‘Serendipity–an enchanting phenomenon, a stroke of good luck that has kept people finding wonderful and amazing things. This phenomenon is not only just applicable to love and friendships…wondrous stories of making dreams into reality are also unfolded with it. Nature’s wonder, isn’t it?’

Experiencing the power of a strong phenomenon, three brilliant people in the Botanical & Food processing industry with a shared passion for innovation and a common vision came together and gave birth to an engaging concept–bringing something unique to the value-added Botanical industry majorly Tea, coffee and spices, leveraging its collective expertise and a fresh perspective. The tale of their startup Innopolis Bio Innovations Private Limited (IBI) started with a serendipitous reunion of these individuals who had previously worked together in the same organization but had joined and left at different times.

One of the founders shares, “It was during this conversation that the idea of starting our own institution took root. The synergy of our diverse experiences and skills became the foundation for Innopolis. Motivated by a collective desire to create something impactful and contribute to the dynamic ecosystem of innovation, we embarked on the exciting journey of entrepreneurship.”

Elaborating Core Competencies

In the dynamic landscape of the Botanical Extraction and food processing industry, Innopolis Bio Innovations Private Limited (IBI) stands out as a beacon of innovation and commitment to providing optimized engineering and process solutions. Established with a vision to revolutionize the sector, IBI is dedicated to developing, designing and demonstrating manufacturing and testing facilities that incorporate cutting-edge technologies. The organization holds a primary goal to empower its clients to produce high-quality products with minimum investment and operational expenses that not only meet industry standards but also cater to the evolving needs of consumers. IBI has the following competencies:

Business Consulting: By analyzing raw material origin produces and market requirements, IBI provides valuable insights to its clients, enabling them to make informed decisions that align with industry trends and consumer preferences.

Process and Plant Design: The organization leverages the most modern technologies to create efficient and sustainable solutions tailored to the unique requirements of the spices, tea, coffee, fish oil, fruits & vegetables, nutraceuticals extraction and food processing industry.

Turnkey Project Execution: From conceptualization to completion, the organization ensures seamless project delivery, providing its clients with turnkey solutions that encompass every aspect of the manufacturing process.

Plant Stabilization: This involves fine-tuning processes and systems to ensure optimal performance and efficiency over the commercial run.

Training and Product Development: IBI is committed to empowering its clients by offering comprehensive training programs. This not only includes technical training for the operational team but also extends to product development, enabling clients to stay at the forefront of innovation in the industry.

The Strong Portfolio of Services

IBI exemplifies a commitment to excellence in the Botanical extraction and Food processing industry with its strong portfolio of services that include:

Efficient Outsourcing: Many of IBI’s clients face difficulties in designing outsourcing the necessary equipment and setting up production and quality control processes for specialized products. To bridge this gap, IBI not only offers state-of-the-art engineering process & product development solutions but also provides comprehensive services tailored to its clients’ needs.

IBI offers greenfield projects in the domain from Architectural and structural design, with Food safety management system design as well as construction supervision for the clients apart from plant design, erection and commissioning.

Global Market Access: IBI understands the significance of global market presence for its clients. The organization’s solutions are crafted with a strategic approach, aiming to help customers leverage opportunities in international markets. By aligning processes with global standards and trends, IBI facilitates its clients’ entry into and sustained success in 16 countries of diverse markets worldwide by providing proper marketing and sales lead. So far, it has successfully completed 100+ projects and developed 60+ novel concepts.

Guiding Philosophy–Root of IBI’s Success

Each project brings out something different and challenging. How an organization tackles it decides the future of its business. The guiding philosophy that has propelled IBI to emerge as India’s budding startup revolves around its approach to each project. Innopolis fundamentally conceives every project as a new and unique concept. Our success is built on the principle of designing the business by leveraging the strengths and understanding the opportunities of our clients.

IBI adheres to this philosophy that underscores its commitment to tailored solutions, recognizing that each client and project is distinct. The organization believes in a dynamic and adaptive approach that takes into account the individual nuances of every venture. Moreover, it closely understands the needs and challenges of its clients and develops strategies and solutions. These solutions are not only innovative but also precisely aligned with objectives and ready to market.

