There are some entrepreneurs who take every challenge with a positive bent of mind. Kulwant Singh, Founder & Director, Supreem Food Products, is one of those. A first-generation entrepreneur, Mr Singh decided to set up his biscuit manufacturing company after realising the immense opportunities available in this line of business.
Humble background
Mr Singh was born into a family of corn farmers in Ludhiana. As a child, he spent his days learning the intricacies of farming with his cousins. While he was growing up, he felt the urge to start a new business. His cousin Baljit Mann, who worked at a biscuit manufacturing company in Sweden for several years, inspired him to pursue his dream.
A modest beginning
Coming from a rural background, Mr Singh did not have adequate funds to start a business on his own. He was also determined to raise funds without seeking the help of his family members. As a result, he had to face a lot of obstacles during his initial years in the business.
In his words, “Since I did not have any prior experience in the industry, my loan application was rejected by several banks. Although my father agreed to help me with the sum required to start the business, I decided not to take anybody’s help.”
Mr Singh eventually sold a few acres of land to raise a paltry sum which he used to establish his manufacturing unit in Ludhiana in 2004.
Learning the tricks of the trade
Since he had no prior experience in the business, Mr Singh found himself confronted by several challenges as he tried to gain a foothold in the market. Soon he realised that it was extremely crucial for him to understand the business better to survive and grow. He turned to his cousin for help in this regard.
Mr Mann helped him in learning about the market dynamics, consumer preferences and marketing techniques to build a strong brand image in the market. Mr Singh says, “Initially, I did not pay much attention to networking and marketing as I focused more on procuring raw materials at cheaper rates. However, I soon realised that it was imperative for a company to adopt strategic marketing techniques to achieve success in the long run.” Subsequently, Mr Singh collaborated with distributors across Punjab to market his products throughout the state.
Quality comes first
Mr Singh started his company with the belief that the biscuit industry in India had ample scope for small-sized players like him. Over the years, he has laid special emphasis on maintaining high standards of quality and hygiene at his production unit. Mr Singh strongly believes that to survive and sustain in the competitive biscuit industry, it is extremely critical to ensure high standards of quality.
Innovation holds the key to success
In the past few years, Supreem Food Products, under the guidance of Mr Singh, has emerged as a well-known biscuit company in North India. Presently, the company offers 15 different ranges of biscuits in various flavours.
Mr Singh is keen on introducing some more varieties to satisfy the taste buds of its expanding customer base. He is also collaborating with some distributors in other parts of the country to gain pan-India shelf space in the near future. |
