MAPRO

SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 2017

SUBMITTED BY,
MOHAMMED FASIL P
LCAPMBA054
INTRODUCTION

Located around the idyllic hill-town of Panchgani in Western India, Mapro Foods
manufactures Fruit Jams; Fruit beverage concentrates – Crushes and Squashes; and Fruit
Bars. With an annual processing capacity of around 30 thousand MT, Mapro is a market
leader in Western India. The company has grown organically over the last five decades with
sustained profitability. Known for its quality and innovation, Mapro has been built on its
founder’s philosophy of developing products that are wholesome, nutritious, value-for-
money, and imaginative.

HISTORY

Founded in 1959, the Company had its humble beginnings in the hill-town of Panchgani, near
Mahabaleswar, when a businessman named Kishore Vora a pharmacist by profession,
decided to make some strawberry jam. He then went on to develop innovative products such
as jelly sweets, fruit cubes with fruit juice and rose syrups with rose petals – all for the first
time in country. Today, his ‘hobby’ has borne fruit in the shape of Mapro, one of the most
modern, hygienic, quality-focussed fruit product manufacturing units in India. His vision has
been taken forward, thereby transforming the region around Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani,
the erstwhile sleepy hill stations of Maharashtra, into a flourishing fruit processing zone

Mapro’s portfolio of products provides a high quotient of natural fruit in the form of Jams,
Fruit bars and chews, Syrups, Crushes, Squashes, and Dessert Toppings. Its range of
premium products such as Thandai crush and Kesar syrup are made from the finest selection
of exotic ingredients. Mapro’s products are known for their wholesome taste and quality, as
also their natural goodness and nutritive value.

Mapro was the pioneer of fruit-based confectionery in India, with its first jelly sweets being
made from fruit juices and liquid glucose. The ‘Falero’ pulpy fruit chews, which are better
known as ‘pates de Fruit’ in the rest of the world – are excellent exemplars of Mapro’s very
own Innovation Labs. Faleros come in unique indigenous flavours that are suited to the
Indian palate, like Kacchi Kairi (Raw Mango), Alphonso Mango and Strawberry
An emphasis on excellence and quality

With its state-of-the-art production facilities, Mapro is committed to developing, producing,

packaging, storing and selling food products, with high regard for safety, nutrition and taste,
by continually improving quality and food safety management systems to meet and exceed
customers’ expectations.

The company has obtained ISO 9001:2008 certification and ISO 22000:2005 certification
from BVQi. The implementation of B. R. C. Standards is being planned in the near future

Having started with a capacity of 10MT of processed fruit products a year, the Company
today has a processing capacity of about 30,000MT per Year with its factories in the
Shendurjane village of Satara district, Panchgani town, Gureghar village of Mahabaleshwar
tehsil and Indora town of Kangra district in Himachal Prades

Beyond business

Mapro Foods has a flat organizational structure where management and employees work
hand-in-hand. Lunch is cooked in the common canteen for one and all, including guests, who
all eat the simple, sumptuous and wholesome meal together. Employees who have put in a
number of years of service are recognized and felicitated. The education of children of
employees is encouraged and supported and employees’ families are included in all
celebrations.

Mapro has successfully led the socio-economic upliftment of people in this region. Besides
men, women have had the means of earning a livelihood too, and there is a focus on
education of the younger generation.

The development of the village of Gureghar, comprising around 70 families, between 1971
and 1985, is a case-study in itself. It started out with 12 persons working as permanent
employees at the Gureghar fruit processing unit, with the rest into subsistence farming. But
for them too, there was hope. They had continuous and sustained income with a ready market
at their doorstep. They started growing strawberries, with technical guidance from Mapro,
and today the region has the highest produce of strawberries in all of India, one of the major
catalysts for the manifold increase in tourist inflow over time.

