Srirangapatna-Based MK Agrotech, To Enter Food Space
With the first-generation entrepreneur Subhan Khan’s indomitable spirit, MK Agrotech was incepted in 1976 in a small city of Karnataka- Srirangapatna in the Mandya district.
In 1995 when there were rampant, adulteration and malpractices in the edible oil business, the visionary leader realized the need to build a brand that is consistent with both quality and quantity and empowers consumers with healthy choice. Sunpure, South India’s most popular edible oil brand is a result of this rich journey and glorious legacy of MK Agrotech.
The brand, which started with just three members, has more than 1,000 employees today. As the growth juggernaut continues, MK Agrotech- the parent company of the Sunpure brand- has now set its eyes on becoming a holistic player in the FMCG space with aggressive plans to enter the food segments. Its wheat flour and sugar portfolios are already running strong with overwhelming response from the customers since its launch.
Health first approach makes the brand popular:
MK Agrotech’s sunpure brand of edible oil came into existence with a mission of giving pure and unadulterated oil to consumers. The resolve further strengthened in its three decades-long operations, which witnessed India’s first sunflower oil processed without the use of chemicals such as caustic soda and sulphuric acid, making it among the best options for health-conscious consumers. The refining technology involving wind energy to offset the carbon footprint and the state-of-the-art equipment make the Sunpure oils unique as they are produced from the highest quality seeds. The quality of the products and the technologies have been standardised by high-skilled professionals after quality research in dedicated labs. “In fact, we are the only sunflower oil that has patented technology to physically refine oil,” says Gokaran Singh Pawar, General Manager - Sales & Operations, M K Agrotech Pvt Ltd.
The company has also pulled out all the stops to ensure environmental safety. “We generate renewable energy for our plants. The packaging material is also recyclable. We are proud to say that all our manufacturing units are Zero Discharge Certified,” says Mr Pawar.
With three plants at Srirangapatna, Challakere, and Nelemanagla, the company has more than 800 distributors and now aims at setting up more than 2 lakh outlets by 2025. The company is planning to set up a plant in Mangalore, which is close to the port. The plant will be used to produce non-edible oil such as oleochemical and biodiesel. “Logistics is our key strength. We have depots across 13 locations in southern and western India. We have our fleet of vehicles, which ensure that all distributors get stocks within 24 hours of placing orders,” explains Mr Pawar.
On the back of rising popularity, the brand is also aggressively investing to expand capacity. Apart from exploring the production of mustard in Rajasthan, it is setting up a palm refining and biodiesel unit in Mangalore and a refinery in south Maharashtra. The groundnut oil unit is also on the company’s radar.
In line with its values, the company is also actively engaged with various local NGO’s and supporting causes focused at Health and Education. The group has so far contributed to various study courses for students and believes in educating the needy children. On the health front the company has taken up a task of supporting the Dialysis Patients and today while chalking this, the company completed 30,000 Dialysis so far.
Range of new products on the anvil:
With health and wellness at its core, Sunpure brand has now embarked upon a journey of transforming itself into a full-stack food company with a wide range of products, starting with Spices and Nuts business.
“With quality, purity, and innovation as our cornerstones, MK Agrotech has decided to foray into the food space. Our vision of being a food company is not only to provide quality products but also to focus on the wellness of our customers. As part of this plan, we will be starting with products such as chilli, coriander, and turmeric under Spices and our range of Nuts would be 100 % natural, bigger and crunchier available in a 5D standee pouch with a window enabling the actual product visibility. All of these in an attractive packaging with a competitive & affordable price point, added Mr Pawar.
Importantly, the company is already receiving an encouraging response to its products in the wheat flour and sugar space. As health and wellness take centre stage in the post-COVID world, Sunpure’s vision increasingly reverberates with consumer sentiment.
