Who doesn't enjoy having a rusk with a hot cuppa! But we had never thought much about how rusks were made. Not until Janardhan invited us to visit his bakery in Panipat. The bakery, situated in a quiet by-lane, was not difficult to locate at all. The aroma of fresh baking was discernible from meters away. Janardhan spoke to us at his manufacturing unit that was neat and clean, with baking trays lined meticulously on the shelves.
The Challenges
Janardhan Bhardwaj had mastered the art of making fine rusks long ago. He knew the right dough consistency, accurate temperature to bake it and the right size for the slices. However, managing finances was not his forte.
"Rusk making starts with semolina or refined flour along with yeast and sugar being mixed for half an hour to make the dough. Then the dough goes into a moulding machine and then it is baked for half an hour to make what looks like long loaves of bread. After cooling, these long loaves are sliced in a slicer, arranged on baking trays and then baked in an oven for a few hours to produce the crispy rusks that you buy from stores" said Janardhan, offering us a few pieces to try.
The Transformation
He says that this is where Aye has helped him in more than one way. The working capital support enabled him to enhance his production facilities, with larger baking trays and ovens, transforming his baking capacity to 150 moulds at a time.
The Impact
This newfound ability to scale his production meant that he could meet increasing demands. Aye's support went beyond this. He says it is the advice from the Aye team that has motivated him to find new markets and even think of new business streams. He is already selling his product beyond Panipat in neighbouring cities as well. His revenue has grown significantly with increased production capacity. Janardhan feels he should diversify his product line beyond rusks and wants to venture into namkeens (savoury snacks) production. The combination of savoury elements with his existing rusk offerings could capture a larger share of shelf space from the same stores he supplies to. Once again, he plans to seek support from Aye on financing the working capital for the next phase of his journey.
