Brother Duo Converts Agri-Waste into ₹3 Cr Turnover Tableware Startup

From Trivandrum, Kerala, two brothers - Rohan and Rishabh Suri - the founders of qudrat - are on a mission to transform agricultural waste into something extraordinary - eco-friendly disposable tableware.

What started as a deep-rooted concern for the environment has evolved into a thriving business - eyeing a revenue of ₹3 crore this year in their second year of operations. But the path to success was anything but smooth.

The Roots of qudrat:

Rishabh and Rohan Suri grew up with entrepreneurship in their blood. Born into a family that ran a successful Royal Enfield motorcycle dealership business, the brothers were set on a stable path. Yet, the dream of following in their grandfather's and father’s footsteps wasn’t enough for them.

Both brothers felt a strong urge to launch a startup of their own, something that would have a tangible impact on the world around them and carve an identity for themselves.

“Our passion for hiking in nature led us to qudrat. Despite travelling worldwide, we kept finding plastic waste on trails, no matter how remote. As nature lovers, this was unsettling. We wanted to make a difference, and the idea of qudrat gave us a sense of purpose,” Rishabh Suri, the CEO of qudrat, explains to Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview. 

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Driven by the desire to reduce plastic waste and inspired by their family’s deep love for nature, Rohan and Rishabh decided to tackle one of India’s most pressing issues - plastic waste.

According to a study by the Un-plastic Collective (UPC), India generates over 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste annually - a staggering amount that the brothers saw as a challenge.

"Knowing that plastic doesn’t degrade and the demand for disposable tableware is ever-increasing, we thought of creating something that could replace disposable plastics, starting with the tableware sector,” Rohan Suri, the co-founder and the elder brother, shares with Startup Pedia.

Learning the Craft to Begin the Journey:

Incorporated in November 2020, qudrat wasn’t an overnight success. The brothers spent nearly two years travelling across India, researching sustainable manufacturing practices for eco-friendly disposable tableware products and raw materials to work with.

They met with industry veterans, government officials, scientists, and agricultural experts, learning the intricacies of upcycling agricultural waste like rice husk, straw, and sugarcane bagasse into biodegradable products.

One of their first breakthroughs came through a family connection. “One of our uncles told us about producing tableware products from sugarcane bagasse, and that sparked a whole new direction for us,” recalls Rishabh with a smile

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By August 2022, they were ready to start production on a pilot basis, with initial seed funding from their family. Government support soon followed, with ₹64 lakh in monetary help from Startup India, Kerala Startup Mission, and various institutions including EY GDS, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and the Buddha Foundation. 

This support was crucial in keeping their vision alive. “This monetary help provided us a lot of encouragement, recognition, and even a proof of concept,” Rishabh says to Startup Pedia.

Challenges on the Road to Success:

However, the early days were filled with challenges. Being a bootstrapped company, qudrat managed to generate only ₹1.5 lakh in revenue during the first six months of operations.

"We started small with a single SKU—the 8-inch plates made from rice husk and straw. Soon we learned that not everything can be done in-house and needed collaboration to scale. We allocated a lot of money towards social media content, piloting overseas, trials, R&D, marketing, etc," Rohan says shyly. 

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“Most things did not work but a few worked well and we doubled down on those. The first year also taught us not to get too emotional about failures and how failing fast could be a blessing in disguise. But we also knew that for growth in today’s time, it is not just survival of the fittest, but the survival of the quickest," Rohan further explains.

The brothers quickly realised that while their products were premium, they were perceived as expensive. The feedback they received from customers was invaluable. Their products were great, but they needed to bring down costs. 

With this invaluable insight, the Suri brothers shifted their strategy, focusing on creating long-lasting partnerships with local communities, government institutions, agri-farming experts & their supply chain stakeholders.

Manufacturing Process and Products in Detail:

qudrat’s production process starts with sourcing agricultural waste and residue from nearby mills and farms. By working closely with the local community, qudrat ensures a steady supply of raw materials, benefiting both the environment and the farmers. 

Once a batch of raw materials is collected, it undergoes various processes that include grinding, mixing, crushing, compression moulding, etc. Using cutting-edge technology, qudrat transforms this agri-waste into a variety of products, including plates, tumblers, spoons, bowls, takeaway containers, trays, cup lids, and even edible straws.

"We believe in creating value from what’s otherwise considered waste. Our goal is to create products that are equally safe for nature, animals, and people," Rishabh shares with Startup Pedia.

What makes qudrat stand out is its zero-waste manufacturing facility, which produces no solid or liquid waste. The result is biodegradable and environment-friendly products that degrade in natural soil within 30-120 days, depending on the range.

Today, qudrat’s products are available on Amazon India, with a customer base that primarily comes from tier-1 cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi-NCR, and Hyderabad.

The price range starts at around ₹199 for 6-inch sugarcane bagasse plate set and goes up to ₹749 for the premium 8-inch rice husk plate set, with an average order value of ₹350. In this B2C market, 25% of its customers are repeat buyers, reflecting the high quality, affordability, and eco-friendliness of the products.

In addition to its growing B2C presence, qudrat serves over 60 brands in the HoReCa (Hotels, Restaurants, and Caterers) industry, including some of the biggest names in hospitality.

In short, what began as a small operation with a single SKU has now expanded to a product range with more than 52 SKUs, positioning qudrat as a comprehensive provider of sustainable disposable tableware solutions.

Even with all the success that has come their way, the brothers are not planning to slow down. They are driven to achieve more. For this financial year, qudrat has set many ambitious targets.

It aims to increase its new customers per month from 700 to 1,500 and boost annual revenue to ₹3 crore, a 4x increase from the previous year's ₹72 lakh, comes at a time when qudrat faces tough competition from brands like CHUK, EcoSoul, Fomex, etc in the Indian biodegradable tableware market.

To achieve this target, qudrat is expanding its reach into global markets.

Going Global and Other Future Plans:

With the global biodegradable disposable tableware market expected to grow at a 7.6% CAGR from 2023 to 2030, qudrat is poised for significant expansion.

Rohan and Rishabh are eyeing to capitalise on the export markets next. This is why qudrat has a dedicated international markets team in Mumbai, Maharashtra, to facilitate this expansion.

The brothers recognise that while the majority of the global market for biodegradable tableware comes from the US and Europe, India has a huge raw material base and sustainable labour supply, giving qudrat a competitive advantage in making in India and for the world.

"We're not just competing with national brands but also with the Chinese companies that serve as the workshops of the world for most products. We believe that over time, India is going to be the right hub for global manufacturing, giving China a run for its money. We’re betting on that scenario," Rohan shares confidently.

As it aims to expand its domestic business operations by placing its products in major offline stores across India, qudrat is open to seeking funding to fuel this growth.

qudrat has already made significant strides in the Indian market, but its ambition is to make a global impact. "We are competing with the best, and we share the vision of taking qudrat to the world," Rishabh asserts.

In a Nutshell:

"Aside from our growth targets, our primary goal is to become a startup that does good for the environment. We want to turn all types of agricultural waste into useful biodegradable products for everyday life," Rishabh emphasises to Startup Pedia.

In a world increasingly focused on sustainability and eco-friendly solutions, qudrat is leading the charge in transforming how we think about disposable tableware.

From joining the family business to being startup founders, the Suri brother’s journey is a testament to the power of passion and perseverance. With their eyes set on ₹3 crore in revenue and beyond, the future looks bright for this Kerala startup.