Hriday Deka’s bestseller was a cup of milk tea, until Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘campaigned’ for one of his sweet products, the rasgulla .
The rasgulla s of Assam aren’t talked about as much as those of adjoining West Bengal, which outran Odisha in the race for the geographical indication tag for the sweet in November 2017. But the rasgulla s of Deka Sweets, a sweet and snacks outlet on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Rangiya town, have perhaps gained traction ever since Mr. Modi sought patronisation of the product during his interaction with Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) beneficiaries on May 28.
Mr. Deka was one of 10 beneficiaries Mr. Modi interacted with in district headquarters Nalbari. “He told me to expand my business and think in terms of servicing far-flung areas. He also appealed to the people of Assam to popularise the rasgulla s I sell,” said Mr. Deka, 35.
Pressure on quality
The publicity has made Mr. Deka busier. The demand for his rasgulla has increased from 300-350 to more than 500 per day in less than a week. It has also increased the pressure on him to maintain quality.
“The quality of cow milk in this area is not so good. I procure about 200 litres from Bihapara village 7 km away. About 70 litres go into making 500 rasgullas while the rest is for preparing tea, curd and other sweets,” Mr. Deka said.
There are two Deka Sweets in Rangiya. The other, near the town’s police station, is run by one of Mr. Deka’s six elder brothers.
“I used to work at my brother’s shop, which is much older. In 2015, I decided to be on my own,” he said. The shop is beside an SBI branch that made him one of the first beneficiaries of PMMY.
“I repaid the initial loan of ₹50,000 within two years. The bank gave me another loan of ₹5 lakh which helped me add value to my business,” he said.
He acquired a plot of land in the town to set up his sweet-producing unit where he has employed four skilled workers. “I make ₹30,000-35,000 a month after taking care of all expenditure. My immediate monthly target is ₹50,000, the amount I had started the business with,” he said.
