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Journalism of Courage
Whoever thought that coffee can only be drunk may have to eat his words soon. The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) now plans to launch a coffee-based gutkha sans the harmful tobacco.
Although no launch date has been decided yet, GCMMF General Manager (New Business) S.K. Panigrahi said: ‘‘It’s difficult to tell it from regular gutkha and after several tests, we have decided to apply for a patent.’’
The tobacco-free gutkha is the brainchild of MD B.M. Vyas. ‘‘Vyas’ idea was to use coffee which is a stimulant and will find ready acceptability among a wider section of the population,’’ said General Manager R.S. Sodhi.
The idea was a spin-off from the Federation’s attempt to branch out into the coffee market. It has already started selling coffee powder — the Malabar Roast — from Ahmedabad’s National Institute of Design.
If the new product is successful, it will give its regular counterpart a run for its money, especially since there is a growing campaign to ban the tobacco-based gutkha.
The gutkha market is huge and still growing. Even if a few gutkha-lovers shift their preference, the coffee will find several takers, said GCMMF officials.
Although the marketing nitty-gritties of the product are yet to be worked out, Panigrahi is sure of one thing. ‘‘It can be a win-win situation for both coffee growers and the Federation.’’
