Kundapur: Sharatchandra Naik - Carving Success Out of Areca Leaves

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (RD/CN)

Kundapur, Oct 13: If you happen to come across cultlery made of areca leaves in any part of southern India, chances are they reached there thanks to the enterprising 27-year-old Sharatchandra Naik.

Naik, who hails from Hallihole here, established Brahmi Bio Plate, a self-employment venture a year ago at his place and since then has marketed his rural products in various parts of southern India.

Naik opted for self-employment soon after his graduation when he had limited career options. He is the son of Kusta Naik and Susheela, who own a 10-acre areca plantation. He explored the possibility of setting up a small factory to produce things made from areca leaves that are aplenty in their plantation which otherwise go waste.

Naik availed a loan of Rs 5 lac under Pradhan Mantri’s Rozgar Yojana to set up his small factory. The uncertainty that he faced in the early stages has now eased. His small factory churns out dining accessories such as plates, bowls, and cups of various sizes and shapes.

These items are in great demand at various temples across the taluk, especially to give away ‘prasadam’ to the devotees during lunch time. Serving and having food in bio-degradable areca plates is hygienic and is believed to be a healthy practice.

Although Sharatchandra started out alone, he now employs 20 workmen at his small factory and each one earns Rs 200 daily. All the workmen come from neighbouring farming families. The products produced at his facility have found markets across Karnataka as well as in Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Kerala.

The areca leaves that he collects from his plantation go into making the finished products. If Naik falls short of areca leaves at any time, he buys from his neighbours at Rs 0.50 for each areca leaf. His stock is priced at Rs 1.30 to Rs 2.00 per plate.

He has installed moulds of various products in his mini factory. Despite the initial setbacks, Naik has no regrets about being self-employed. He is happy to be engaged in producing finished products from areca leaves as it’s a profitable venture and he is on the way to recovering his initial investment.