Going eco-friendly is the need of the hour and Dhritiman Borah from Biswanath Chariali brings you the most feasible way to do so, in the form of Bamboo furniture, Bamboo tools & crockery, flower pots, mats, wall hangings and the most demanded – bamboo water bottle amongst others, reports The Hindu.
Putting the indigenous Bamboo to good use, Borah devised the currently thriving DB industries, a firm that produces fine quality Bamboo items and has earned wide recognition nationally as well as internationally for its star product – Bamboo water bottles.
Residents of Nabapur area of Biswanath Chariali, situated 240 kms from Guwahati, Borah who was drawn to making Bamboo products like furniture, kitchen and agricultural implements always felt he was yet to lay his hands on that one item that would make him stand out as an entrepreneur of eco-friendly products.
The challenge was also in carving out a niche in the competitive market.
Also read: Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla all for development of bamboo
However, 17 years after he started this unique venture, he designed the one product that catapulted DB industries into being one of the most sought after organic items manufacturers from the region – Bamboo water bottles.
“Eight months, the first order for 200 bottles came from the UK,” said Borah. “The buyer was particular about receiving raw bottles, which means no colour or gloss on them,” he added.
The indigenously made bamboo water bottles quickly caught the eye of consumers who desired to have an eco-friendly, natural containers to drink from.
“We are currently producing about 1,500 bamboo bottles a month, way below the demand,” mentioned Gaurav, Borah’s brother who takes care of the digital side of the firm’s operation.
Gaurav also helps manage the raw materials along with supervising the employees and keeping a check on the quality.
With the increase in the demand of the bamboo bottles, the firm is also currently feeling the pressure of churning out more products than it is capable of.
“If we had a lathe machine, a larger dryer and other tools, we could produce about 8,000 a month. But that is quite a lot of investment,” stated Gaurav.
However, the bamboo bottle business is experiencing a steady boost for Borah and his family who all share their own expertise for the operation of the firm.
Almost all the products are hand-made. Mostly sold in its highly-demanded, authentic raw versions, the bottles are given the final touches as per customer demands; from being polished to being coated with camphor and mustard oil for protection during transportation.
The bottles are priced at around Rs 250 to 400.
The sole producer of ‘organic’ bamboo bottles, Borah is looking forward to get his natural water bottles patented soon.