P is for Paan

P is for Paan
A tradition from the ancient days, the eating of paan, which is woven into Indian history and the myths and legends of the past, is still enjoyed all over the sub-continent today. Statistics reveal that India is one of the main countries where Areca and Betel nut are consumed and produced to a extent. Fig: 1.1

Paan is a vital part of Indian tradition, it is chewed as a palate cleanser and a breath freshener. It is also commonly offered to guests and visitors as a sign of hospitality and an Ice breaker to start conversation. It also has a symbolical value at ceremonies and cultural events.

P is for Paan
There are so many paan outlets all over India, every village and town has them. They are usually family owned and managed. Most of them also serve as cigarette and bidi outlets.

1.2 The Recipe A simple Paan can be prepared in following way. Betel leaf is washed carefully and then dried with cloth. Mix spices such as cardamom, anise and katha with choona (lime paste), grated coconut, different kinds of supari (betel nuts) and small piece of various candies. Add the mixture on the betel leaf. Fold the leaf into a triangular shape and secure it by piercing a piece of cloves into it. You can keep Paan fresh on ice with rose petals. If you don't like tobacco then you can also eat sweet paan also known as the Ladies Paan. It is the same paan without Tobacco. It is safe so that even a child can also eat it. It is a very famous sweet dish served after food in Indian marriages and even in some exquisite hotels to lend beauty to the mouth and purify it and also to destroy all foul odour. A small content of a volatile oil called betel-oil, in the leaf creates the desired spicy, aromatic and fresh taste in the mouth. In classical literature these effects have been appreciated and it is suggested that one should chew a paan.

P is for Paan
1.3 Varieties Of Paan

There are many different varieties of Paan preparations. Sada Meetha Sada Meetha 120 160 300 600 Bhola Tambaku All these varieties of preparations are made in all three types of Paans i.e. Kalkatta , Banarasi and Maggai.

Special Paans Muchhad Special Sada Muchhad Special Meetha Muchhad Special 600 Kimam Ganga Jamuna Nauratan Kimam Mava - When all the masala (ingredients) of the paan is mixed together and had without the paan it's called mava. Types of Mavas Muchhad Special Sada Mava Muchhad special Meetha Mava

P is for Paan
The common ingredients used in all the varieties of Paan: Chuna Belgaum Laxmi Chura Gulab Chutni Green Gold Chutney Kathha Kashmiri Sugandh Mukh Bilas Dilbahar Chutney Preeti Chain Elaichi qavaam shehed long(clove) muleithi coriander seeds roasted sesame seeds tobaco

After mixing the common ingredients,

For Meetha Paan add : Gulkand

P is for Paan
Kharik Munakka Khopra (Grated Coconut) Badam Powder (Almond) Kaju Powder (Cashew) Pista Powder (Pistachio) Cherry Special Salli Supari Gulab Powder (Rose ) sauNf and muleithi

For Sada Paan add: Special Roasted Supari Kalkatta Supari Special Salli Supari Badam Chutney Hari Patti (small Green Leaves)

For Sada Meetha add: Roasted Supari Kharik Special Salli Supari Gulab Powder Elaichi Water (Cardamom Water)

P is for Paan
For 120 Paan: 120 No. Tambaku (Tobacco) is added to any of the paan preparation. Similarly Tambaku No. 160, 300 and 600 are also available. 1.4 Social Matrix: 43.1% of the paanwalas are in the age group of 25-40. Male to female ratio in this business is 3:1. 49.2% are from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh especially from Sasaram, Aara, Chapra and Allahabad. 43.1% are from Kolkata itself. 29.2% of the children of paanwalas are in the same business. They are either working with their parents or have opened a separate store elsewhere. 43.1% of the shops are near the residential areas especially due to the fact that the total sales in these areas are quite high. After a sumptuous meal, there are some who yearn for a paan, and if you are in Mumbai, the only person who can satisfy this yearning and promise originality at the same time is Muchad Paanwala Popularly known as "muchhad walla", Jaishankar Tiwari, is the man behind the amazing and mouth watering paan (betel leaf) in Mumbai. Most people zip by in their fancy cars, make a quick stop at Muchhad''s to grab a few paans and zip off again. This millionaire paanwala is legendary for his intimidating moustache and ornate paans, all maintain big and long moustaches that almost touches their ears. This tradition initiated by Shyam Charan the founder of this shop, and this traditional is religiously followed by his sons and grandsons even today. Muchhad Paanwala is a cult shop in Mumbai. If you like Paan or even if you want to try it out for the first time, you can't miss it. The shop is as unique is the name is it started out as a street vendor point with 2 plates of paan, then went on to get a little corner where one could barely sit, and now its a

P is for Paan
decently sized shop for a paan-wala.

