Making a Strong Mark in the Domestic Market: SKYORA
Ankis Patel’s Journey fromDesign Engineer to Agarbatti Brand Owner
Skyora, a brand that made its mark in multiple international markets, is now swiftly expanding into India’s incense stick and dhoop segment. While most players in the industry build a domestic base before venturing abroad, Mr Ankis Patel took the reverse path-launching his incense trade with exports. Speaking to Sugandh India, Mr Patel, a former design engineer at a French multinational and an electronics engineering graduate, shared how a phone call from Johannesburg in 2017 reshaped his journey. The call brought him his first export order for incense sticks, despite having no background in the industry. Undeterred, he began fulfilling orders by sourcing products from third-party suppliers.
Realising that… third-party sourcing fell short of expectations; Mr Patel registered the Skyorabrand in 2022. He chose the name with a clear vision—to create a label that resonatesuniversally. After setting up in-house manufacturing three years ago, Skyora offers nearly 200products, currently exported. In India, Skyora products have gained traction in Gujarat andMaharashtra. The company is now gearing up to roll out its full infrastructure and supply chain acrossChhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
In a conversation with Sugandh India, Mr Ankis Patel admitted he had, no prior experience in theincense industry. While employed as a design engineer, he had initially planned to launch a PCBmanufacturing venture—a project he continues toprepare for. His entry into the incense businessbegan unexpectedly. Skyora currently offers 200+products in export segment.
Commenting on Skyora’s market strategy, MrPatel stated that the brand does not restrict itself toa single segment. “We manufacture both economyand premium products, as premium items havelimited traction in villages and smaller towns. Oursupply aligns with the specific demands of eachmarket,” he said. Premium products are offeredalongside economy variants wherever suitable.
While Skyora primarily focuses on masalaagarbatti and dhoop cups. The company aims tomaintain a balanced focus across all productranges. Addressing global conditions, Mr Patelpointed out that last year’s geopolitical tensionsand ongoing conflicts drove container costssharply upwards. However, he remains optimistic,stating that if stability returns, Skyora plans toinitiate exports to around a dozen countries byyear-end. He emphasised that the quality andpackaging of export products differ significantlyfrom domestic offerings. “Each region’s demand isshaped by its taste, fragrance preferences, andclimate. We customise our productsaccordingly,” he added.
After establishing a presence inGujarat and Maharashtra, Skyora isset to expand its supply network toChhattisgarh, Odisha, MadhyaPradesh, and Rajasthan in thecoming months. Mr Patel shared hisdeep interest in the incense industry,saying, “This is a great industry, andI am genuinely passionate about it.
Mr Patel added that masalaagarbatti sees the strongest demandin Maharashtra, Telangana, and WestBengal—regions where the brand isnow intensifying its focus. “As ourproduction and supply capabilitiesincrease, our domestic market willgrow in parallel,” he concluded.
In response to a query, Mr Patelrevealed that Skyora plans tointensify its focus on exports—notonly incense products but also in theFMCG segment. “We are currentlyconducting manufacturing researchfor these FMCG items. They arebeing developed specifically forexport markets. Once we see successoverseas, we’ll explore launchingthem in India as well,” he said. Hepointed out that our country exportsa wide range of incense products,gradually challenging China’sdominance in global markets. “Thereis a growing demand for Indianproducts abroad, and the governmentis actively supporting these efforts,”he added. Reflecting on his journey,Mr Patel said, “It’s been six to sevenyears since I entered the incensebusiness, but I continue to learnsomething new every day.”
