Industries from noodles, biscuits, oil to powdered milk are operating in Pokhara. Products from Sujal Foods, Karmacharya Group, Himashree Foods, Fistel Dairy etc. are exported to foreign countries.
Pokhara is also an industrial city known as a city of tourism, entertainment and adventure. Industries ranging from noodles, biscuits, oil to milk powder conversion are located here. A moving example of this is Lakshmi Group. This group has built a corporate empire in Pokhara.
Niranjan Shrestha, executive director of the group, said that the business of Lakshmi Group started from Bagbazar in Pokhara. Lakshmi Mithai Bhandar opened in an old house in Pokhara on November 21, 2030. In 2033, 'Jaima Lakshmi Confectionery' was established in Pokhara.
He said that candies like 'Lactofan, Mango Tart, Yoyo Sweets' are popular. Shrestha said that Sujal Foods Pvt Ltd was established by merging Lakshmi Mithai Bhandar, Shubalakshmi 'Confectionery' and Jaima Lakshmi 'Confectionery' in 1996.
"Suzal Foods products are popular in Nepal, since 2006 they have been exported to India and China and reached the international market," Shrestha said. Suzal's products reach 11 countries including America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Benin Republic, India, UAE.
The company claims that it has succeeded in stopping 60 percent of chocolate imports with its 'confectionery' products. Apart from the 'confectionery', Lakshmi Group's state-of-the-art Sujal Dairy is also located in Pokhara. Sujal's products are successful milk, curd, ghee, paneer and dairy products are also popular.
Apart from these, milk powder is also converted from dairy. Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) has also given Sujal for powder milk conversion. Suzal Dairy also has a laboratory for national level food quality measurement. "The quality of 29 types of food items can be checked in the laboratory," Shrestha said.
Like Sujal, Pokhara has earned another name, Rara. Rara is a product of Gandaki Noodles. The trade that started with Cinque Chaochao (Chinese 'Mian' was called Chaochao) coming from Siliguri is now famous all over Nepal. Rara noodles are brought by Fanindraman Shrestha.
In 2035, Shrestha opened Gandaki Noodles Industries by building a small factory in Simalchaur of Pokhara, at that time the managing director of the company was Krishna Acharya. Initially, 83,000 packets of noodles were produced throughout the year. According to the company, 1.4 million cartons of noodles are produced annually.
After one of the founders, Phanindraman, left the industry in 2045, now KC Group has inherited Rara's legacy. KC Group has expanded the capacity of noodle production through Everest Noodles Pvt Ltd and now continues the industry under the name Himshree Foods Pvt Ltd. Presently Himshree Foods is handled by Surya Bahadur's son Prakash KC.
is another brand from Pokhara, Karmacharya Group. Group Director Vikram Karmacharya said that Karmacharya has been producing from biscuits to oil. Karmacharya Group started selling oil in Jerkin in 2042 by setting up Gandaki Oil Mill. At first it was sold loosely, but later it was packaged in jerkin and sold under the brand name 'Koseli'. He said that Koseli brand has expanded its market to Chitwan and Kathmandu via Gandaki, Dhaulagiri, Lumbini. Sunflower and soybean oil are also being produced from the same brand.
Director Karmacharya said that the market share of Koseli mustard oil in Gandaki alone is 25 percent. Apart from oil, the group also has a food processing industry. Karmacharya Bakes and Foods Pvt Ltd has been manufacturing Digestive Biscuits since 2017. Biscuits of various 'brands' including Karmacharya Top, Beesmari are produced by this industry.
Karmacharya Foods Greench Pvt Ltd has produced Kumari Rice, Kumari Gold Buckwheat and Kumari Gold Chiura. Paper and packer production is done through Country Confectionery Unit. He said that crunch wafer chocolate is also being produced through this company.
"Karmacharya Biscuits is now competing with the products of multinational companies, we have never compromised on quality," said director Vikram Karmacharya, "We have won the trust of consumers." According to him, Karmacharya Group is employing 500 people.
Similarly, Fistel Dairy has been producing Nova 'brand' milk and dairy products in Pokhara. Hotpot, Ramba, Bonus, Jojo, Taj are popular noodle brands produced by Pokhara Noodles Pvt Ltd in Pokhara. The industry, which has been operating for two decades, is focused on noodle production.
Apart from these, the factory of multinational company Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd is also in Gandaki. There is a cigarette factory of Surya Nepal in Shuklagandaki Municipality-7 Sheratar of Tanahun. There are 145 plants in Tanahun. The famous Gorakhkali tire industry is also located in Gandaki. Well the tire industry is in a sick state right now. The industry, which started construction on 15th December 2043, started commercial production from 1st July 2049.
Initially tires were produced for all types of vehicles up to three shifts. Gorakhkali tires were very popular due to their quality. It was exported to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. But due to the various demands of the employee organization along with the managerial weakness, the industry became weak in economic condition. Due to lack of funds, there was a problem in the operation in 2056. It is not that the government did not help to solve the problem, but the government helped with the loan. But it was not fully operational.
From Chait 23, 2071, the industry stopped tire production. On January 3, 2075, workers/employees were given leave. The government has already constituted a task force to recommend 'modalities' for the re-operation of closed public institutions/industries.
The task force has recommended selling the 'brand name' of Gorakhkali tires for the Gorakhkali rubber industry and bringing the land in the name of the Nepal government and selling the machines. Another option is to invite proposals from firms or companies willing to operate the industry to the private sector along with a business plan with the modality of operation.
