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Mohan Padmanabhan

Positioned as lifestyle products, they will sold under `Encens de Pondichery' brand

Kolkata , July 14

Who says traditional Indian handicrafts need elaborate trade shows to catch the attention of deep-pocketed western buyers? India-centric cultural festivals abroad, mounted on a public-private partnership basis, can also be used as effective platforms to showcase the country's strengths in products such as handmade agarbathis.

ITC Ltd has opened up an effective fragrance trail all the way from Pondicherry to Paris in France to launch a new range of handcrafted agarbathis (packets of 20s and 10s) in Europe under the brand name of "Encens de Pondichery" (Incense of Pondicherry).

3 new series

The company's agarbathi strategic business unit has launched three new series — "Heritage de Pondichery", L'Air de Pondichery" and Saveurs de Pondichery" — with five distinctive fragrances under each, using sandalwood powder as base, with other naturally occurring aromatic substances.

The broad theme on Pondicherry is "Silence in Serenity''.

According to ITC, the product has been developed, keeping in mind the growing consumer movement internationally towards natural based products.

Mr V.M. Rajasekharan, CEO of ITC's Agarbathi SBU, told Business Line that the incense sticks were a blend of natural ingredients and fine fragrances put together to have a soothing effect on the olfactory nerves.

The Paris-based distributors who cater to the European markets, located in Gare de Nordi (North Station area) have received the new range of agarbathis well, it is learnt.

India's agarbathi exports annually are said to be around Rs 300 crore (f.o.b. value). There is enormous scope for export of quality-driven cottage items like agarbathis, says Mr Rajasekharan.

Europe foray

ITC's agarbathi foray into Europe will cover France, Spain, Italy, the UK and Germany, and the new offerings will be positioned as life-style products.

The company's Pondicherry-made Mangaldeep range of agarbathis are now exported to various markets in Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, the UAE, Bahrain and the US.

The company has utilised the platform of a recent three-week Pondicherry festival in Paris showcasing the 200-year-old French architectural and cultural heritage of Pondicherry.

The Indo-French show was organised by Intach and other organisations including the Tourism Department of the Government of Pondicherry and Patrimoine et Conservation, France, to showcase Pondicherry as a unique heritage city.

Says Mr Manob Tagore, CEO of Cottage Industries, Aurobindo Ashram, Pondichery: "The specially designed agarbathis created for ITC by Cottage Industries were a huge hit at the Paris show, as evidenced by the response of the visitors."

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