Our story begins
Every great story has a protagonist. Our protagonist, the enterprising Mr. Bola Raghavendra Kamath envisioned and pioneered cashew nut industry in the coastal city of Mangalore. From early 1940’s he started trading commodities and developed a particular interest in cashew nuts. As years went by, he realised that it was time to go to the next level.
The foundation of cashew factory
1958 will be etched in the history books for having laid foundation to cashew processing industry in Mangalore, that is to provide employment to thousands of rural men and women in the coming years. Mr. Bola had taken the first step towards fulfilling his dream.
Some things are first
When a baby is born into this world, every ‘first’ in the child’s growth becomes a milestone for the parents. Every ‘first’ at the Bola family business was just the beginning for the ‘second’. Mr. Bola inculcated among his employees and family the spirit of enjoying every moment in the growth-journey, but at the same time plan for the next phase. He was always one step ahead of everyone else.
First export
Mr. Bola, a man born in pre-independence rural India dreamed of reaching the world. In 1962, at a time when countries had just begun to open their borders, we registered our first export shipment of cashew kernel. Dreams do come true!
Unprecedented expansion
The formally educated second generation family leadership ensured that the culture of the organisation shifted from “people-dependent” to “process-dependent”. Getting systems in place helped us gain a vast amount of knowledge regarding food processing which helped us grow leaps and bounds.
Making every drop count
Sometimes, the person you consider your biggest foe may turn out to be a friend in disguise. During our quest for process excellence, we wondered whether the world could use cashew nut shell oil, which is the major contaminant of cashew kernel during processing. The exploration that followed led to the first export of CNSL in 1974.
ExperYouth
The experience of first two generations made an exciting combination with the young blood of the third generation. This formidable team helped the firm scale greater heights by nurturing the “Bola” brand, synonymous with quality, commitment and integrity.
Milestone
Some memories are distinctively special. Our personal favourite is when we clocked Rs. 1 crore revenue in exports in 1970’s. Our efforts to skew the balance of trade in India’s favour were recognised with several awards from the government of the day.
First step toward diversification
Our guiding light, Mr. Bola Surendra Kamath always used to say - “Never put all your eggs in one basket”. When an overseas cashew client approached us with his coffee sourcing challenges, our tryst with coffee began. This was our first step toward diversification.
Our tryst with coffee
Our location in the heart of India’s coffee growing area helped us build a network of superior coffee planters. We designed sourcing operations that ensured that the best cup reaches our client with utmost efficiency. We were recognised multiple times for having registered one of the highest exports of coffee beans from India.
The next chapter
With the growth of both the family and the family business, for more efficient management, the firm was reconstituted as “Bola Surendra Kamath and Sons” under the leadership of third generation leaders. The year 2005 was a new beginning, with renewed energy and commitment.
Software wing - Bolas Intelli Solutions
With the incorporation of Bolas Intelli Solutions Private Ltd., our software wing, we began integrating traditional business with data and technology.
Customer-centric approach
We take pride in serving our consumers with the most the micro-detailed approach. Having fed the end-consumer via intermediaries such as bakery chains, restaurants, caterers et al, we aimed at direct to consumer branding of our commodity. The nearer we are to our consumer, the more data we have about his/ her requirements, the better we can serve.
Edible oil
Our direct to consumer brand journey in edible oil began with acquisition of Mysore Mercantile Ltd. With a portfolio of brands that included Palm Raja, Leader Gold, Prajwal and Sun Taaza, we started contributing toward fulfilling the nutritional needs of the people of Karnataka.
Customer is God
Our USP has always been continuous improvement in the service provided to the client. Through a feedback collection mechanism and follow up on measures to serve the consumer better, we built immense trust among our clients. Hence, they started expecting us to provide other products that they required. With this, we began our journey in other dried fruits and treenuts.
Almonds, pistachios, figs, dates, other tree nuts and dried fruits
We started importing and processing almonds from California and Australia. With our vast experience in commodity trading and food processing in addition to our clientele in India, we grew leaps and bounds to become one of the largest players in Almond in India. We started replicating this success in pistachios, figs and other dried fruits.
In search of sustainable growth avenues
With Mr. Bola Raghavendra Kamath’s entrepreneurial spirit running in our veins, we are always in a look-out for sustainable growth avenues. With the world starting to open its borders, we started to look at presence beyond India.
Birth of Bola Vietnam Ltd
Bola Vietnam Company Ltd. was incorporated in 2014 with an aim to capitalise on transferrable ownership advantages in commodity business. Through this venture, we have successfully been able to deliver quality coffee, black pepper and cashew to our global market.
