Imphal, Aug. 3: A local spice company is turning up the heat on national giant Bawa Masala Company (BMC) in the fight for space on the shelves of grocery stores and kitchens in Manipur.

Launched in November last year, Korouhanba Spices Industry (KSI) has come up with a wide range of products.

"Right now, I have not been able to produce enough to market outside Manipur. I am barely managing to supply the local requirements," Potsangbam Kullachandra Singh, the owner of the small company, told The Telegraph .

Before KSI came out with its products under the brand name Kitchen Aroma, BMC spices ruled the roost in the state.

"BMC's revenue in Manipur is about Rs 5 crore per month. This is a huge market. Our money goes outside. My target is to keep BMC out of Manipur. Thus, we can improve our economy and generate employment," Kullachandra Singh said.

Right now KSI produces 14 varieties of spices. Except in jeera (cumin) powder, dhania (coriander) powder and methi (fenugreek) powder, the company uses local resources. The company procures cumin, coriander and fenugreek from outside the state.

KSI provides seeds of the spice plants to farmers of Tamenglong district.

"The products of my unit are purely organic and good for health as the plants and roots have high medicinal value. Spices made of local herbs without chemicals can cure ailments," Kullachandara Singh said.

Kullachandara Singh completed his MTech in bio-technology from Jadavpur University in Calcutta. He was the project engineer at the public sector pineapple juice concentration unit in Tripura in 1989. Later, he worked at Vadodara's pineapple ready to serve unit, another public sector enterprise.

The man is ready to take on BMC. But lack of capital is becoming a hurdle. He established his unit at a cost of Rs 1.7 crore and took a loan from Vijaya Bank at Keithelmanbi in Imphal West.

He applied for subsidy under the National Mission on Food Processing, which is supposed to fund 50 per cent of the plant and machinery cost and 50 per cent of the civil construction cost for production related activities. His unit was selected in 2013 but the subsidy is yet to come.

"When my unit was launched, commerce and industries minister Govindas Konthoujam had promised help but the state government is yet to come to my rescue. I have not been able to repay the Rs 40-lakh loan taken from the bank," he said.

The minister has promised that the state government will help entrepreneurs to enhance the state's economy and create employment avenues. But that promise is just lip service, Kullachandra Singh alleged.