Pollachi in Tamil Nadu is known for the sweetest tender coconut water in India. The produce is exported to countries far and wide, as are the byproducts of tender coconuts. The coconuts are known for their high water content (350-700 ml/ nut), large sizes and rich nutrients. Realising the potential and capitalising on his roots is Velayudham, an erstwhile IT professional from the US, turned entrepreneur.
The logo and the name spark curiosity. The answers come from the enterprising Velayudham, Founder and CEO of Yalico Private Limited. “Yali is the powerful celestial guardian that you will find carved on our South Indian temple walls and pillars. I wanted a symbol indicative of our culture, so I chose the Yali. These divine defenders are my inspiration. I want to provide a quality product that will protect the health of my customers,” explains Velayudham. An engineering graduate with an MBA, he moved to Kansas from Coimbatore and then to Texas, where he worked in the IT sector in various technologies among various domains for about twenty years. And there begins our story.
The root of the matter
The idea came literally out of the blue. It was a weekly routine walk through Costco for this IT engineer, where he sampled and bought crispy coconut rolls made in Thailand. He and his family loved the taste so much that it became a staple in their pantry. Soon, an idea began to take shape. “Why should such good quality and tasty products only come from overseas? Why can’t we make them back home in India? Also, why don’t we make coconut rolls from the coconuts of the Western Ghats of India, which are very rich in calcium and pulp, by adding Indian curry/spice flavours? I was in IT because it was my education and profession, but my roots are in agriculture.”
Velayudham at first tried his hand at different coconut-based products, while retaining his day job in Texas, but found that his presence was needed to ensure that his dream turned into reality. “It was very tough at first. I had to settle my family here and go back to Texas to raise capital. It was during Covid lock down, and everything seemed hopeless.” But not the one to give up easily, Velayudham persevered and soon took his first step.
Tasting the waters
The money came through a Kickstarter fund he set up for his venture. “My family owns coconut groves in Pollachi, and knowing the quality of our produce, I knew I had the foundation ready. Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka are famous for the sweetest tender coconut water and manufacture a number of value-added coconut products.” Velayudham’s background prompted him to turn to his roots and take advantage of the potential home-grown coconuts offer. “It got me thinking, why not make a world-class product right here in my backyard!” smiles Velayudham. Obviously, there was stiff competition, but India’s spices would give his product the edge it needed. Adding pepper, cardamom, or pudina (mint) would be the differentiator in the international market, too.
The growth phase
The coconut groves were ready, and the ingredients were available. Now, Velayudham worked long and hard at making and perfecting the formula for crispy coconut rolls. He then began to focus on the manufacturing. The machines required to process the coconut milk, prepare the coconut batter sheets and then roll them out are highly specialised and not available in India. Velayudham travelled far and wide, tried small batches on various machines, but was not fully satisfied. Until he found the right machinery in China. There was a lot more work to be done – finding labour to run and operate the machinery proved quite an uphill task. Besides, the formula had to be redeveloped, as until then it was made for small quantities of ingredients for small batches. The search began once more, and Velayudham was back at the table. The harsh truth was in the chemicals. Preservatives and additives such as sodium benzoate were required while manufacturing large quantities, and unfortunately, are commonly found in almost all the processed food we consume.
Preserving the purity
Velayudham chose to avoid the easy path. “I was absolutely sure about one thing – to offer a product that is as pure as coconut water and not contaminated with any kind of chemicals. My products should be known for quality, taste, and health,” he asserts. “You see, when I manufacture a product and send it out into the market, it should be safe enough even for a one-year-old to eat. That’s my main instruction to my employees. There should be zero contamination, and it should be 100% safe,” he explains.
Every new hire has to undergo rigorous training in the process, and most importantly, safety and hygiene practices. The company’s products are FDA and GMP approved, and continue to maintain high-quality standards. Being a perfectionist, in preparation for his venture, Velayudham did several courses so he would be able to follow the best practices. “I’ve done my Diploma in Production Management with Man-Machine Ergonomic Management, PG Diploma in Marketing Management, and a Certification in Good Manufacturing Techniques. There is no compromise on quality and taste at any cost,” he says emphatically.
Growing new stems
Yalico’s success with crispy coconut rolls has encouraged the company to bring out exciting new variants. Organic crispy coconut crackers, wafer twigs, crispy coconut pepper rolls, and coconut energy powder. Velayudham is constantly innovating but hasn’t lost sight of his original goal: to take the pride of Pollachi across the world.
An interesting aside, Velayudham has always been fascinated with the Yali forms in temple art and architecture. His dream is to research and bring the Yali forms to light and show the world what interesting and beautiful additions they make to the glorious temples of Tamil Nadu.
Yalico offers this coconut dream to others: the company is open to contract manufacturing, white labelling, and private labelling. So long as the guarantee of freshness, taste and hygiene doesn’t wilt.
Yalico’s crispy coconut rolls are available in most Nilgiris department stores in Tiruvannamalai, Pollachi and Coimbatore. Their online presence is on Amazon, and they take orders on WhatsApp.
