About EASTERN ! A dream that’s dreamt all through is a life that’s wasted. But, life becomes a benediction when it’s driven towards achievement, they say. This profound statement, no doubt, befits Late M.E.Meeran the founder of Eastern Empire. The Rs.650-cr Eastern Group with diverse business interests, particularly spices, owes its success to the sagacious and visionary approach of Meeran who could think ahead of his times. It was in the year 1941, a small village near Kothamangalam, witnessed the birth of a child who was destined to become one of the most celebrated business icons in the India. As a child, Meeran studied at St.John’s School at the village where he was born. But, even as a child, it was there in his blood to do something different…the determination to live his dreams. So, it was not an accident that he ventured into the world of business by setting up a stationery shop, namely M.P.Brothers, at a young age of twenty. Yes, he did set up the stationery shop. However, being an ambitious entrepreneur, it was not in his nature to remain stationary! So, in 1968 he moved to Adimali, a sleepy village then in Idukki district where he set Eastern Trading Company (ETC) Adimali since has remained the adopted town of the Eastern Empire. Being an enterprising person, Meeran was looking for bigger opportunities which saw him expanding into distribution business by 1976. Meeran soon became an undisputed leader in the distribution of bathing bars, detergents, batteries, confectioneries and coffee powder to mention a few. He dealt with every product that’d national and local presence. The business of distribution provided Meeran with deep insights into what went into its logistics and supply chain. This helped him engage in meaningful dialogues with the end consumers and the subsequent launch of Eastern Coffee in 1983 - his first FMCG product. Eastern Coffee, however, didn’t make the expected impact as coffee drinking as a habit declined then pursuant to a spurt in international coffee prices. This failure, however, didn’t dampen his enthusiasm. Meeran bounced back into the market with his next offering – Eastern Curry Powder Masala. It was a bold step since 99 per cent of the segment was unorganized with no major brands. His new venture was greeted with skepticism. The product, however, became a hit in the market. Thanks to his sheer determination and uncompromising stand on quality. With this, he soon started flooding the market across Kerala with Eastern Branded Masala products. He went about this business systematically, product after product, outlet after outlet, town after town and district after district. The road to business was not a bed of roses of Meeran. But what makes him a legend is he drove Eastern Brand to command over 70 per cent of Kerala market with a total branded market share of 60 per cent as against the trivial 1 per cent when he made his debut in 1983. By 1995, Eastern Condiments had grown its wings and it was ready to fly higher and forayed into Bangalore and Chennai markets. It’s today a household name across South India, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi. Eastern Curry Powder has emerged as the 2nd largest masala brand in the country and has been placed among the top five brands in most of the markets it’s entered outside Kerala. Having successfully consolidated his position nationally, Meeran soon eyed the international market. To achieve his global objective, he set up a factory in Theni in Tamil Nadu in 1995 and started exports. From a small stationery business in 1960, the Eastern Group by 2010 had grown globally tying up with Mc.Cormick in its pursuit for greater achievements. And, it was from Adimali – a non-descript town – Eastern Group’s international journey started! What made Meeran so successful? To put it one sentence, it would be suffice to say he’d tremendous faith in himself and the people around him coupled with clarity in thought and courage to stand by his beliefs.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:12:08 +0000
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