Venki Biodegrades, a food technology startup based in Ernakulam near Kochi in Kerala, has come up with an eco-friendly tableware products made entirely from rice bran. “Our products are an alternative to single-use plastics and this can be transformed into cattle or aqua feed or as nutrient manure for agricultural fields. It is oven-compatible tolerating 120°C and can be refrigerated at -4°C,” said S Venkataeswaran, founder of the company.
Branded “Tandoula”, the production of the tableware will begin at its factory in Kangeyam in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district from January 1. The products are 100 per cent biodegradable and will solve the important issue of debris and wastage in urban areas.
“Trial production of the tableware is currently on and the unit will produce 15,000-20,000 units a day with the machines running at 50 per cent capacity,” said the founder of Venki Biodegrades, incorporated in 2021.
2 more units in TN
The company, which has got help from scientists at CSIR-NIIST in Thiruvananthapuram, plans to set up two more units at Villivakkam in suburban Chennai and Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. These units will likely be set up in six months time with the capacity of the start-up increasing to one lakh per day. “We have got an invitation from Manipur to set up a factory there. It is in the pipeline,” said Venkataeswaran, whose family has been in the textile business for nearly 100 years.
One of the unique features of the company is that 60-70 per cent of women entrepreneurs are its directors, while the factory will employ 100 per cent women.
The start-up has test marketed its products in Kerala at 2-3 marriages and in temples. They have received a good response. “We even have people abroad showing interest in our products. It is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and environment,” he claimed, adding that the company has appointed marketing and distributing firms.
Social angle
“We will first market our products in Tamil Nadu and then move to other Southern States such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala,” he said.
Venkataeswaran said there was a social aspect too behind making tableware from rice bran. “Farmers are paid only for the rice derived from paddy and they usually don’t get payment for rice bran. By making such eco-friendly products, they can now seek a price for rice bran and improve their earnings,” he said.
Setting up the production unit at Kangeyam, in a way, will help paddy farmers in that area, the company’s founder said. The company will use modern equipment such as robots besides tapping artificial intelligence.
Venki Biodegrades will make plates of different types between 10 and 4 inches diameter, cups with small ones that can be used for giving prasadam (food first offered to Gods and then distributed among devotees) in temples and takeaway containers, besides tumblers and scoop spoons.
In talks for angel investors
The company’s products have been tested at the National Safety Council of India and they have been found to have a capacity to hold cold water for 40-60 minutes and hot water for 20-30 minutes, he said, adding that they will be priced competitively. “Though products from sugarcane bagasse can offer competition, our product is degradable and does not need any chemical for the process unlike bagasse,” said Venkateswaran.
Venki Biodegrades, registered as a micro, small and medium enterprise, has got the support of the Union government as part of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. Banks have provided full funding under the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises, he said.
Also incubated in Tiruppur’s NIFT-TEA, the company is in talks with angel investors with one round already getting over and expects to get more funding once its Kangeyam units goes onstream, said Venkataeswaran.