Annapoorna Masalas and Spices, which started off as a small-time supplier of masalas and spices to city hotels in Coimbatore 45 years ago, is now planning to expand to all the Southern States in the next few months.

Vijay Prasad, a third-generation entrepreneur, has chalked out ambitious plans to go beyond Tamil Nadu, expanding to Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana by launching masalas for popular local cuisines.

He admits that that the masala and spices market is quite cluttered with several organised and unorganised players flooding the market with a variety of products.

“Yes, the market is cluttered. But our products will stand out as they cater to the local palate. For one, we go to Telugu-speaking areas with offerings like Andhra Koora Kaaram Powder,” Vijay Prasad, Executive Director of the company, told Business Line.

“Name a popular cuisine in these States, we will have a masala mix product. We have deputed teams with chefs to various of parts of the South to identify popular local cuisines and develop products to suit those cuisines,” he said.

Targeting higher turnover

The firm, which achieved a turnover of ₹40 crore this financial year, is targeting to reach ₹90 crore in 2021-22.

Vijay Prasad’s father R Velumani took over the reins from his father Damodarasamy Naidu in 1980. Vijay Prasad, who studied food technology in Australia, returned to India and joined the family business in 2012 and focused on product standardisation.

After becoming the Executive Director in 2019, he has decided to expand the operations to the Southern markets in a big way.

“Our manufacturing capacity has gone up to 35 tonnes in 2019 from 3 tonnes in 2014. We have two integrated plants at the 30,000-square feet facility at Coimbatore. When we cross the ₹150-crore turnover market, we might set up a plant near Guntur or Nellore,” he said.

He said the existing capacity would take them to a turnover of ₹200 crore in the next 2-3 years.

The firm, which has about 200 employees, will add 100 more by the year-end. “Most of the new additions will be in the sales department,” he said.