All these achievements have been through sustainable means, keeping the region’s ecology in
mind. Gureghar boasts of being one of the first villages to have 100% sanitation with every
house having their own biogas plant.

Today, statistics reveal 100% employment in the village, with none under poverty line, and
100% literacy with a 0% dropout rate. Mapro’s vision does truly extend beyond business

Strawberry Festival

Held in the month of March/April (during the Easter weekend), the Mapro Strawberry
Festival at Mapro Garden, has become a much awaited annual event. Started four years ago,
when strawberry production far exceeded market demand, Mapro conceptualized this unique
four-day festival dedicated to promoting strawberries, encouraging overall fruit consumption
and boosting tourism in Mahableshwar and Panchgani. The Festival is supported by the All
India Strawberry Growers Association (AISGA), to promote strawberry cultivation in the
country.

The Festival has grown in size over the years with a turnout of thousands of enthusiasts.
Through the Festival, tourists get to experience Mapro’s array of products and state-of-the-art
technology. The Festival showcases raw strawberries and innovative strawberry-based
products such as strawberry pizza, strawberry bhel, chocolate dipped strawberries and
strawberry sandwiches among others.

The four-day event also includes free strawberry farm visits, Mapro Food Park visits, and
other cultural and entertainment activities. Over 250 farmers from nearby villages participate
in the festival, opening their farms to tourists, and Mapro garden offers strawberries that you
can eat to your heart’s content, completely free
At Mapro, Corporate Social Responsibility is part of the business.

During the year 2015, the Company contributed towards the Rural Development by providing
water pipe line from Chandak gaon to Gulumb gaon under the scheme "Jalyukt Shivar
Abhiyan" initiated by Government of India.
This will help farmers and local community for supply of water. The contribution made by
the Company will help in rural development of India

Mapro is a leading innovator of Processed Fruit Products in western India. It is the leading
processor of Strawberries in India and our products include Jams, Crushes, Squashes, Syrups
and Preserves. MAPRO has also developed innovative "Fruit Jellies" (Soft Confectionary
with Fruit Juice & Fruit Pectin).

Over 40 years ago, in small town of Panchgani, near Mahableshwar, a

businessman/pharmacist named Kishor Vora decided to make some Strawberry Jam. Today
his 'Hobby' has borne fruit in the shape of Mapro… one of the most modern, hygienic,
quality-conscious Jam and Fruit Products Manufacturing Concerns in Western India.

Mr. Vora could have rested easy on success of his Fruit recipe. But he wanted to develop
innovative ideas such as Vegetarian Jelly Sweets, Fruit Cubes with Fruit Juice and Rose
Syrups with Rose Petals. All for the first time in country. Mapro naturally grew on its
founder's philosophy of good, wholesome nutritious, value-for-money, and above all, a touch
of imagination - ingredients that have made it a market leader and a household name today.
At present is headed by Shri Mayur J.Vora who is the Managing director of the Company.
Shri Mayur J.Vora, an alumnus of IIM-B, is heading the Organization for last 20 years and
has enhanced the Vision of Kishore Vora by transforming Mahabaleshwar/Panchgani, the
scenic hill station of Maharashtra, into Fruit processing zone of the Nation.
SALES NETWORK

Mapro has established widespread distribution channels to reach its customers in West, North
and South India. Its network comprises of 12 super distributors and over 300 distributors
across 17 Indian states.

Mapro’s products are available in a large number of stores and it has a visible presence in
almost all the major cities across the country. We have plans to penetrate in other
geographical regions, and also in smaller towns; and welcome communication from
interested parties with manpower and infrastructure for retail distribution

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Mapro Foods Private Ltd. is a fruit processing company, which is situated
at Panchgani (near Mahabaleshwar) a panoramic and beautiful hill station of western India. It
is in the fruit processing business over more than forty years and it is known for quality and
innovation in the industry. The Brand Mapro is a well-recognized brand in India.

