Strong Market for Bengaluru, Ahmedabad & Indore in Malda: Dilip Kundu
Dilip Kundu, head of Kundu Plastic & Agarbatti, a leading seller of puja materials and agarbatti in Malda, West Bengal, told Sugandh India that agarbatti sales are very strong in the region. Products from Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Indore, as well as local manufacturers, all have significant demand in the Malda market.
Kundu Plastic & Agarbatti has been in the business of puja materials and agarbatti for the past 12 years. He shared that initially, they dealt only in puja items, but on a friend’s suggestion, they started stocking agarbatti as well. In the beginning, they kept products from 8–10 companies, which helped increase customer footfall. Today, they stock several brands, including Bharat Darshan, Denim, Zed Black, and ITC, all of which have good demand.
He mentioned that they carry most products from BharatDarshan, Balaji, Denim, Forest, Tez, and ITC, along with items from other brands. Super stockists and distributors supply most of the goods. However, for certain brands like Forest and Utsav, they procured directly from the company. Tez products come from the depot, while Balaji supplies arrive from Siliguri and Sealdah.
Speaking about the Maldaagarbatti market, he said that brands like Bharat Darshan, Balaji, Zed Black, and Cycle consistently perform well. Apart from these, several other brands are also active in the market.
He noted that ₹10 agarbatti packs have almost disappeared, as they are now mostly purchased only by people who need to light a few sticks in temples. Typically, customers buy agarbatti once or twice a month and prefer larger packs. This is why ₹20 and ₹40 packs are in higher demand, especially packs containing 50 to 100 sticks.
He added that eco packs, zipper pouches, and box packs all sell, but demand for jumbo packs (around 400 grams), especially multifragrance packs like 4-in-1, is rising rapidly as they last for an entire month.
In the Sambrani cup segment, Cycle’s Naivedya is the most preferred, followed by brands like Tez, Zed Black, and Vijay. In Wetdhoop, Balaji, Zed Black, and ITCare are leading the market.
He further mentioned that while Bengaluru-based brands earlier dominated the market, now brands from Ahmedabad and Indore are also gaining strong traction. In camphor, Cycle is the top-selling brand.
According to him, an average customer in Malda spends up to ₹100 per month on such products, and only about 2 out of 10 customers purchase strictly based on brand names.
