Odisha is a prominent player in India’s burgeoning food industry. Prime agro-food processing Pvt Ltd. is one of those industries that has made its mark in abundance. It is the will power  and team efforts that led to overcome numerous challenges to establish a significant position in the market. In an exclusive interview, Mrs. Sumona Guha Roy, Director of Prime agro Pvt Ltd, has shared  her inspiring success story.

Q. What inspired you to get into the business of processed food?

My husband is my backbone. I admire him a lot. He has supported me all the while. His efforts were admirable from the time when we had a small-scale unit located at Jharpada, Bhubaneswar. When I joined the company I discovered that processed food has a larger market in India and its steady growth was the driving aspect of the business.

Q. As you know, Prime Brand is an established brand, how tough was it to set up such an empire in the cut- throat FMCG industries?

The road to building this empire was not simple. We have encountered numerous challenges throughout the journey. We are fortunate to have people in our team who are affiliated with this organization and have shown complete loyalty to the company during difficult times and worked selflessly, allowing us to emerge valiantly from difficult circumstances. Building a business empire that necessitates being the best in the respective field, would have been difficult if you don’t know the niche of your sector. We have always focused on this from the ground up in our company. I believe that to build a successful empire, you must have a solid team that trusts each other regardless of the situation. When my husband invited me to join the business, it turned out to be the turning point in my life, and I made it through every situation with the support of my husband.

Q. Being at such a top tier position, How you manage your employees?

We have always treated our company as our child, we nurtured it, and took care of its healthy survival and growth. As the company’s director, I am continuously working toward creating a safe space and a healthy work environment for the employees. This allows them to work more effectively and efficiently, which in turn makes my job easier in team management.

Q. What are the visions of the company for the near future?

The company’s vision is to promote this brand in the international market while customer satisfaction remains the top priority. In immediate future, our goal is to take a tiny step toward becoming a pan-India brand that will eventually expand in the worldwide market. It is possible only if the people of Odisha and across India will buy our products, our constant endeavour is to ensure that our customers are fully satisfied. We would never let down in terms of quality while providing value to our product. We are thankful to the people of Odisha for widely accepting our brand. We want to attract more customers in the future as well as generate employment for the people of Odisha.

Q. What are the challenges you faced during the pandemic? What are some measures you have taken up in post covid?

We had a tough time during the pandemic. Abiding by the government protocol we had to close our business. Which lead to a drastic decline in our sales. But as soon as there was a ease in the government’s guidelines for covid we did our best to be back on track.  We are currently hiring new people for our business.

Q. Being a leader in women’s entrepreneurs, do you see women’s are getting into the plunge of business a positive sign for the societies?

Yes, there has been a significant increase in women’s empowerment in Odisha and I believe this trend will grow over time. In Odisha, the current scenario has altered, with more female entrepreneurs taking the lead in the business sector, which is indeed a positive sign for women’s empowerment in Odisha.

Q. As a successful working woman it must be really hard while managing your personal and professional life. How do you strike a balance ?

Balancing my personal and professional lives was challenging for me at first because I was new to the business world, but my passion for my work propelled me to the point where it became my routine. My family played an important role in my success. In juggling both lives, they were just as committed as I was.

Q. What is your success mantra business leadership?

My mantra is no magic wand its simply a combination of hard work, honesty, and being humble regardless of the situation. All these together can make anybody achieve great heights in their field.

By – B. Devesh and Deepak Kumar Hembram