A Forward-looking and Innovative Startup

Talking about its key features that drive growth, IBI emphasizes its primary USP–the commitment to providing tailor-made solutions. With every new client comes a new idea and requirements. Recognizing the distinctiveness of each project, the organization ensures providing business models, customized strategies, and services to meet the specific needs and challenges of its clients.

What sets IBI apart is its focus on staying at the forefront of the latest technologies. In this digitally advanced world, the organization actively incorporates emerging technologies in its areas of expertise, ensuring that the clients are equipped with cutting-edge solutions. Along with customer satisfaction, it helps them in empowerment. By staying ahead of the curve, it empowers its clients to not only meet current market demands but also to be well-prepared for future trends.

IBI supports clients to get state and central government subsidies to set up manufacturing facilities and testing centers in India.

Structures and Cultured Environment

IBI adheres to its approach to leadership and team building that is centered around fostering a structured yet collaborative environment. The organization has established a clear hierarchical system and organized its teams based on activities and functions. This ensures transparency and clarity within the organization, allowing each team member to have a distinct role and responsibility. The structured framework enhances visibility, enabling everyone to understand who is responsible for what aspect of a project.

Beyond the organizational structure, IBI prioritizes cultivating a family-like culture within the organization. This emphasis on creating a close-knit community aims to improve the sense of

belonging among team members and foster stronger interpersonal relationships. A family-oriented atmosphere encourages open communication, trust and collaboration, which are essential elements for driving innovation and achieving collective goals.

With this blend of a well-defined hierarchical system with a nurturing and familial culture, the organization strives to create an environment where every team member feels valued and connected. This approach has been instrumental in driving the achievements of Innopolis and maintaining a motivated and cohesive workforce.

True Success Lies in Customer Satisfaction!

IBI strikes a balance between operational efficiency and customer satisfaction by adopting a holistic approach as a turnkey solution provider in its segment. The organization follows a 360-degree view when approaching projects and addresses every aspect from selecting the plant location, layout, raw material for the process, equipment selection, production, and quality control to packaging. This comprehensive perspective allows Innopolis to look beyond short-term goals and consider the long-term impact on the end-user experience.

By integrating operational efficiency at every stage of the project, the organization enhances productivity as well as ensures that the final consumer receives a product that meets high-quality standards. IBI’s commitment to customer satisfaction extends beyond immediate project objectives. The organization actively assesses and addresses the needs and preferences of the end consumer, understanding that true success lies in the level of satisfaction experienced by the final user.

Incorporating Technological Innovations

In today’s world of modern startups and innovative solutions, digitalization and adapting new technological advancements are the key factors to success and customer satisfaction and retention. In this regard, IBI also recognised and acknowledged the importance of cutting-edge advancements and digital evolution. The organization is deeply committed to embracing digitalization and leveraging technological advancements to propel it into a technovative future.

At the core of its functioning, IBI employs the latest engineering tools for designing and optimizing projects. This includes Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Software, Process Simulation Software, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Software, 3D Modelling and Design Software like AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Staad Pro, PV Elite, Thermodynamic Process Simulation Tools, Process Flow Diagram (PFD), and Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) Software.

The organization believes that utilizing cutting-edge engineering tools not only enhances the accuracy and precision of our designs but also optimizes costs and improves overall efficiency in plant operations and other critical areas. Because of such a smart approach, IBI stays at the forefront of technological advancements in its industry as well as ensures that its solutions are not only innovative but also aligned with the evolving landscape of digitalization.

In essence, our commitment to integrating digitalization and technology into our core functioning positions us as a forward-thinking and technologically advanced startup. This not only streamlines our processes but also contributes to a technovative future by fostering efficiency, sustainability, and innovation in every aspect of our operations.

Some Success Stories

Success stories are certificates of excellence, proofs of hard work and innovations and a secret ingredient that shoots up its business rocket. In the case of IBI, its commitment to excellence and innovation revolves around its focus on energy efficiency and maximizing the utilization of processing areas. The organization consistently strives to extract more value from a single raw material by incorporating advanced technologies, such as Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SCFE), Sub critical extraction, Molecular Distillation, Fish meal, Fish oil enrichment, and Aroma Separation technologies.

