Bisk Farm is a brand which is owned by SAJ Food Products (P) Ltd, a part of the Aparna Group of Companies. It is a fast-moving consumer goods company, headquartered in the city of Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Since it was formed in the year 2000, Bisk Farm products have been available throughout Eastern and North Eastern India, and parts of South, Central and North India. The company eventually aims to market its products across the country.
The company produces a more than of 150 products from biscuits, cookies, cakes, rusks, extruded snacks, filled wafers and controls 15% of market share in East India, Britannia, Anmol and Parle Agro being some of the major competitors in the region. Some popular brands are The Top, Googly, Marie, Spicy, Just Ginger, Bourbon, Royal cream, Cheese Cream . It also sells freshly made snacks, breads and sandwiches through its brand-owned "Just Baked" stores, along with desserts like Celebration Cakes, pastries and muffins.
Overview
Krishnadas Paul was born in Kamarkita village in Burdwan, West Bengal, and studied law before joining the family business of trading and distribution set up by his father in 1947. Paul set up Aparna Agency in 1974 and took up distribution for Nestle, Dabur and Reckitt & Colman, after the business was split among five brothers. Bisk Farm was set up by Krishnadas Paul in year 2000 at the age of 60 and even his ripe age did not prevent the man from creating one of the most successful businesses out of West Bengal in the 21st century. The company grew into a prestigious brand. After passing away of Krishnadas Paul in year 2020, it is now being spearheaded by his son Arpan and the company closed the year ending March 31, 2020 with a turnover of ₹1,500 crore. The group's turnover topped a whopping ₹2,300 crore, including the volume of the trading arm as the firm started with distribution business and continuing it. Till year 2020, the organisation has five plants and the second largest market share in biscuits after Britannia in the Eastern part of India. Currently, the organisation has a presence in 19 Indian states. In October 2020, organisation planned to set up a manufacturing unit in Assam with an investment of ₹100 crore benefitting over 1,000 people to get direct employment in the project.
In the year 2004, even after four years into the launch of biscuit brand Bisk Farm, sales were yet to pick and Loss in the business had crossed ₹15 crore and was still growing, when K D Paul and his son-in-law Vijay Kumar Singh decided to make one final effort before deciding on winding up of business. Company reoriented its strategy as a need of the hour and instead of trying endlessly for a pan-India presence, the company decided to think regional and appeal to people in Eastern India. A change in policy in product formulation and revamping product packaging methods followed with new regional commercials of its 6 to 7 products and organisation hit the television promotion in January 2005. The strategy proved successful and marked a milestone for Bisk Farm and Aparna Group, which manages the brand. Before the launch of Bisk Farm, the group was one of Kolkata's leading distributors and clearing and forwarding agents of fast-moving consumer goods products and this brand marked the group's entry into manufacturing. In four years, the company made ₹200 crore turnover through 55 products and crossed the bad phase. With a 40% share of the branded biscuit market, he claims that the brand is the second largest in the Eastern region, and is hot on the heels of market leader Britannia. Subsequently, the company riding on these successes followed further by a diversification into the bakery business, where the company made a retail entry in December 2008 with their Bisk Farm — Just Baked outlets. By 2009, Bisk Farm had a presence in the north-eastern states West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, and neighbouring country Bhutan. The company also made its entry into Chhattisgarh and even being a regional entity is able to compete with companies like Britannia, Parle and ITC which are in similar industry from many years.