The Hindu Business Line : ‘Be different, determined, success will follow’

Melting point: (From left) Ms Karpagam of the Economics Department, Meenakshi College for Women, Chennai, Dr K.S. Lakshmi, Secretary, Meenakshi College, and Mr R.G. Chandramogan, Managing Director, Hatsun Agro Product.

Our Bureau

Chennai, Sept. 6 When they started out in 1970 as the makers of Arun Ice Cream, they were one of 350 ice-cream units in Chennai and 1,500 in Tamil Nadu, but the ability to identify opportunities in areas not dominated by the market leaders made them strike it big, said Mr R.G. Chandramogan, Managing Director, Hatsun Agro Product Ltd.

He was talking to students of Meenakshi College on entrepreneurship at the BL Club lecture held at the college . A first generation entrepreneur, he realised his company would do better to supply ice-cream to the educational institutions and ships visiting (and stocking up on food in) Chennai rather than compete with the established and cheaper-priced brands. Also, after a few years in the business, realising that the kind of ice-creams available in Chennai were not to be had in towns such as Madurai and Tirunelveli, he decided to focus on those areas and established the company as a market leader, he said.

“It was in the ’90s that people began to talk about rural marketing, but we pioneered it in the 80s,” Mr Chandramogan said, explaining that being unconventional and different in strategy helped the company on its path to success. Even when it entered the milk business, Hatsun made sure its Arokya brand was richer in fat content than the established Aavin brand, and made a dent in the market, he said.

“Success will follow if there’s will and determination,” he added.

From being a small player in ice-creams, Hatsun Agro today is a listed company that constitutes the largest private dairy in the private sector and is the largest exporter of milk powder and derivatives to 26 countries across the globe. Its brands of products include Komatha milk and curds, Santosa milk and the recently launched Krd Rys (curd rice).

The BL Club event was also attended by Dr K.S. Lakshmi, Secretary, Meenakshi College for Women, Ms Karpagam of the Economics Department and Mr S. Sridhar, Assistant Regional General Manager, The Hindu.

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