Wokha District, known as ‘the land of plenty’, is not only blessed with agro-climatic conditions suitable for organic vegetables and fruits but also natural water sources from where flows clean and pure water. Noticing that the demand for clean drinking is increasing while the sources are depleting, a man from Chudi village decided to tap on the opportunity.

This man resolved to make the most of the gift of nature, package it and deliver natural and safe drinking water to the public.

That man is Yanrenthung Lotha, founder of ‘Tiyi Drops’ bottled drinking water from Wokha district.

Yanrenthung Lotha, founder of Mongtsu Beverage, Wokha

The name

While contemplating on the name for the product, someone suggested to give it one that represents the district and so the name was chosen, after the famous Tiyi mountain in Wokha, while the firm’s name is Mongtsu Beverage, after Yanrenthung’s grandson.

The Production

The plant, which is located at Bluehill Colony in the district, began production on 17 January 2021 after acquiring the licence from the Regulatory Board of Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS). The company began with 500ml bottled water, then got license for 1 litre and recently added 250ml.

The machine at the plant produces 40 bottles per minute (1ltr). The production is larger if filling smaller bottles.

Lesenthung Tungoe, the youngest son of the founder, who manages the company, revealed that they will soon upgrade their machines to one that will be able to produce 90 bottles per minute and roughly 70 lakh bottles per year.

There are three variants of the water. The 1ltr bottle is sold for Rs 20, 500ml for Rs 10 and 250ml for Rs 7.

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The challenges

Setting up a water bottle manufacturing plant requires an investment of at least one crore. The proprietors lament that production is low due to financial constraints, but there are plans for upgrading and expansion in the recent future.

The running cost of the business, the fluctuation of prices of the raw materials and transportation problem are other problems faced by the firm.

Another challenge is getting skilled employees. The proprietors disclosed that one of its missions was to give employment to the local citizens of Wokha district but because of various reasons, despite several efforts from the company to train them, the locals left halfway.

So, the company decided to employ people from outside the district as well as from other states, particularly from Phek district and Assam, which proved to be fruitful. The plant presently has around 15 employees.

The firm provides its workers with free accommodation and food, electricity, and of course, water. It also offers bonus to its employees bonus and pay for medical expenses. It plans on extending its health care coverage.

Lesenthung Tungoe (sitting right) with employees of Mongtsu Beverage

The flourishing market

The water bottled by Mongtsu Beverage is doing more than well in Wokha district. Tungoe regrets that the plant is unable to meet the high demand from not just the production district but from the state. There had been offers for dealership from Dimapur, the commercial hub of Nagaland, but the company did not have the capacity.

The process

1. Water is extracted from underground.

2. It is transferred to the reservoir and then to three filtration (locally made) units, which then goes to another reservoir where the filtered water is stored.

3. The filtered water goes to the tank of the building (which is also a raw water tank), from there it undergoes Reverse Osmosis treatment.

4. After it has gone through the RO treatment, it goes to the micro and chemical lab to ensure that the quality of the water meets international standards for human consumption. The water is supplied to the Rinsing, Filling & Capping Machine (RFC) only if the results are satisfactory.

5. The MRP and manufacturing date for the bottle are printed from the Laser Jet printer and automatically stuck by the machine.

6. In the final step, the bottle is taken to the packaging area by a person for packaging.

What makes ‘Tiyi Drops’ stand out?

Tungoe says that the distinct natural sweetness in the water that remains even after being filtered has won over the people that has contributed to the success of the water.

The future

At present, the bottled water is available in Wokha, Mokokchung and Zunheboto but the firm plans expand its business to other districts.

In just a short peroiod of time, the proprietors, with their determination and hard work, has built a model company for aspiring entrepreneurs in the state to learn from. At this rate, the company will soon move to the medium scale industries category.

Mongtsu Beverage plans to venture into producing juices. It also intends to manufacture tissues, paper cups and other environmentally friendly products.