Our story begins
Every great story has a protagonist. Our protagonist, the enterprising Mr. Bola Raghavendra Kamath envisioned and pioneered cashew nut industry in the coastal city of Mangalore. From early 1940’s he started trading commodities and developed a particular interest in cashew nuts. As years went by, he realised that it was time to go to the next level.
The foundation of cashew factory
1958 will be etched in the history books for having laid foundation to cashew processing industry in Mangalore, that is to provide employment to thousands of rural men and women in the coming years. Mr. Bola had taken the first step towards fulfilling his dream.
Some things are first
When a baby is born into this world, every ‘first’ in the child’s growth becomes a milestone for the parents. Every ‘first’ at the Bola family business was just the beginning for the ‘second’. Mr. Bola inculcated among his employees and family the spirit of enjoying every moment in the growth-journey, but at the same time plan for the next phase. He was always one step ahead of everyone else.
First export
Mr. Bola, a man born in pre-independence rural India dreamed of reaching the world. In 1962, at a time when countries had just begun to open their borders, we registered our first export shipment of cashew kernel. Dreams do come true!
Unprecedented expansion
The formally educated second generation family leadership ensured that the culture of the organisation shifted from “people-dependent” to “process-dependent”. Getting systems in place helped us gain a vast amount of knowledge regarding food processing which helped us grow leaps and bounds.
Making every drop count
Sometimes, the person you consider your biggest foe may turn out to be a friend in disguise. During our quest for process excellence, we wondered whether the world could use cashew nut shell oil, which is the major contaminant of cashew kernel during processing. The exploration that followed led to the first export of CNSL in 1974.
ExperYouth
The experience of first two generations made an exciting combination with the young blood of the third generation. This formidable team helped the firm scale greater heights by nurturing the “Bola” brand, synonymous with quality, commitment and integrity.
Milestone
Some memories are distinctively special. Our personal favourite is when we clocked Rs. 1 crore revenue in exports in 1970’s. Our efforts to skew the balance of trade in India’s favour were recognised with several awards from the government of the day.
First step toward diversification
Our guiding light, Mr. Bola Surendra Kamath always used to say - “Never put all your eggs in one basket”. When an overseas cashew client approached us with his coffee sourcing challenges, our tryst with coffee began. This was our first step toward diversification.
Our tryst with coffee
Our location in the heart of India’s coffee growing area helped us build a network of superior coffee planters. We designed sourcing operations that ensured that the best cup reaches our client with utmost efficiency. We were recognised multiple times for having registered one of the highest exports of coffee beans from India.
The next chapter
With the growth of both the family and the family business, for more efficient management, the firm was reconstituted as “Bola Surendra Kamath and Sons” under the leadership of third generation leaders. The year 2005 was a new beginning, with renewed energy and commitment.
Software wing - Bolas Intelli Solutions
With the incorporation of Bolas Intelli Solutions Private Ltd., our software wing, we began integrating traditional business with data and technology.
Customer-centric approach
We take pride in serving our consumers with the most the micro-detailed approach. Having fed the end-consumer via intermediaries such as bakery chains, restaurants, caterers et al, we aimed at direct to consumer branding of our commodity. The nearer we are to our consumer, the more data we have about his/ her requirements, the better we can serve.
Edible oil
Our direct to consumer brand journey in edible oil began with acquisition of Mysore Mercantile Ltd. With a portfolio of brands that included Palm Raja, Leader Gold, Prajwal and Sun Taaza, we started contributing toward fulfilling the nutritional needs of the people of Karnataka.
Customer is God
Our USP has always been continuous improvement in the service provided to the client. Through a feedback collection mechanism and follow up on measures to serve the consumer better, we built immense trust among our clients. Hence, they started expecting us to provide other products that they required. With this, we began our journey in other dried fruits and treenuts.
Almonds, pistachios, figs, dates, other tree nuts and dried fruits
We started importing and processing almonds from California and Australia. With our vast experience in commodity trading and food processing in addition to our clientele in India, we grew leaps and bounds to become one of the largest players in Almond in India. We started replicating this success in pistachios, figs and other dried fruits.
In search of sustainable growth avenues
With Mr. Bola Raghavendra Kamath’s entrepreneurial spirit running in our veins, we are always in a look-out for sustainable growth avenues. With the world starting to open its borders, we started to look at presence beyond India.
Birth of Bola Vietnam Ltd
Bola Vietnam Company Ltd. was incorporated in 2014 with an aim to capitalise on transferrable ownership advantages in commodity business. Through this venture, we have successfully been able to deliver quality coffee, black pepper and cashew to our global market.