Bonjour, new guests from small-town India
Puneet Dhawan of Accor is brimming with ideas on ways to revive the hospitality sector
Capture
Palkhova has become synonymous with the temple town of Srivilliputhur, as halwa is to Thirunelveli and murukku to Manaparai. These are some of the delicacies associated with the towns from where they originated. And the list could go on and on even to the present day.
Though much has changed around us and we are often reminded of the saying in the Gita that "Change is the only permanent thing in life," nothing seems to have changed either in the way palkhova is prepared or in the packing of the halwa.
The only visible change, however, is in the way the product is marketed today, through the online mode and the cottage industry. And, be it halwa or palkhova, both products seem to be thriving.
A recent visit to Srivilliputhur revealed that every other outlet was engaged in the sale of the milk sweet.
Ask them about the impact of GST, not many seem to worry much, but for the fact that it could become “a bit” more expensive for the customer. “Most of us operate on a small scale and our turnover will not exceed Rs 20 lakh,” said Radha, a saleswoman in a private khova outlet.
We caught up with P Raja, the manager of Q106 Srivilliputhur Milk Producers' Cooperative Society, which, he claims is the oldest, dating back to 1945.
According to him, there were as many as 86 registered cooperative societies until a couple of years ago. “This has now dwindled to 15 functional societies, but there are many private firms, even households, engaged in the preparation of the sweet in this town. They sell the packets in buses, street corners, in trains, and so on. Further, there were not as many outlets offering the khova 10 years back,” he added.
When asked how the town got associated with palkhova, he said the white revolution sparked off large-scale production of palkhova, which originally used to be made with surplus milk, as the people did not know how to dispose off the milk. “There is no secret behind the making of this sweet concoction. It is just milk and sugar.”
The society's daily procurement is around 4,500 to 5,000 litres of milk. “We procure the milk from the door-step of our members,” said Raja.
The daily sale of the khova (Q106 society alone) is 300 kg. It soars to 1,000 to 1,200 kg during Courtallam season.
The society is contemplating increasing the rate of the palkhova from Rs 220/kg to Rs 240/kg from August 15. “We are taxed at 5 per cent under GST. We have borne the tax burden (of Rs 11 a kg) till date. We will be revising it shortly.”
Puneet Dhawan of Accor is brimming with ideas on ways to revive the hospitality sector
Citroen’s first vehicle sports a novel design and European interiors. It is also meant to be as comfortable as ...
The pandemic is only the tip of the iceberg that the country’s cash-poor airlines — both regional and national ...
The government is yet to specify the framework of its recently announced old vehicle scrappage policy
With initial public offerings galore, we give you a cheat sheet to score some good grades
₹1548 • HDFC Bank S1S2R1R2COMMENT 1535152015601575 Fresh long positions can be initiated with a stiff ...
The key indices have retreated from theirs record levels; downside pressure could continue
Biggest risk in selling funds in a rising scenario is exiting early and missing out on further gains
After facing severe droughts for several years, farmers in western Maharashtra have turned the corner through ...
If you see garbage lying on the streets, remove it, says a dedicated plogger on a clean-up drive
Padma Shri awardee Ramachandra Pulavar — the 12th generation exponent of Tholpavakoothu in his family — on ...
Against considerable odds, Drishyam 2 delivers a story that’s just as good as — if not better than — the ...
Its name is the starting point of a brand’s journey and can make a big difference in the success sweepstakes
Sober spirits are the in thing
A peek into where ad spends went last year and where they are headed tomorrow
Can Swiggy Instamart disrupt the ecommerce groceries space, currently ruled by the Amazons and Big Baskets? ...
Three years after its inception, compliance with GST procedures remains a headache for exporters, job workers ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of companies are altering the prospects for wooden toys of ...
Aequs Aerospace to create space for large-scale manufacture of toys at Koppal
And it has every reason to smile. Covid-19 has triggered a consumer shift towards branded products as ...
Please Email the Editor