The drinking Straws market is vast, with a global market valued at 17 billion USD in 2019. Plastic straws have been in high demand due to their high applicability. Mass manufacturing and use of plastic straws undoubtedly have caused environmental issues as each straw ever used still exists due to its non-biodegradable nature. Increasing demand is thus posing a threat to nature and humans, and other aquatic and land creatures. India needs an alternative to overcome this crisis emerging due to the great demand for its high population.
Big hospitality brands are avoiding single-use plastic products and focusing on either paper or pasta straws. Paper straws have drawbacks of getting soggy in few minutes and leaving a bitter taste to the drink. However, pasta straws do not get soggy as fast as paper straws and come with no additional chemicals. Hence, it is seen as the best opportunity for hospitality companies to induce a sustain-able approach to business.
The greatest challenge of Indian consumers to use pasta straw is their high price and low availability com-pared to plastic or even paper straws. The reason for this is the low presence of Indian manufacturers in this market. This was the scenario until UStraww emerged as a pioneer in
the Indian market for pasta straw. The company director Karan Panchal was fascinated by this idea when he first found it in a seminar in London. The vision behind the start- up is thus to eliminate minute problems while proposing alternative plastic use in restaurants and the hospitality industry. In the company director’s words, “One thing we have learned by serving this segment is that people are ready for your products if you provide them more than their expectations, and we are doing the same.”
Core Competency
A tour within the company’s operations is a role model for a business entity as UStraww practices what they preach. The company’s motto has always been to replace plastic and non-biodegrad-able products for packaging and other purposes. UStraww is a 100 percent eco-friendly company. Karan mentions, “Not only do we sell eco-friendly products, but we also have successfully replaced the plastic packaging with paper pack-aging.”
As mentioned, UStraww always strives to outperform the expectations of the customers, and therefore, they have induced innovation in their core competency. They maintain a customer-oriented approach, understand that customers’ wishes are never-ending, and nurture them with passion. Thus, UStraww has put its in-house R&D effectively into use to research more varieties in straws. Karan says, “Apart from the pasta straws, we have introduced the cocoa straws, specifically designed for the avid chocolate lovers.”
The company’s mission is continually upgrading its product base to provide top-notch quality and eco-friendly experiences
Future Perceptions
Karan, while sharing his view, said, “UStraww is not just a straw company. We aim to become a revolution.” The company’s mission is continually upgrading its product base to provide top-notch quality and eco-friendly experiences. But the company is not limited to drinking straws. Besides wanting to offer a luxurious experience to drinkers, UStraww foresees the bio-degradable trend. Karan states, “In the near future, we will see many startups and big companies jump on it.” Therefore, UStraww aims to enter into the bio-degradable tableware sector, which allows them to serve their goal to help the green initiatives that the clients in the hospitality industry are taking.
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