The company has shown organic growth over the last four decades representing sound
financials with sustained profitability. Set up as a Family business over 45 years ago, it has
earned a name for quality and consistency. Mapro products enjoy Premium Status in the
Indian market. The Manufacturing facilities are Certified ISO 9001:2000 and HACCP by
BvQi. The Company has expanded capacity to now produce 30000MT of processed frozen
foods p.a. It is setting up a Frozen and Fresh Food Distribution Chain in Indian Metros to
service the fast growing modern Organized Retail Supermarkets being set up in India.

Today Mapro is leading supplier of tasty as well as nutritious fruit product to the
International market.

Mapro is known to care for its employees. Mapro is a home where there is mutual
understanding between employee and employer like members in the family. It features a
blend of hard work and dedication. There are more than 600 employees all over.

Mapro Foods has a turnover of Rs 10 crore and is looking at a 50 per cent growth annually
MISSION
Mapro Foods Private Limited is the flat organization where management works along with
their technical and sales functionaries to achieve the vision and mission of MFPL.

“Mapro will develop, produce, package & sell food products, with high regards for safety,
nutrition & taste, which we can confidently give to our customers by implementing and
continually improving Quality Management system & food safety management system to
meet & exceed customers’ expectations.”

Raw Materials

Jams and jellies are made from a variety of fruits, either singly or in combination. Most of the
fruits are harvested in the fall. The level of ripeness varies. Pears, peaches, apricots,
strawberries, and raspberries gel best if picked slightly under ripe. Plums and cherries are best
if picked when just ripe. The fruit is purchased from farmers. Most jam and jelly producers
develop close relationships with their growers in order to ensure quality. The production
plants are built close to the fruit farms so that the time elapsed between harvest and
preparation is between 12-24 hours.

Sugar or high fructose corn syrup, or a combination of the two are added to the fruit to
sweeten it. Cane sugar chips are the ideal type of sugar used for preserving fruit. Granulated
and beet sugar tend to crystallize. Sugar is purchased from an outside supplier. High fructose
corn syrup is processed by fermenting cornstarch. It is purchased from an outside supplier

The element that allows fruit to gel, pectin is present in varying degrees in all fruit. Apples,
blackberries, cherries, citrus fruits, grapes, quinces, and cranberries have the best natural
gelling properties. Strawberries and apricots are low in pectin. Jams made from such fruits
are either blended with fruits high in pectin, or extra sugar is added to the mixture.
Sometimes pectin is extracted industrially from dried apples.

Citric acid is added to obtain the correct balance needed to produce the jam or jelly. Lime and
lemon juice are high in citric acid, therefore they are the most prevalent source used. Citric
acid can also be obtained by the fermentation of sugars. It is purchased from outside
suppliers.

Other flavorings, such as vanilla, cinnamon, mint, alcoholic beverages such as rum or Kirsch,
can be added to the jam or jelly. These flavorings are purchased from outside suppliers.

The Manufacturing Process

The process given below is mainly for jams and jellies. There is not much difference in the
production processes of crushes, syrups, etc.

The ingredients must be added in carefully measured amounts. Ideally, they should be
combined in the following manner: 1% pectin, 65% sugar, and an acid concentration of pH
3.1. Too much pectin will make the spread too hard , too much sugar will make it too sticky.

Inspection

 When the fruit arrives at the plant, it is inspected for quality, using color, ripeness,
and taste as guides. Fruit that passes inspection is loaded into a funnel-shaped hopper
that carries the fruit into pipes for cleaning and crushing.

Cleaning, crushing, and chopping

 As the fruit travels through the pipes, a gentle water spray clears away surface dirt.
Depending on whether the finished product is to be jam or jelly, paddles push the fruit
and or just its juice through small holes, leaving stems and any other excess debris
behind. Some fruits, such as citrus and apples may be manually peeled, cored, sliced
and diced. Cherries may be soaked and then pitted before being crushed.

