Odisha is a state with a rich cultural tapestry, and Tanka Torani is a traditional drink with deep roots in Odia culture. Crafted with love and expertise, this staple drink of the state is made with a harmonious blend of fermented rice and spices, enhanced by the addition of rich local flavours.

About five months back, Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), under the Panchayati Raj department of Odisha government, took the initiative to launch this unique traditional drink commercially by involving the women of Mahanga block in Cuttack district.

Indian Masterminds spoke to Director & CEO of ORMAS, 2008-batch IAS officer Poonam T Guha, to get more details about this initiative.

TRADITIONAL TO COMMERCIAL

Besides keeping the body cool during the scorching summers of Odisha, Tanka Torani is believed to have nutritional and medicinal benefits, too. The drink is made from the goodness of fermented rice ‘Torani’ by adding curd (this accounts for the name ‘Tanka’ which means ‘sour’), curry leaves, ginger, green chilli and black salt. It acts as a natural coolant and an energy booster.

“Families have been traditionally making this drink at home since ages. Cashing in on its popularity, ORMAS decided to launch it commercially in disposable plastic bottles as a soft drink,” said Ms. Guha.

WOMEN PRODUCER GROUP

To give shape to the idea, ORMAS formed a group of women residing in Mahanga block of Cuttack district and named it Shanti Producer Group. The group received financial help, were given technical know-how and marketing support to establish a brand name for their Tanka Torani, produced in a factory now.

TANKAPAANI

After mutual consent, the brand name chosen was ‘Bou’ which means ‘mother’ in Odia language, and the bottled drink was named ‘Tankapaani’.

ORMAS facilitated the women producers in quality testing of the product before the grand launching of the product in the ongoing 9-day Bali Yatra 2023. “It was subject to stringent laboratory checks, as all food and beverages in the state are FISSAI and lab certified. This will help in getting a good market and generating market-led livelihood for our producer collectives.” added Ms. Guha.

Every year, the historical ‘Bali Yatra’ witnesses a multitude of stalls displaying an array of choicest products from all over the state, and footfall in lakhs every day. The history of this ‘yatra’ can be traced back to thousands of years, when people of Cuttack walked to Bali, Java and Sumatra on Karthik Purnima to barter their wares like spices and weaves with gold and other valuable items. Keeping this tradition alive, Odisha celebrates Bali Yatra annually in Cuttack to commemorate their ancestors’ travel on foot to far off lands for marketing purpose.

“ORMAS has put up five stalls this year, and it was in these stalls that Tankapaani was launched. Each bottle has a shelf life of one month,” Ms. Guha informed.

The ready-to-drink beverage is suitable for all as it is preservative free and does not contain onion and garlic. The 200 ml bottle is priced at Rs. 10.

LOOKING AHEAD

As the women members of Shanti Producer Group embarks on a journey towards self-sufficiency with aspirations of globalising this authentic culinary heritage of Odisha, ORMAS now plans to penetrate the local markets and slowly formulate tie-ups with vendors outside the state for bulk sale of the produce. “We are working at creating a smooth supply chain,” Ms. Guha said.

ALREADY A HIT

Tankapaani has already taken the market by storm, if sales and orders in the ongoing Bali Yatra are an indicator. There has been record sales every day as bottles are flying off the racks in the stalls and orders are piling up.

Twenty thousand bottles were sold on the first day itself earning revenue of around two lakh. So far, around 25 lakh orders have been placed, informed ORMAS Joint CEO Mr. Bipin Rout, adding that people are lining up to become distributors.

“Next in line is venturing into retail, online markets, and exports,” CEO Ms. Guha said, about future plans.

Who could have imagined that a made-in-Odisha drink prepared with locally sourced ingredients would give multi-national soft drinks a stiff competition in just days of its launch. All that it needed was innovative planning and packaging, and Tankapaani made a grand entry into the market, and is here to stay!