Jaishankar Tiwari began his career as paan-wala starting this shop in 1977, when he was barely 17 years old: over thirty years after, he is probably the most well known paan-wala in Mumbai, with many celebrity connoisseurs driving past after midnight (the shop is open until 2 AM) and getting served their favourite after-meal paans in their cars.

The paans on offer are of many varieties with different kinds of ingredients. The owner essentially keeps the old Indian tradition treating his customers as guests; for him, maintaining his good name is more important than making money maybe thats why the most expensive paan there is just for Rs. 20.

If you ask him whats his daily turnover, he refuses to let that out and also advises you to never tell your income to anyone. One should never talk about it, lest it becomes less, he says with a worldly grin on his face.

And about the name of the shop, he will tell you how all men in his family follow the tradition of keeping big moustaches and that is what sets them apart from the other paan vendors of the city!

So if you drive by Kemps corner at midnight, all you need to do is pull over your car at the crossing and a boy will come running over to take your paan order. But if you have a minute, step out and walk over to the man with the big moustache. He will tell you a story or two about the origin and the traditions associated with paan eating. Take a bite of the ethnic mouth freshener and I assure you, you will be driving back on that route again soon.

P is for Paan
*Curiosity - The (unverified) legend of Muchhad Paanwala says that his success is such that he now owns a Mercedes and was able to send his children to expensive schools.

The wide range is simply mind boggling. The betel-nut loaded Banarasi Paan is not for first timers, who opt instead for the Meetha Paan (Sweet Paan). Also called the ''Ladies Special'' for its lack of tobacco, the Meetha Paan is supposed to be a mouth-freshener but tastes more like dessert! An Indian dinner is kind of incomplete without Muchhad''s betel leaf master creations. Muchhad takes party orders and delivers as well. All these varieties of preparations are made in all three types of Paans i.e. Kalkatta , Banarasi and Maggai.

Serving the customers in the best way possible is definitely the driving motto behind their successful business. The Tiwari brothers often draw immense satisfaction in serving their customers with the best, at all times. For many of the regular customers to the shop, believe that it is the family-like service that attracts them most to the place, apart from the very obvious, paan. If the I can spirit is alive, you will succeed despite any obstacle that comes your way.

When I came to Mumbai in 1977, I had no idea I was going to start apaan business. My father, Shyam Charan Tiwari, had come here in the early 50s to earn a living and make it big for the family. He was in service of, and paying rent to, Tilkamdas Khatau, owner of Khatau mansion, where the shop stands today. This street corner, in those days, had become a popular hangout

P is for Paan
spot (nukkad) for the aimless on the road to gather and smoke or chat without consideration for the people residing there. Mr. Khatau wanted to get rid of this nuisance. My father used to be a strong man, who exercised regularly and his presence was thought of as a healthy signal to ward off unwanted elements at the street corner. For this reason, he put up a fruit and vegetable stall in this spot (where the shop stands today) without any real motivation to develop the business. Once I came to the city, the idea of starting a paan shop here struck me. I had to make a living and I had good exposure to paan-eating habits back home in Tiwaripur (a village in Hadia district of Allahabad) where it was a popular pastime among fellow villagers. Hence, I decided to jump into

the paan business with a mere investment of Rs.500. Whenever you are trying to build a brand, customers need something to identify it with. In our case, our long moustaches became our identity. My father had a moustache that was so thick and long that it touched his ears on both sides of the face. This served as a recognition mark for customers, who today come looking for the paanwala with a long moustache. Between 1977 and 1980, I went to Kolkata and Delhi to study and observe the many paanwalas on their streets. I saw how they served their customers, what ingredients went into their paans, and what made them successful. I decided that integrity and quality were the most important factors. The quality of the ingredients would keep the customers coming back. By 1985, my investment had grown 100 times and I had approximately Rs.50,000 at my disposal. Today, Gujaratis and Marwaris comprise almost 80 percent of our customer base. And they enjoy paan like its a special dish you go to a restaurant for. On a good day, we manage to sell about 1,000 paans. Ours is a high-volume, low-margin business. We treat all our customers like family.

P is for Paan
There is a bond we share with them that keeps them coming back. Our web presence has helped us to get customer orders from places like Mombasa. We plan to leverage the Muchhad brand and expand it to other business areas like a gas cylinder distribution agency planned for our village. However, Muchhad will always be a paanwala first.

1.5 Tips for aspiring entrepreneurs: 1. If you are in the food and beverages business, never compromise on quality.

2. Customer relationship management is the key to a successful business. Each customer who comes to your shop needs to be dealt with differently. Always be open to and act on customer feedback.

3. Do a survey to identify market trends. It will help you to identify and develop your customer segment.

4. Work hard. Its the only way to build something.

5. Even if you fall, stand up again, the passion will only be stronger. Youll create history.

MUCHHAD PAANWALA alias Jaishankar Tiwari is a second-generation entrepreneur, who turned around a non-existent fruit and vegetable business into a successful paan business. He believes business returns should be invested back into the community and plans to take the brand back to his native village.

