Organic India has pioneered organic products and supplements in India. The gains are there for all to see. Organic product consumption is slowly but surely gaining ground as consumers shift to a healthy lifestyle. For Organic India, a part of Fabindia with a 63.79 per cent stake, this translates into high growth days ahead. The more than two-decades-old firm seeks not only to expand its product range but also its global footprint. With health and environment sensitivity increasing by the day, the last decade has seen an increase in awareness regarding quality and nutrient content of foods. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the ill-effects of pesticides in conventional farming, with the recent pandemic accelerating consumption of fresh, hygienic and pesticide-free products. Growth in organic foods has come at an 18 per cent CAGR between 2014-15 and 2019-20. While the market is fast growing, it is yet nascent. Modern trade and e-commerce platforms are boosting the growth as more consumers shift to organic foods. The organic-products market is expected to reach Rs3,870 crore by 2025-26. While beverages made up 36 per cent of the organic food & beverage market, at about Rs500 crore, in 2019-20, organic tea, like the one developed by Organic India, comprises about 80 per cent of the organic beverage market, which touches Rs400 crore. Organic foods and trends are also seeing huge promotions, with international trade fairs organised annually to promote organic farming. Indeed, health, nutrition and sustainability are increasingly becoming central to consumer values. In particular, millennials and generation Z have been developing a strong understanding of health and environmental issues. They are demonstrating this through mounting spends on environmentally clean products. Covid-19 has accelerated the shift towards organic products. All this is expected to drive double-digit growth of 16-18 per cent in the Indian market over the next five years till 2026-27. In overseas markets, too, the organic-food basket has been exhibiting high-growth trends. Healthy growth While the organic basket is widening, Organic India has in many ways pioneered the organic supplements movement in the country. About 25 years back, Bharat Mitra and Bhavani Lev (née Holly Bronfman) set up the company in Lucknow with the objective of focussing on health-care products with Indian herbs grown organically without fertilisers and chemicals. It was a difficult concept to sell to farmers initially, and the duo struggled to get farmers on board. The biggest challenge in organic production then was how to convince farmers to stop using fertilisers and chemicals that were used for years. Farmers were also sceptical that organic farming would actually improve yields of the plants they were cultivating. However, the duo pressed on and convinced a few farmers of the benefits of organic farming. Slowly but steadily, Organic India roped in many farmers to the idea. On the other hand, the duo was impressed with the virtues of tulsi, called holy basil abroad. The herb has many therapeutic uses and finds a place in many a household formulation. Even so, it was not used regularly in larger India. To get people accustomed to drinking it regularly, the duo came up with the idea of tulsi infusions that could replace tea.
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Dutta: doubling farmers’ income
