Ujjain poha firm to invest Rs 50 lakh

Poha or crushed rice, that is usually tasteless if eaten raw, will now be available in a spicy form, courtesy Poha Jagdish Prasad Rajhans Industries "" the makers of 'Rajhans' brand poha, based in the Ujjain industrial area .

The firm will invest an amount of Rs 50 lakh to set up a new unit that will produce onion poha and garlic poha, to reduce the drudgery of making it tasty.

Despite sluggish growth, the Ujjain industrial area is the key source of breakfast to the Malwa region.

As many as 30 units in the industrial area not only supply poha (rice flakes/ crushed rice) to the region, but industrialists are doing business by continuous upgrades. All units are at least 50 years old and none has stopped operations.

"We have plans to set up the unit with new technology. It will not only have an auto-paddy grading system and auto-cleaning plant contrary to the traditional poha mill that requires manual grading and cleaning, but will also produce flavoured poha of 40 quintals per day. We will invest 50 lakh in the unit," Jitendra Rathi, promoter of the firm told Business Standard here. Ujjain poha is known for its sweet taste and almost every restaurant serves poha and jalebi in breakfast.

"The daily consumption of poha is 1500 quintal per day in Ujjain itself. It is sent to remote areas also," Rathi added.

Of the 30 poha millers, as many as 22 are rice flake manufacturers. Most of them are now going for modernisation and ISO certification etc., since demand is going up from Maharashtra, Rajasthan and the rest of the country.

Each mill employs 25-30 people in Ujjain. But high cost of wood-powder, and non-availability of labour will make the industries non-viable in the area. The units also produce husk, which is used in making cattle feed and as fuel in some industries.

"Ujjain units are thriving on daily demand. Daily business touches Rs 4.5 crore each day, but there is no support from the state government to the existing units," said an office bearer of Poha Parmal Nirmata Sangh.

However Rathi is finalising the blueprint to get the new poha unit ready within four months from now.