1.6 Raw Materials and distribution channel

10

P is for Paan
Making a paan isnt that easy. Muchhad Paans are more like mass customised offerings, which have various common components and a variation in their toppings. Dedication, originality and transparency are only a few of the various aspects that are necessities that go into the making of a paan. Coming in after that are the various flavours offered. Muchhad Paanwala was the first to bring about a variety in the flavours offered by his paan , as compared to the normal street paan vendors. Muchhad concentrated on acquiring their raw materials from the cities where these various components are grown in large , thereby also promoting the businesses of these middlemen . The leaves , which are the basic component are acquired all the way from Calcutta , maintained and kept fresh , which adds to the speciality. The Gulkand in his paans are specially ordered from Ajmer . Nothing like fresh Gulkhand in the words of Jaishankar Tiwari. All of the raw components needed are transported through rail , which are then put into trucks once in Mumbai , from the respective stations. These trucks then get them to Muchhad paanwalas outlet in South Mumbai. Raw components are ordered every month , in accordance to the requirements. We make paan with fresh components by getting them every month , so that our loyal customers can enhance the essence of the paan, as rightly quoted by Mr.Jaishankar.

11

P is for Paan
1.7 Challenges faced A normal phenomenon faced by many entrepreneurs , the rise of imitations sought after their core competence ! The virtual world is open to many , and brilliant entrepreneurial ideas come to a select few. Similarly the idea of an exotic paanshop, was also imitated by many , not just the concept but the name too. Wisely stated what gives the artist real prestige are his imitators.

1.8 Newspaper Reports: Millionaire paanwala family members attack each other with sticks and iron rods Rivalry in south Mumbais famous Muchhad Paanwala family spills on to the streets at 2 am on Friday Preety.Acharya @timesgroup.com

A long standing feud among family members of Muchhad Paanwala south Mumbais most famous paan seller spilled on to the streets last Thursday night. Kemps Corner residents witnessed from their high rises the millionaire paan sellers attacking each other with iron rods and sticks, all the while screaming abuses, at 2 am on Friday. Officers from Gamdevi Police Station said that trouble began when Jaishankar Tiwari, who manages Muchhad Paanwala shop at Kemps Corner, got into an argument with his nephew Jitendra, who handles Tiwari Paan Shop next door. Jitendras father Kanhaiyalal Tiwari and Jaishankar are cousins. Many years ago, the family business split into two shops Muchhad Paanwala and Tiwari Paan Shop following the patriarchs death. The two shops created a rivalry

12

P is for Paan
that is as much part of the Muchhad Paanwala family as its famous paans. On Thursday night, the argument escalated, and both Jaishankar and Jitendra accused each other of stealing customers. In their respective complaints, both have accused the other of turning violent. Jaishankars sons Ram and Krishna rushed to his help, while Jitendras brothers Sushil and Kaushal joined in. The police said the action lasted almost 20 minutes. Jaishankar, Ram and Krishna were hit on the head, arms, and chest, while Jitendra and his brothers too suffered injuries. Ram and Krishna were bleeding profusely, and were rushed to Nair Hospital, from where they have been shifted to Breach Candy Hospital, an officer from Gamdevi Police Station said. Jaishankar too had to be hospitalised. Jitendra, Sushil and Kaushal have been arrested, and the officer said Jaishankar and his sons will be detained once they are discharged from the hospital. Both the shops have been shut since Friday. An officer from Gamdevi Police Station said, Members of the Muchhad Paanwala family are locked in a property dispute as well. So intense is the rivalry between them, their bickering often turns ugly. Also, residents have complained about the noise from the shop late in the night, and a few times in the past, we penalised them. Senior Inspector Sanjay Diwadkar said, We have booked all those involved in Thursday night fight, for rioting. Many residents in Kemps Corner are rejoicing the fight; they say till the shops remain shut, it guarantees them a good nights sleep. A resident said, Both these shops are a favourite of late night revellers. Many a time, the revellers get into a drunken brawl; on other occasions, the two shop minders get into a fight. Its become a nuisance. Members of the Tiwari family were not available for comment.

13

P is for Paan

Jaishankar Tiwari of Muchhad Paanwala shop at Kemps Corner fought with his nephew Jitendra of Tiwari Paan Shop next door 1.9 Future Plan They plan to leverage the Muchhad brand and expand it to other business areas like a gas cylinder distribution agency planned for our village. However, Muchhad will always be a paanwala first. Suggestion for their growth: They can enter the business for mouth freshners Chocolates like pan goli, mint, gulchand sweets etc can be prepared They can even replace sweets by capturing the market that has craving for sweets after dinner They can also go for thandai which can be served with paan Paan laddu

14

P is for Paan Case Prepared by 1) 2) 3) 4) Tanushka Baburaj - 18 Rohan Rane - 19 Maliza Matthews - 21 Leopold Forte - 30

15