K C Das in search for new packaging tech

If the traditional Bengali rasgullas or sandesh stimulate your palate, then there is some good news for you.

K C Das, known for its high-quality traditional Bengali sweets, is planning to go global with state of the art packaging and enhanced product life of the confectionery items.

K C Das is in talks with some German and Indian packaging company for improving the shelf-life of its sweets which use 'chhana', the unstable milk product, as the main ingredient.

It has requested VDMA to identify a German company for identification of technology suitable for 'chhana' or why-based sweets.

Besides, the confectioner is also working in house at its R & D facility in Bangalore on the project. If the right technology was available, it could well be the first branded Bengali confectionery chain overseas.

The managing director of K C Das (P) Ltd, B M Das, said the main concern of the company was to increase the shelf-life of traditional Bengali sweets.

"The products have to have a shelf-life of 6-10 months for expansion in major Indian cities and in overseas market. The retailers would not accept the product which has a self life of 5-10 days. We are working on this," he said.

According to him, besides German companies, some Mumbai-based Indian packaging outfits too have evinced interest about the project.

"We have not yet shortlisted any company but the process is on," he said.

When contacted, the director (India) of VDMA, Rajesh Nath, confirmed that some Indian food companies including K C Das had approached VDMA for state-of-the-art technology in packaging.

The other Indian companies which had approached VDMA were Creamline Dairy Products and Janani Foods from Hyderabad and Nutrech Multi Product Freezer Dryer from Nashik.

According to the MD of K C Das, it was now looking for smaller packs for sweets like sandesh, rajbhog etc.

Incidentally, the only Bengali sweet available in packaged form is rusgulla.

"For rusgullas too, we are looking for smaller packs of 3-4 pieces. Now it is available in 10-20 pieces," he added.

Pointing to the spread of branded traditional north Indian confectionery, Das said, "If the north Indian traditional confectioners can make it then Bengali sweets can also be sold this way. The major problem is funding and nothing else."

Das complained that despite repeated applications for funds, the West Bengal government has not shown much interest in the project.

One of the directors of K C Das, Dhiman Das, said an investment of around Rs 7-8 crore was needed for the proposed mechanisation and packaging project. The confectioner currently had a turnover of around Rs 8 crore.

"K C Das is already exporting rusgullas to USA, UK and west Asia, but in small numbers. It can be done in an organised way once the packaging project is in place," he said. K C Das currently has 15 outlets in Kolkata and Bangalore.