Who knew a wholesome, creamy, flavored milkshake would be the best way to end a shopping spree. Keventers at LABIM in Pulchowk, Lalitpur has certainly spoilt us in this regard. During our recent visit some customers lounging around the stall with the now iconic Keventers bottles were certainly ready to vouch for it.  

Indeed even today a little more than a year since its opening, the hype of the British-era, Indian brand in and around our capital hasn’t died yet. There continues to be a steady trickle of customers making it one of the more popular attractions at LABIM.

However, Bhaskar Koirala, who looks after Keventers in Nepal, gives us a little inside scoop. Apparently, when they planned to bring the milkshake business to Nepal they did so without any expectations. But the scenario has changed. He acknowledges the good response and shares that they are planning to expand and open another branch in Thamel.  

Here with The Week’s Priyanka Gurung, Koirala shares how his foray into business with Keventers has been so far. 

What was the idea behind bringing Keventers to Nepal?
All of this happened after the earthquake. I was originally involved in foreign affairs. I’m still the founder and director of Nepal Institute of International Strategic Studies. But after the earthquake, due to various circumstances, we needed to take a little break from the programs. That’s when I considered the idea.

Back in the late 1970s, early 1980s, my cousin helped revive Keventers in India. I had been closely following their work. I always found this to be a very interesting concept. You have just one beverage, it’s simple but its presentation i.e. the design and the aesthetics are very creative. They were rapidly expanding in India so I talked to my brother in Delhi and discussed the idea of bringing the brand to Kathmandu as well. 

There were no expectations, financial projection or market analysis of any sorts. The thought process was to bring this unique product to our local consumers.

How did you go about carrying out the logistics of it all?
It might look like a simple process. You come here, make a milkshake and give it to the customers but the back end of the process is challenging. Having an idea and implementing it is certainly two very different things.

The process, what with the official paperwork, navigating through bureaucracy and meeting the standards of the headquarter offices was complicated and tedious.

It wasn’t as simple as we assumed especially given the fact that our raw materials had to be imported from India. They have to be brought in by land and even now we have issues with it. For instance, even at the moment, there is an eight kilometer backlog at the border perhaps because of the Dashain season. So there were matters of having to meticulously maintain inventory and such. We had to train our workers by the company standards as well. 

So it took us some time and I can see how the system can discourage entrepreneurship or foreign investment. But still we were determined.

Could you elaborate a little more on that?
For example, you have the red tape. All the required paperwork from the permissions and the certificates can be tedious to get through. I feel like the bureaucratic lines that need to be crossed could be simplified because this can very easily discourage foreign investment in Nepal. And, let’s face it, we need this kind of foreign investment.

Development aid, in the long run, isn’t healthy for a nation. It’s better if we are able to attract companies like Keventers to invest. This is just a small example. Our population is young and dynamic. There is a lot of scope.

Is this something you realized over time with the business? What are your thoughts on the Nepali consumer habit?
I think the consumers are very sensitive to quality. They appreciate and respect it. It’s something that they are looking for. Nepal isn’t the Nepal it was 20 or 30 years ago. The people are very well in tune with the rest of the world. They know what is happening and what’s available out there.
So at a time, where there are many issues, be it with public sector to even the management of our metropolitan area, people are looking for some standards.

What I have learned from this particular business is that there is a space in our market for niche products. The market here is slowly becoming more sophisticated. The consumer’s taste is becoming more nuanced.

Further, if you are in the private sector and trying to run your business very professionally, there is also a spillover effect in the public domain. I feel in a small way you can indirectly make a contribution by maintaining these standards.

And how has it been taking an established brand and trying to meet its standard?
This is certainly not a given. You have to be a stickler for details. There is a checklist and regular meetings with the staff where we talk about them. We discuss issues and encourage them to pay attention to all the required details.

Besides in this kind of business where you are dealing with food and beverage, you are projecting yourself through the product every day. You have to be very consistent, and put in extra time for that as well. We are all working to enhance the reputation of the company here.

On a personal note, how does it feel to switch gears from foreign affairs to business?
I certainly couldn’t have predicted it ten or so years ago but, I feel fortunate to have this experience. It’s different because with this business I have to work on the ground. It’s not just research, board meetings limited to the intellectual realm, you have to be practical and hands on. I’m learning every day.

It’s given me perspective. I’m still interested in foreign affairs but this nicely balances the intellectual and creative aspects of my personality. 

 
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• #keventers
 
• #logistics
 
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• #consumers