Concentrating on growth

The loss of his job at the Parsi-owned Turf Aerated Waters due to the closure of the company led Soly Sethna to set up his own soft drink venture in the early 1970s. He named the firm Feroze Corporation after his son. Today the firm, renamed Feroze Foods and Flavours in 1985, is a seven crore rupee business with 25 flavors of soft drink concentrates, 12 flavors of instant china grass, 16 flavoring essences and six types of jelly crystals.
The firm’s products are sold under the brand name Avan from Ava Ardvisur Banu (the yazata who presides over water). "My father thought that would be the right name as we were in the business of quenching thirst,” Feroze informs Parsiana in an interview in his office in central Bombay on May 2, 2017. "We are now focusing on the jeera (cumin) masala soda range of soft drink concentrate, for which we are contract manufacturers to two large suppliers… very popular as a digestive drink in the hot areas of the country,” says Feroze. Small quantities of their products find their way to Malawi and USA. Catering only to wholesale markets, the firm’s products come in three kinds of packaging — industrial, jumbo and bulk, which can yield 50, 1,000 and 2,500 ltr of ready-to-drink products.
The firm recently rented 3,000 sq ft of space to house the manufacture of their popular range of jeera masala concentrate. Walking around the facility, we breathe in the aroma of what seems to be a hundred kilos of cumin-scented rice in the making! Heads covered, Feroze shows us where the jeera powders of different qualities are mixed to emerge packed in foil bags. Another section of the area houses the packaging of the liquid concentrate. The formulations have "undergone very minor changes since we started the business,” states the businessman. The hands-on partner is assisted by chief executive officer Khojeste Kathawala who has a marketing qualification.

The firm has very ambitious plans for growth — to Rs 140 crores by 2022. Achievable? Parsiana asks. "We are in talks with other manufacturers of soft drinks, and we will be taking on additional space soon,” he states.
Fifty-six-year-old Feroze recalls that production started from the family home in Opera House, and they made "formulations for syrups in packs consisting of concentrated liquid and a sachet of powder, that cost Rs 3.50.” Soly once "saw someone buying a glass bottle of squash, which slipped from her hands, and broke,” narrates Feroze. This gave him the idea to sell the liquid concentrate and the powder separately, bundled in one pack.” Why a combination of concentrate and powder? we ask. This increases the shelf life of the product to two years, states the businessman. Feroze joined his father in the business at age 12. He recalls going by public transport to distribute the products to small scale buyers of the concentrate. After a few years of contract manufacturing for other suppliers of soft drink concentrate from home, the firm initially bought 1,500 sq ft of space in the gala where operations continue even today.
Feroze schooled at the Dunne’s Institute and The Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsi Charitable Institution and attended Wilson College briefly. Wife Persis, who is also a partner in the firm, is secretary to the managing director of State Bank of India, while daughters Ferzin (25) and Avan (24) are arts graduates with psychology majors. Feroze hopes that 18-year-old son Sohrab who is pursuing his graduation in science will take up a course in food technology. Calling himself a "practicing, traditional Zoroastrian,” Feroze believes that dakhmenashini is the ideal method of disposal for right-thinking Parsis.