Pasteurizing the fruit

 The fruit and/or juice continues through another set of pipes to cooking vats. Here, it
is heated to just below the boiling point (212° F [100° C]) and then immediately
chilled to just below freezing (32° F [0° C]). This process, pasteurization, prevents
spoilage. For jelly, the pulp is forced through another set of small openings that holds
back seeds and skin. It will often then be passed through a dejuicer or filter. The juice
 or fruit is transferred to large refrigerated tanks and then pumped to cooking kettles as
needed.

Cooking the jam and jelly

 Premeasured amounts of fruit and/or juice, sugar, and pectin are blended in industrial
cooking kettles. The mixtures are usually cooked and cooled three times. If additional
flavorings are to be included, they are added at this point. When the mixture reaches
the predetermined thickness and sweetness, it is pumped to filling machines.

Filling the jars

 Pre-sterilized jars move along a conveyer belt as spouts positioned above pour
premeasured amounts of jam or jelly into them. Metal caps are then vacuumed sealed
on top. The process of filling the jars and vacuum packing them forces all of the air
out of the jars further insuring the sterility of the product.

Labeling and packaging

 The sealed jars are conveyed to a machine that affixes preprinted labels. According to
law, these labels must list truthful and specific information about the contents. The
jars are then packed into cartons for shipment. Depending on the size of the producer's
operation, labeling and packaging is either achieved mechanically or manually.
PRODUCTS

Mapro produces a number of items ranging from jams, jellies, crushes, syrups, etc. Their
leading product is Rose Syrup, made from rose petals and their extracts. The manufacturing
process for most of their products is similar only differing in the types of fruits used and the
variations in cooking temperatures and pectin ratio.

Fruit sweets with real fruit jam:

These soft Fruity Sweets and Jelly Sweets are 100% vegetarian as they are made with pectin,
a fruit extract. They contain no Gelatin. Contain nutritious fruit juice & instant energy. Are an
instant hit with kids.

 Fruity sweets
 Jelly sweets
 Falchoos
  Jelly cubes
 Fruit cubes
 Fruit pebbles

Jam:
A Whole range of delicious fruity jams are produced by Mapro units in Panchgani and Wai.
These jams are made with certain specific fruits and fruit pulps as required by the recipe. The
various types produced involve:-

 Mango
 Orange marmalade
 Strawberry
 Pineapple
 Raspberry
 Mix fruit

Crush:

Ideal with milkshakes ice-creams, puddings, desserts and new even mithai. This bestseller
makes milkshakes thicker and ice-creams richer.

 Strawberry crush
 Litchi crush
  Alphonso mango crush
 Mango crush
 Kiwi crush
 Kokum crush
 Pineapple crush

Syrup:

Syrups are made with pure contents for the exclusitive natural flavours & properties. The
Syrup recipes are balanced to allow use in sherbats, milkshakes, faloodas and even ice-cream
toppings.

 Rose syrup
 Khus syrup
 Thandai syrup
 Mahakool syrup
 Strawberry syrup
 Kesar syrup
 Pineapple syrup
Squash:

Mapro squashes with their high fruit content are terrific for Sherbats and Fruit Punch.

 Orange squash
 Lemon squash
 Lemon barley water
 Strawberry squash
 Lime juice cordial
 Lemon ginger squash
 Strawberry cordial
 Pineapple cordial

Ice-cream:

Mapro does produce ice-creams on a large scale. It is only produced and supplied at the
Mapro garden in Panchgani.

 Strawberry
 Mango
 Pineapple Rose
 Bitter Chocolate
 Almonds
 Honey (sugar free)
MARKETING

Footfalls at the factory premises in Wai and Panchgani enable them to promote their brand
through word-of-mouth which to a large extent has been instrumental in their success in the
western region.
The company concentrates on point-of-sales promotion rather than embarking on a grandiose
brand-building activity involving print and electronic media. Mapro as a brand is small to
sustain a large-scale media blitz. That is why the initiatives have been restricted to point-of-
sale promos.

