Commercial production of Bihu delicacies

The country’s largest retailer brand selling Bihu eatables in shopping malls has unfolded new marketing realities for local food entrepreneurs as it has widened the choices for consumers. The demand for hygienically packed Bihu pitha, laroo, and other items is not only rising among the Assamese diaspora across the country and abroad, but rapid urbanisation has also pushed the local demand in the state. Food entrepreneurs in the state, who have been making efforts to tap the growing market, now face tough competition from the multi-brand retailer. Innovative retailing ideas, branding, and quality control can keep the hopes of local food entrepreneurs for a fair share of the market alive. Production and marketing on a scale to match that of the multi-brand retailer is not possible for local food entrepreneurs, most of whom are first-generation entrepreneurs. For local consumers and entrepreneurs, the imagination about the size of the Bihu cuisine market was largely confined to the growing number of stalls at makeshift pre-Bhogali Bihu markets in Guwahati. Participants in these markets are mostly farmer-producers and local traders and food entrepreneurs from different rural areas across the state, who bring supplies of a wide range of packaged Bihu eatables to meet the demand of city residents. The Bhogali Bihu, being a post-harvest festival for enjoying feasts and traditional snacks made from rice, sesame, coconut, flattened and puffed rice, jaggery, etc., the markets of ready-to-eat and pack-and-carry Bihu eatables also help the farmer-producers to make some money for augmenting household income. Despite its growth, the pre-Bhogali Bihu market largely remained unorganised, and except for a few, the majority of such rural food entrepreneurs have not prioritised packaging and branding. This came in the way of marketing these products in the diaspora markets of Bihu eatables, as temporary packaging in polythene bags reduces its shelf life and raises hygiene and health concerns. Multi-brand retailers or instant delivery services have filled the gap, making similar items available in sturdy packaging, as they know that the Diaspora market is a high-end market, and buyers are willing to pay extra amounts for quality packaging and brand value. This is a lesson for local entrepreneurs who nurture dreams of tapping the festival markets but have failed to develop correct marketing strategies of building brand identity through brand positioning, quality packaging, and advertising to make their products attractive for potential customers. Food business remaining sustainable for local entrepreneurs is crucial for the local economy. The local entrepreneurs will source their products from local producers, processed as well as ingredients for making processed food products. Big corporate players in retail trade have the advantage of sourcing it from anywhere, which gives them higher profit margins. Unlike traditional handloom and textile items like Gamosa and Mekhala Chador, Bihu eatables are not protected, and therefore there is no bar on sourcing these products from outside Assam. Coconuts from Kerala flooding the markets in Guwahati and other parts of the state points towards such market realities that cannot be overlooked. Rushing to any conclusion that big players entering the Bihu eatable markets will always benefit the local farmers and producers could be erroneous in the absence of any protective measure. Enlarging the list of traditional food items with geographic indication tags can be a viable way for protecting the interest of local growers, but merely tagging a product with a GI tag is not going to make any big difference to the local economy if its market potential is not realised through local entrepreneurial efforts. The central and state governments can play a crucial role in supporting local food entrepreneurs through improvement in packaging infrastructure, training, and certification in the state. Indian Institute of Entrepreneurs, NEDFI, providing consultancy on brand building for local food enterprises, can help them develop correct marketing strategies to compete with other brands. Building brands of premium food products in innovative and quality packaging will be essential to overcoming the challenge posed by mega retail brands through production and aggregation on scale. Digital payment ecosystems and e-marketing opportunities have created new opportunities for local entrepreneurs that need to be leveraged optimally. The startup ecosystem in the state allows organic entrepreneurial ideas to flourish with government support for incubation. There is no room for complacency in completing the incubation and romanticising the innovative business ideas without a long roadmap of sustainable production and marketing growth. Local food entrepreneurs seeking to tap the commercial market of Bihu eatables need to reflect on shortcomings in their current marketing strategies and refine those to sustain in the competitive market. The state government acknowledging this and articulating policies to promote local food entrepreneurship will help it achieve the goal of preserving local cultural practices for future generations. Sustainability of local food entrepreneurs in festival markets as well as regular food markets is critical for the preservation of traditional food practices and indigenous food production.