Furthermore, the organization always sets out to redefine the traditional approaches in processing by leveraging SCFE and subcritical extraction. These advanced technologies not only enhance the efficiency of extraction processes but also contribute to a more sustainable, eco-friendly and resource-efficient operation. By optimizing energy utilization and streamlining processing areas, it achieved remarkable improvements in overall production efficiency.

Tough Teams Do Last!

“Tough times don’t last. Tough teams do!” For an organization to be successful, a strong and dedicated workforce is the building foundation. As skilled employees vibrate to the tune of service excellence and success, IBI does not leave any stone unturned to nurture its brilliant workforce comprising 40 experts. The organization places a strong emphasis on fostering a culture of growth, skill development and empowerment among its workforce. It actively invests in their professional development.

IBI fosters workforce empowerment by utilizing advanced technologies in its processes and designs. Employees are encouraged not just to understand these technologies theoretically but to engage in hands-on experiences, fostering a deeper understanding and mastery. We believe that this approach not only enhances their skill set but also instills a sense of confidence and empowerment.

Moreover, IBI prioritizes continuous learning by providing both in-house and external agency training opportunities, particularly when implementing new technologies. This ensures that our employees stay abreast of the latest industry trends and advancements. The organization also believes that this commitment to ongoing training and skill development creates a dynamic and innovative workforce that is well-equipped to tackle challenges and contribute to its growth.

Navigating Through Adversities

Talking about the challenges, IBI has had its fair share of challenges and difficulties. In the face of a dynamic industry structure and an array of hurdles, the organization has won the day with resilience and ingenuity. From technocrats to entrepreneurs, its transition is of course like a roller coaster ride. The major challenge was and still is getting accepted and convinced by the bankers.

Even though IBI is a well-established, ‘a recognised startup’ organization by GOI, an MSME, it faced difficulties in seeking funding. The organization had to run pillar-to-post to get funding for its projects. This pursuit persists despite the existence of declared schemes and projects aimed at supporting startups and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Straightening the Unforgettable Twist

A challenge is an unforgettable twist and along with the funding difficulty, IBI also hit a snag with the Covid-19 Pandemic just like every single business in the world. Though this deadly monster posed unprecedented challenges to industries globally, IBI navigated these times with resilience and adaptability. The organization not only recognized the importance of continuity but also swiftly implemented digital communication strategies to ensure seamless operations.

Furthermore, in response to the limitations imposed by the pandemic, IBI initiated most of its projects with a strong reliance on digital communication. The organization leveraged online tools and techniques to bridge the gap between office and work sites. Notably, it employed Microsoft HoloLens technology during this period that facilitated the virtual commissioning of projects in both India and Sri Lanka.

IBI harnessed the power of modern innovations; it crushed the influence of the Pandemic. By embracing innovative technologies, the organization ensured business continuity and streamlined its processes in the face of travel restrictions and social distancing measures. This adaptability allowed it to maintain project timelines, enhance collaboration and effectively navigate the challenges imposed by the pandemic.

Pearls of Wisdom

The master’s behind Innopolis huge success share their secret nugget of insights to budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the startup space. They suggest:

• Start with a clear vision and mission: The intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. This foundational understanding will guide your startup journey with purpose and passion.
• Play to your core competency: Focus on what you excel at; for us, it’s technology and value-added botanicals. By leveraging your strengths, you position your startup for success and differentiation in a competitive landscape.

Sharing a word of wisdom, they also add, “Remember, building a startup is a journey that requires resilience and adaptability. Embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Stay committed to your vision, but be flexible in your approach. Surround yourself with a strong team that shares your values and complements your skills.”

Aspiring Aims

IBI is strategically mapping its future plans. The vision for the organization is centered around forging strategic partnerships to bring cutting-edge technologies to the Botanical and Food value-addition space. The organization not only aims to lead in process improvement but also wishes to elevate product quality in this domain. In addition to its wide spectrum of plans, it aspires to contribute significantly to the development of technologies that foster sustainability and the creation of eco-friendly products.

Furthermore, IBI’s focus will be on extracting more value from raw materials by minimizing wastage and implementing efficient processes. For a safe and clean environment, the organization has committed to addressing environmental concerns by developing methods to remove residuals such as pesticides and heavy metals from the final products. This not only aligns with our dedication to innovation but also positions us as a key player in shaping a more sustainable and eco-conscious future.