Desai Bandhu Ambewale is a brand name in Pune and Mumbai when it comes to buying the choicest Alphonso Mangoes. It was in 1932 when Raghunath Vasudev Desai, the founder of Desai Bandhu Ambewale started bringing mangoes from Konkan to sell in Pune. His son Vasantrao Desai has been instrumental in converting the business in to a brand that now has a global recognition. The mango sellers Desai family now send mangoes and Mango products to US and Japan as well as the Gulf countries.
Sudhir Gadgil, noted comperer and food connoisseur relives his fan boy moments with mangoes and the Desai family from whom he buys them.
"Every year I buy alphonso mangoes from Desai Bandhu Ambewale since the shop is situated very near to my house and I am sure of it's sweetness and fragrance. I am a Desai loyalist since childhood and continue to have it even now for my grand-children."
Vasantrao Desai told that the third generation of Desais including his three sons Yogesh, Narendra and Mandar have been handling the responsibilities of sales, distribution, finance, administration, export, public relations and marketing. The family now has a garden spread over 325 acres of land in Pavas in Ratnagiri district and have 6500 Mango trees which provides mangoes to Pune, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and the world.
Desai Bandhu Ambewale has three outlets in Pune and one in Mumbai which is situated just opposite to the Siddhivinayak Temple. The product range includes mangoes, mango pulp, Aamba Wadi, tin slices, mango jam, crush, Aamba Poli and Mango Shrikhand.
The firm sells 25 thousand boxes every year and each box contains 4 to 5 dozens of mangoes. In addition to Alphonso mangoes, they sell mango pulp to the tune of 2 million tin boxes. Mango pulp is sold in two brands namely Amar and Vijay and it is used mainly by ice cream parlours and juice centers. He informed that dried Mango crush commonly called as Mango Maava is also sold which is generally used for making Mango Burfi.
Vasantrao Desai informed that Desai Bandhu Ambewale has a turn over of Rs. 25 crores and they are the only ones who do not sell their entire garden to traders. He informed that there are many native farmers from Ratnagiri and other Konkan region who cultivate Alphonso, Payri (a more pulpier variety of mangoes) but they generally sell their entire garden to traders who bring mangoes for selling to Pune, Mumbai and other regions with the trader's name. The Desais desist from doing this and thereby help the final cultivator.
