INTRODUCTION
Spices are essential ingredients adding taste and flavouring in food preparations. India is the largest producer and consumer of spices with a production of around 36.68 lakh tones. India is also the largest producer of chilli in world contributing 25% of the total world production. Indian spices are of the finest quality. Today the demand for it has considerably increased from all the countries. The project aims at production of ground spices especially chilli in consumer packs. The project mainly would involve production of chilli powder, tamarind powder, Jeera powder, Dhania powder and mix spice powder. The popular of Indian spices is older than the recorded history. The story of Indian Spices is more than 7000 years old. Centuries before Greece and Rome had been discovered, sailing ships were carrying Indian spices, perfumes and textiles to Mesopotamia, Arabia and Egypt. It was the lure of these that brought many sea farmers to the shores of India. In the ancient era, the Greek merchants thronged the markets of South India, buying several expensive items including the spices. Epicurean Rome was spending a fortune on Indian spices, silks, brocades, Dhaka Muslin and cloth of gold, etc. It is believed that the Parthian wars were being fought by Rome largely to keep open the trade route to India. It is also said that Indian spices and her famed products were the main lure for crusades and expeditions to the East. A masala can either be a mixture of dried spices, or a paste made from a mixture of spices and other ingredients-often garlic, ginger, and onion. It is used highly in Indian cooking to add spices and flavor. Spices – the aromatic bark, roots, seeds, buds, and flowers of plants – have been prominent in human history virtually since its inception. Spices as medicines, preservatives and perfumes were some of the most valuable items of trade in the ancient and medieval world. Surprisingly, it was this race for a spice that prompted Christopher Columbus to sail in searches of the western route he was sure existed.
Spices were once one of the most expensive items in household accounts and were usually kept locked up in the drawers or compartments of special spice cupboards or boxes. The appeal of exotic spices used to be so great that they were once believed to be a gift worth of royalty. Others, like the Italian and Spanish ones, have benefitted from the spice trade‟s migratory nature, adopting exotic spices and indelibly linking them with their own food. (Customer Preference) OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY (Points to be included) 1. To analyze the factors influencing the purchase of sakthi and Aachi masala. 2. To analyze the level of satisfaction towards the Sakthi and Aachi masala products among the consumers 3. To analyze the strength, weakness,oppurnities and threats in marketing Sakthi and Aachi Masala. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM In olden days, Masala mixes were prepared by the people at their respective houses alone by blending various cereals in appropriate propositions and grinding up to the required levels. But, nowadays, several brands of readymade Masala Products are available in the market as substitutes such as Sakthi and Aachi Masala Products.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY The present study shows that consumers are attracted in many ways in buying the Sakthi and Aachi Masala Products like Chicken Masala, Mutton Masala, Fish Masala, Egg Masala, Chilli powder, etc. As an outcome, it is expected that the study would be useful to the producers as well as marketers to gain information about various attitudes of consumers who are playing a dominant role in promotion of markets at different levels. (Sampling) (Neeed For The Study) (Limitations)
Aachi Masala:
AACHI GROUP was found in the year 1995 by Mr. A.D.Padmasingh Isaac, a first generation Entrepreneur with BBA and hailing from Nazareth in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu. Mr. Isaac had earlier served for Godrej Soaps as Area Manager for over a decade. The tamil word „Aachi‟ is used for addressing women with respect. The companies which are under the shadow of AACHI roof are: - AACHI MASALA FOODS (P) LTD, AACHI SPICES & FOODS (P) LTD and AACHI SPECIAL FOODS (P) LTD. AACHI‟s CORE STRENGTHS:
Dedicated and Motivated Team
Loyal customers
Continuous market analysis and Survey of customer needs
Strong resources & Marketing Network
Excellent Quality products
Standardization & up gradation of products as per international standards
Adherence to International business standard ethics
Targeting the market of all walks of life
Excellent Brand Recall
Ever increasing AACHI range of products has forced its customers to feel that, the entire range of products should be made available less than one roof. This has given birth to the
creation of “MODEL SHOPS”. These shops will be of franchise type, which sells the entire range of AACHI products. Customers who visit these shops will never miss any of the Aachi products of his/her choice. It is also planned to deliver from these shops the customers‟ requirements at their door steps.
Sakthi Masala:
"SAKTHI MASALA" the Queen of spices as the household name among the millions today, Mr.P.C.DURAISAMY, the Founder of the Company was a small time turmeric trader, from a village called Perundurai near Erode. He found SAKTHI TRADING COMPANY in 1975 and was doing Turmeric Trading for some time. Later, he entered into the arena of pure spice powders like Turmeric, Chilli and Coriander. His inquisitiveness let him to enter into masala world with dauntless. He encountered a lot of hurdles, since selling masala powders during those days to the oriental women who are traditionally conservative, was not that easy. It was the concept selling on "Easy Cooking" rather than marketing food products. With self determination and persistent attempts he was able to get into the kitchens of our country and the rest of the world. Success of SAKTHI MASALA lies in the innovation of manufacturing procedures, as there were no definite machineries for specific production of spice and spice mixes. With the growing experience, suitable changes were made in order to match the requirements that made all the differences in manufacturing spice powders and spice mixes which retain the aroma and flavor.
'Tradition and Technology perfectly blended' is the shibboleth of SAKTHI MASALA. With all the quality of being humble (humility), we can declare that SAKTHI MASALA is qualitatively a superior product because the raw materials used are the best and are processed and packed hygienically.
