For many entrepreneurs, building a successful business begins with an idea. Turning that idea into reality often requires taking risks and staying committed despite doubts from those around them. Some of the most inspiring businesses are born from such moments of uncertainty, where a leap of faith eventually turns into a story of success.
One such example is that of Kokanraj, a kokum sharbat brand owned by Lalita Khaire, a resident of Pune. When her mushroom farming venture failed, Lalita and her husband, Sanjay, had to sell their house and move into a rented property. Despite the losses, Lalita refused to give up on her dream of becoming an entrepreneur.
Previously, during an interview with The Better India, Lalita shared that coming from a service-oriented family, it became a challenge for her to convince her immediate relatives about her dream. “Nobody understood it. They would rather want me to take up a secure job with a fixed salary at the end of the month. But I had other plans,” she shared.
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The one person who believed in Lalita’s dream was her husband. After they decided to pull the shutters on the mushroom business, they continued making tomato ketchup. In 1995, the couple took a chance on kokum and introduced a sharbat. Kokum is a popular fruit that grows mostly along the Western Ghats spanning Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala.
It is known to bring instant relief to those suffering from acidity and digestive issues. Kokum is also a powerhouse of nutrients and minerals like vitamins C, B3, and A and is rich in iron, calcium, folic acid, and acetic acid.
Talking about their journey, Lalita revealed, “When we started, it was after we had to sell off everything that we owned. All we had was Rs 500, which I put into this business of making kokum sharbat.”
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Recalling the initial days of their kokum sharbat business, Lalita shared, “In our first year of operations, we sold 500 kg of sharbat. However, since we were new to this business, we did not get a rupee from the market. All our stock was taken, and we were left with zero payments made to us. It was a huge learning experience for us.” In the second year, the couple learned from their mistakes and made around Rs 20,000 from the sales.
Although the third year turned out to be a no-profit-no-loss year for their business, they decided to continue a while longer. Today, they make close to 12 tonnes of kokum sharbat a day. Over the years, the couple has built a strong network of distributors across India. Some of their popular distributors include Big Basket, Reliance Fresh, D-Mart, and Dorabjee’s, among others. According to Lalita, her kokum sharbat venture now earns a revenue of over Rs 2.5 crore per year.
