CHEERING FOR CHIKOOS

Former mechanical engineer PRIYANKA SAVE, MD - Hill Zill Wines, ‘engineered her way to making an alcohol beverage with chikoos from her farm in Maharashtra, giving birth to the brand she co-founded, Fruzzanté. She shares her story with Shraddha Kamdar

- Shraddha Kamdar

Fruzzanté happened to me by chance," reveals the entrepreneur who co-founded the company that made the world's first alcohol beverage from chikoos. Hailing from a farming background, mechanical engineer Priyanka Save worked in the US for a few years before realising she wanted to be back in India for good. Upon her return, she could not stomach the fact that about 40 per cent of the chikoo produce on the family farm was being wasted due to lack of demand. She and her husband Nagesh Pai researched their way into the idea of crafting wine from the local fruit. That's how Fruzzanté was conceptualised under the aegis of Hill Zill Wines Pvt Ltd, of which Save is managing director.

"Our core concept and philosophy are farm to bottle, and we are on a journey to encourage farmers and ensure that our local fruits get their due," says Save. “We source directly from farmers across Maharashtra and we make sure that the farmers get the right price for their products," adds the woman for whom such farmer benefits have been close to the heart, considering she, too, belongs to a farming family. The entrepreneur in her is happy with the idea too – the advantage of sourcing directly from the farmers is fresh and quality produce that heightens the quality quotient of the final product.