How a farmer's sons turned a tiny pan shop into a Rs 300 cr dairy empire Sheetal Cool Products

Dinesh and his three brothers founded Sheetal Cool Products Ltd in search of a better life. The firm now has over 500 food products and is supplying overseas.

Four brothers from the Bhuva family moved from Chavand village to the neighbouring city of Amreli in Gujarat in 1987. Dinesh, Jagdish, Bhupat, and Sanjeev, the sons of a farmer, decided to look for better opportunities in the city. The eldest brother, Dinesh, recommended building a pan shop near the city bus stop. They opened a pan (betel leaf) and a cold drink kiosk with money borrowed from their father, Dakubhai. They had no idea that a modest cubicle would set the groundwork for a Rs 300 crore enterprise.

After three decades, their little pan counter has enabled them grow into a company that sells hundreds of different dairy and food products.

Bhupat claims that the profits from the shop enabled them to earn a good living and pay for their education. However, the city experienced expansion and beautification in 1989, which resulted in the removal of its kiosk.

The siblings subsequently bought a little 55-foot shop near the bus stop.

They chose to sell ice cream for the first time in 1993, during the Janmashtami holiday. The annual celebration necessitates an annual fair, and the influx of pilgrims and tourists increases the business immensely. According to Bhupat, they purchased the ice cream from a local manufacturer and sold it for a commission. Their items were well welcomed by the market, and their consumer base grew.

Shree Sheetal Industries was formed as a sole proprietorship in 1998. Bhupat explains, as the business grew they formed the company. A facility in Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) also had to be built to process 150 litres of milk into ice cream.

The company began to extend the market by selling ice cream in retail shops throughout the city and, eventually, throughout the district and state.

Sheetal's ice cream company is thriving. However, their rapid expansion ran across difficulties in a growing India.

According to Bhupat, the company produced new milk products and renamed itself Sheetal Cool Products Pvt Ltd in 2012.

Bhupat says, "We diversified into milk and milk products and joined the frozen food business in 2015, providing paratha, pizza, munchies, and other ready-to-eat food items,"

By 2016, the company has diversified into the market categories of namkeens (savoury snacks), and the following year it was listed as a public limited company, Sheetal Cool Products Ltd. Today, the company processes 2 lakh litres of milk per day, employing 1,500 people, 800 of whom are women. It has penetrated eight market categories and sells over 500 goods. Bhupat claims that his company is the greatest employer in the district. The entrepreneur goes on to say that they were able to reach parts of Gujarat that other competitors were unable to reach.

He says, "Furthermore, for years, our family has purchased dry fruit basundi and other milk products on special occasions."

According to Bhupat, the brand's goodwill and high-quality products contributed to the company's current success. Sheetal Cool Products's success is due to a brotherly bond. The Bhuva brothers offer a variety of ice cream products. The four siblings travelled over bumpy roads before riding down a smooth route. The siblings divided up the responsibility of running the firm. They now work at least 15-18 hours a day

Bhupat is pleased that the business has improved the family's standard of living and created jobs for the masses, but a few years later, they realized the potential and felt that if they put in enough hard effort and honesty, they could soar new heights.

The company's operations have been infused with new life. Bhupat's 21-year-old son, Yash Bhuva, has joined the company as an executive. Yash has accepted responsibility for carrying on the heritage and expanding it internationally.

He says, Sheetal Cool Products has 30,000 stores and 50 business partners across India. Sheetal ice cream is now looking to expand into foreign markets. Yash claims he has witnessed the company's ups and downs during his formative years.

He said, "Our hard work, brotherhood as well as shared vision and mission have aided the business success. I am confident in continuing the business and growing it to new heights."

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