Subhechcha Ganguly 
Pratik Jena, Managing Director, Highland Group
Pratik Jena is the Managing Director of Highland Group, a company with business interests in seafood. As Managing Director, he is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company and ensuring its continued growth and success.
Jena has likely acquired extensive experience and knowledge in the seafood industry, which is a highly competitive and complex field. In this role, he may be involved in developing business strategies, building relationships with suppliers and customers, managing budgets and financials, and ensuring that the company adheres to industry regulations and standards.
Armed with a Bachelor’s in Business Management & Administration from the Brunel University of London, he has built a state-of-the-art seafood processing and export-oriented plant, employing over 3000 people. In FY 2021-22, his company clocked a turnover of Rs 800 crore and is on track to become a unicorn start-up by 2024-25. Pratik has been featured on the cover story of ‘Industry Outlook magazine and is the recipient of the ‘Top 10 Seafood Start-Up Company Award’ in 2021.
Established in 2018, the Highland Group is the brainchild of the visionary youth, Pratik Jena, who at a mere 23 years of age, had the foresight and imagination to create this thriving enterprise. With a keen eye on the aquaculture industry, Highland Group has rapidly emerged as a leading exporter in the field of marine food processing, specializing in the sale of shrimps.
Notably, Highland Group has set a benchmark for excellence with its farm-fresh Head-on, Headless, Peeled tail-on & tail of shrimps, delivered in block or IQF [Individually Quick Frozen] forms, tailored to the preferences of discerning customers. As a company hailing from the state of Odisha, Highland Group takes pride in supporting local farmers by providing them with high-quality feeds and scientific farming techniques to ensure sustainable stocking densities.
The Highland Group is a company on the rise, propelled by a commitment to excellence and a relentless focus on meeting the needs of its customers. For this forward-thinking company, listening to the concerns, business aspirations, and specific requirements of its clients is the key to providing real value.
With a track record of success in procurement and sales, Highland Group is poised to stay ahead of the competition for years to come. Drawing on a client base that spans China, Japan, Vietnam, and the Gulf, the company is gearing up to enter the US and EU markets in short order.
Looking to the future, the company has bold plans for expansion. As Pratik Jena, the company’s leader, notes, “In the years to come, we would like to consolidate our volumes and penetrate the HORECA segment in North America. To spread our risk, we will cater to the EU and Russian market segments in 2023. By the same year, our second processing facility will be operational, allowing us to produce specialized items like breaded shrimp and breaded fish fingers. This will enable us to serve the Indian retail segment in a major way and also export the product.”
Despite being a relative newcomer to the industry, the Highland Group’s reputation for boldness and its unwavering commitment to delivering for its clients have set it apart from the competition. In a time of pandemic and global uncertainty, the company’s ability to take risks and come through for its customers is a testament to its resilience and its bright future.
The ever-evolving landscape of the Indian market is opening new doors for players in the Marine food processing and export industry. The Highland Group, based in Odisha, is at the forefront of this exciting development, tirelessly pursuing its mission to support the blue revolution in India, thereby uplifting the fortunes of low-income farmers.
With a visionary goal of reaching the zenith of the industry, Highland Group is leveraging the latest technological advancements to stay ahead of the curve. Indeed, the industry’s embrace of ultra-modern facilities and multifaceted advantages is helping the company to thrive and realize its full potential.
