How a Bhubaneswar Man Brewed a Rs 3 Crore Coffee Vending Machine Business Starting with Rs 23,000
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Khimi Thapa
  |  
05-July-2024
Vol 15 | Issue 27
In India, where often parental expectations dictate the path of many young professionals, this man dared to veer off the beaten track. Meet Ganesh Parida, 56, the man who brewed a Rs 3 crore business from the hot demand for coffee – one vending machine at a time.
Although his family dreamt of a stable corporate job for their son, he dreamt bigger. Born in Bhubaneswar and raised in Jajpur, an industrial area, Ganesh went on to become the first to set up a hot beverage vending machine distributorship in all of Odisha.
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Ganesh Parida launched his coffee vending machine distributorship with Rs 23,000 (Photos: Special Arrangement) |
Today, his company Future Vending is one of the leading hot beverage vending machine distributors in Odisha with more than 7,000 machines installed across Odisha.
Launched in 1998, the company based in Bhubaneswar caters to prestigious clients such as Power Grid, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, NIT Rourkela, Bank of India, Tata Consultancy Services, Larsen and Toubro and KIIT University. So, ditch your decaf because Ganesh’s entrepreneurial journey is about to inspire you.
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By 1991, Ganesh had completed his Masters in Personnel Management from Bharati Vidyapeeth, University of Poona, but his true calling lay far from HR and administrative work.
However, despite securing a position as an executive trainee (HR) at Esskay Machinery Pvt Ltd in Bhubaneswar with a modest salary of Rs 1800 per month, and marrying early in life, Ganesh felt that this wasn’t the life he envisioned for himself.
For Ganesh, the eureka moment came when he stumbled upon a seemingly ordinary advertisement by Hindustan Unilever Ltd promoting their coffee vending machines.
The advertisement had nothing related to distributorship, however, the concept of providing convenient access to hot beverages in offices intrigued him deeply. In that ad, he saw the potential of a business.
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Ganesh's family was initially not happy with his decision to start a business |
“Without giving much thought, I called their office,” Ganesh recalls. “Within a few weeks, two representatives from Hindustan Unilever's Kolkata head office visited me to explore the feasibility of my business idea in Bhubaneshwar.
“Somehow, I persuaded them that Bhubaneswar, as the capital city, was ready for this new concept, and I assured them of my capability to handle the marketing. That’s how Vision Marketing (later renamed to Future Vending) was born.”
However, Ganesh’s family wasn’t exactly on board with his vision. His father, a foreman mechanic at a government undertaking, thought that Ganesh was squandering his hard-earned education. The family thought of business as a risky affair.
However, his father eventually helped him with the initial investment of Rs 23,000. “That initial investment helped kick-start my entrepreneurial journey,” he says, adding, “That was also the last time, when I took money from the family.”
Ganesh’s big break came in the first year when Haldiram's bought two coffee vending machines from them. This validation of his vision was just the beginning. This was a time when coffee vending machines were as large as refrigerators.
Future Vending wasn't just about the coffee vending machines themselves. Ganesh understood that a complete coffee experience required more. He offered his clients comprehensive pre-sales and post-sales support, including a steady supply of high-quality premixes of coffee, tea, and soup to cater to diverse preferences. Additionally, he provided on-site maintenance services.
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Ganesh has made a name for his company in the distribution field and has received recognition for the same |
By becoming a one-stop shop for all their hot beverage needs, Ganesh ensured Future Vending remained the go-to partner for businesses across Odisha. Future Vending became an authorised dealer for Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Nestlé, Society Tea, Senso Foods, and Wagh Bakri Tea.
Recognising the changing landscape, Ganesh started selling digital, compact vending machines in 2015. These machines boasted soft-touch displays and programmable features, quickly becoming a popular choice in both large and small offices.
Looking ahead, Ganesh isn’t resting on his past achievements. As the market evolves, so too does Future Vending.
Recognising a growing demand for a premium coffee experience, Ganesh has begun offering bean-to-cup machines from high-end Italian brands such as Astoria and Gaggia.
These machines, costing over Rs 1 lakh, are designed to craft rich, barista-quality coffee. While semi-automatic machines might be preferred by cafes with skilled baristas, Ganesh sees a niche for these top-of-the-line machines in offices and high-end establishments seeking to elevate their coffee offerings.
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Ganesh with his wife Ranjita, who is also a partner in the company |
“So far, we have sold 10 bean-to-cup coffee machines. Our aim is to sell 50 by 2025,” he shares.
When speaking about his family, Ganesh proudly mentions that his son, Sushobhan Parida, a Symbiosis Institute of Technology B Tech (information and technology) graduate, Pune, works as a UX designer in Bangalore.
Outside of work, Ganesh enjoys travelling within India and abroad with his wife, Ranjita, 52, who is also a partner in the company. - ©TWL