The Backstory
In Bihar — where nearly 85% of India’s makhana is produced — a young visionary changed everything.
Nadeem Iqbal, a 24-year-old BBA graduate, took his father Md. Raish’s small makhana business and turned it into a modern, structured, and highly profitable brand: Nature’s Makhana.
His father had run a modest makhana wholesale operation in Katihar for three decades, using traditional popping machines and selling in bulk without branding or marketing.
Nadeem saw the problem — prices shot up from ₹600 to ₹1,200 as middlemen pocketed the profit.
That insight sparked his idea: build a direct, branded makhana business that connects farmers and buyers efficiently.
Building the Brand
With ₹1 crore borrowed from his father’s old business, Nadeem invested carefully:
- ₹80 lakh in raw materials
- ₹8 lakh in packaging
- ₹12 lakh for salaries, rent, and other costs
Instead of launching online instantly, he built the foundation first:
- Partnered with 50+ farmers in Bihar
- Trained over 100 workers to process and grade makhana
- Used his father’s 6-acre factory land for large-scale production
- Focused on clean packaging, proper weight, and attractive design
This slow and steady approach helped him create a strong supply chain before jumping into marketing.
Expanding Beyond Bihar
By the end of 2024, Nature’s Makhana entered Delhi’s Khari Baoli market, India’s largest dry-fruit wholesale hub.
Sales spread rapidly to multiple states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, building a nationwide presence.
Nadeem’s belief was simple:
“You don’t need to push makhana too hard — the demand already exists. Just organize it and brand it right.”
How Instagram Reels Changed Everything
This is where the game changed.
At first, Nadeem’s business posts on Instagram barely got attention. Then he discovered the power of Reels.
He boosted a single reel with just ₹500 — and received orders worth ₹3 lakh from it. That one experiment reshaped his marketing strategy.
Soon, his Reels began hitting 700K–800K monthly views, with 100+ customer calls per viral video.
His content strategy was simple:
- Short clips of makhana production
- Text overlays explaining quality
- Trending audio
- No personal appearances — just authentic visuals
That consistency built trust and generated real B2B sales — not just likes.
The Business Model
Today, Nature’s Makhana operates as a B2B brand, offering premium-quality makhanas and white-label manufacturing for other businesses.
Here’s how their business runs:
- Minimum order: 150 kg
- Revenue per order: ₹1,35,000
- Procurement cost: ₹75,000
- Grading: ₹15,000
- Packaging: ₹10,000
- Miscellaneous: ₹14,750
- Net profit: Around ₹20,000 per order
The brand now makes around ₹3 crore per month, with clients across Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
The Vision Ahead
Balancing his MBA studies with business, Nadeem calls Nature’s Makhana his “real-world MBA.”
He says his father still doesn’t realize that most orders come through Instagram Reels — but he’s proud of the progress.
His goal is clear:
- Create a fully organized makhana ecosystem in Bihar
- Empower local farmers with fair pricing
- Establish Indian makhana as a global superfood
Key Takeaways from Nadeem’s Journey
- Traditional family businesses can be reborn through smart branding and social media.
- Structuring the supply chain ensures long-term profits.
- Instagram Reels can generate serious B2B sales with minimal cost.
- Strategic investment beats spending blindly.
- Innovation and legacy can work hand-in-hand beautifully.
About Marketing Mirror
At Marketing Mirror, we spotlight stories of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creative marketing that shape India’s business future.
Our mission is to inspire dreamers, creators, and small business owners to think smarter, move faster, and grow bigger.