Since Mahabaleshwar is a premier hill station in Maharashtra, attracting tourists by the

thousands, brand-building is conducted through free tasting counters for jams, crushes,
syrups, squashes and confectionery. Mapro promotes its products throughout the year in
vicinity of Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar. The roads leading up to these hill-stations are full
of Mapro advertisements. Even the main roads in these areas have hoardings, counters, etc.

Mapro does not use advertising medium like press, radio and television to propagate its
product but the taste of product and nutritional value, and uniqueness result in repeat sales.

Markets

Our markets are continuously growing and we are currently prevalent in the following
countries:
• Fiji
• Mauritius
• Oman
• Russia
• UAE
• Uganda
• USA
EVENTS

Indian Product Exhibition, Sharjah. Sept 2011.

We participated in the ‘Indian Product Exhibition’, Sharjah from Sept 28-Oct 1, 2011. This event
was organised by MEDC and Anand Trade Development Services, in association with Sharjah
Chamber of Commerce and India Exhibition Trade Development Centre. Mr. Manohar Joshi, ex-
CM of Maharashtra inaugurated this unique exhibition. The visitor response was overwhelming,
and the enquiries very encouraging for our growth strategy.

ACTIVITY AND WORK

 Visiting all the allocated shops by the guide daily.

 Asking permission to the officials in supermarkets for setting up small sample stalls
for giving blind test.
 Checking whether all the products are kept in customer’s eye level in the
supermarket.
 Enquiring the shop owners whether they have plans for increasing the present order
level.
 Enquiry in concern with knowledge level of brand to the customers.
 Was appointed at stores to know the buying frequency of customers.
 Was keenly enquiring that the customers are making repeated purchases and
enquiring about the satisfaction of the product from the customer.
 Visiting new shops for encouraging order.
 Creating awareness about brand.
 Introducing product to new shops.
 Enquiry about the sales generation.
LESSONS LEARNED

 Fully driven field work which made us capable of a good marketing personnel who
can negotiate with the retailers and customers with the selling concept.
 We understood and study limitation was restricted to a particular district and
identified that the MAPRO food products doesn’t have a great brand awareness in the
Kerala circle.
 Lack of advertisements and marketing the products and brand are unaware to the
population even though the product is of premium quality.
 We understood that the people of Kerala are ready to buy the product but without a
brand awareness and a direct entry to the food and beverages sector the increase in
sales revenue will be still in a dull state.

Summary

We the SIP students were assigned the job of taking survey about the products through two
kinds of questionnaire that we allotted to ours. One was for supermarkets and the other was
for bakery, lassi shops. Through conducting a study we were able to know that the brand is
unaware to customers. The movement of products are very low in supermarkets. Competitors
provide promotion activities and discounts to both customers and retail shops. Customers are
hesitant to buy the products since the amount of products displayed in the shops are very low.
People buy the products based on the price and advertisements. Creating brand awareness is
very important. Chances of buying MAPRO products by customers are very low since they
do not want to buy a product of less known brand. The major competitors are Malaya,
Fruitomans and Kissan.

Tomorrow we the students will be setting up sample stalls and will conduct sampling
activities in a supermarket we have been permitted. This way customers will be aware of the
product. They will also get to taste the free samples.
CONCLUSION

Though the Summer Internship Program was conducted for 30 days from (15-04-2017) to
(16-05-2017) we the interns had a best experience as a marketing executives for the
organization which is going to be an added advantage to future career growth. We had an
induction training where we were taught how to approach a customer and what all are to
informed in terms of selling process and thankfully we could do it on a very mannerly way to
get impressed from our superiors.

We understood about the supply chain of food products from the production to the end
customers and we were able to analyze and interpret the findings and given suggestion to the
reporting officer about the buying behavior of our products in the market.