MODERN TRADE HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT CHANNEL FOR INCENSE DISTRIBUTION

Shri Bhavani Enterprises, Hyderabad, is a leading supplier engaged in the trading of agarbatti and dhoop products. Speaking to Sugandh India, Narsingh Rao Kulkarni, head of the firm, said that he handles distribution of brands such as Padmini, Liberty, Moksh, GT Products, Siddhi Fragrance, Frag Aromatics, Shakunthala, Shanthala, Hari Darshan, Ashika, Shankar Perfumery, and BJKD dhoop cups. The firm works as a super stockist, modern trade partner, and retailer for several companies. By modern trade, he explained that they manage supplyto supermarkets and malls, where supply responsibility is assigned to a single dedicated party.

He shared that before entering agarbatti trading, he worked for nearly 25 years in the sales department of a major agarbatti company. Since he already had a strong understanding of and interest in the agarbatti trade, he established Shri Bhavani Enterprises in 2009 and began operations in modern trade, super stockist distribution, wholesale, and retailing.

Responding to a question from Sugandh India, he saidthat Hyderabad and Telangana are strong markets for agarbatti, with higher demand for premium-quality products. He added that the company has a well-established supply network across Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and the entire state of Telangana, supported by multiple distributors and wholesalers. Their network operates through around 25 distributors. He noted that ₹60 box-packed agarbatti sells the most in this market. The top-selling brands include Zed Black, Darshan International, Padmini, and Liberty, while Cycle, Moksh, Ashika, Balaji, and Forest also perform well.

Narsingh Rao Kulkarni further told Sugandh India that agarbatti accounts for over 90% of incense sales in Hyderabad, while the remaining 10% comprises bamboo-less products such as cups, wet dhoop, and dry sticks. In wet dhoop, Zed Black and Hari Darshan are popular, while GT Chennai performs well in dry sticks. In cups, Cycle’s Naivedya is the top seller, with GT also having a good presence. He added that since almost all agarbatti companies are now manufacturing bamboo-less products so one or two items from each company sells.

He also mentioned that small dhoop sticks, commonly known as sambrani computer sticks, are in demand, with Asia, GT, and the local brand Ashta Lakshmi performing well. At his counters, Ashika and Swastik brands sell well in camphor, while Gopuram, Hari Darshan, and Bhavani are popular in chandan tika. On average, a customer in Hyderabad spends ₹200–₹300 per month on agarbatti and dhoop products, though spending increases during festivals and special occasions. He noted that only three to four out of ten customers purchase products by brand name.