Jun Taki

 

Stores across the capital complex flaunt ‘Spice Ziro’ a brand which has gained popularity for its delicious traditional pickles. With over 10 products in its inventory, the brand over the years has established itself not only in Arunachal but it is spreading its flavour to mainland markets through online stores like “GISKAA” and “Seven Sisters” etc, gathering huge profit.

 

Hage Pulo Oka, 33, the woman behind Spice Ziro, is now counted among the promising women entrepreneurs in the state. However the success story of her micro food processing unit was not scripted overnight rather shaped through persistent hard work.

Located at Mowb II, Itanagar, her pickle making unit is hard to miss as delicious aroma of pickle and spices is an instant giveaway. Armed with a small packaging machine along with few packaging tools her manufacturing unit prepares a wide array of pickles—bamboo shoot, red ball chilli, king chilli (bhoot jholokia) including chicken and pork, to name a few.

 

“It didn’t start off as a business venture initially,” reveals Oka, who holds a Post Graduate degree in Hotel Management from Bangalore (LTC). Mother of three children, she says her mother’s immense talent in pickle making inspired her to enter this field.

A good student all through school and college, Oka’s story is also an inspiration for youths who are running after jobs. ‘I appeared for Tourist Information Officer (TIO) job once but was eliminated in viva voce,’ she says sportingly.

Following unsuccessful attempts to get jobs, she came back to Ziro and married the love of her life in 2010 but didn’t let go of her dreams. She says the moral support of her husband and family members shaped the business to what it is today.

With treasured recipes from the land of the “Apatanis”, she started making varieties of traditional pickles—popularly known as “Yormi” in Apatani, in small amounts out of her kitchen in 2014 then distributed it to nearby shops. Initially, the products failed to make much of an impact. However, an exhibition at the Dree festival the same year turned things around for her.

 

‘The product was well received and I decided to establish a small scale industry and began to search for women who were keen to earn a livelihood after orders started pouring in,’ Oka says. Following suggestions to approach the business in a more professional manner, she started packaging her products with logo and named it ‘Spice Ziro’ after her native place.

A home grown brand has its share of challenges and the pickle business is no cakewalk as competition is stiff with big national brands including local players. However quality and hygiene which the brand prides itself for became its USP. With growing popularity the products were also exhibited at Vibrant North East, ASSOCHAM Buyers Sellers meet etc on several occasions.

 

 

The unit now powered by 10 women staffers is a very hands-on team handling everything from bottling, packaging to graphics printing. The raw materials are procured in bulk from local women from Lobi village and Ziro in Lower Subansiri district making this enterprise truly local.

 

Raking in more than rupees 60,000 a month from pickle sales and with a company turnover of minimum 20 lakhs, the young entrepreneur is optimistic that with new recipes to her list income will grow further.

‘In this changing economy, we cannot rely on government jobs. Sometimes we have to find our own way, and take risks and do something different,’ she says adding that she always wanted to create a niche for herself.

If you want creative freedom then entrepreneurship is much better than government job, she quips sending across a strong message.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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