Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Indian Honey Entrepreneur Seeks to Expand Apitherapy Business

Ritu Kapoor's Sweet Success
By Neeta Lal, The Star (Malaysia), 2/12/2011

Young entrepreneur Ritu Kapoor, scion of one of the world’s largest honey-exporting family businesses, is as busy as a bee with her frenetic expansion plans…

The young businesswoman’s interest in honey, she says, began as a child. She would watch in fascination as her parents incorporated the golden-hued liquid into everything from food to face packs to home remedies.

“For burns, cuts, wounds, etc, my father would instinctively reach out for honey,” recalls Kapoor. “In fact, I don’t remember ever popping pills for minor ailments like today’s kids. Daddy told me about honey’s anti-bacterial properties when I was small and it has now became a part of my survival kit. Often, I help cure my friends’ colds and coughs by putting them on a ginger-honey concoction.”

According to Kapoor, the benefits of honey go beyond its great taste. “In Europe, men and women use honey to rejuvenate their skin,” says Kapoor. “Unfortunately, in India, honey’s many qualities remain untapped.”

To plug that gap, the head of KA’s business re-engineering programme is now planning to produce honey-based cosmetics and spa treatments. She is promoting honey for its wellness, beauty and health properties by tying up with spas and wellness centres across the country…

The company’s plans include exporting to 100 countries by this year and marketing high-value byproducts like royal jelly and bee venom…

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