangeand boosting its presence in (both) domestic andinternational markets— the company is positioning itselfas a leading industry player.
