TOBACCO

Setting alight, a new success story

The company started journey in 1952 as a beedi rolling company to provide livelihood to the destitute rural population of Murshidabad fresh out of the partition and devoid of any industries. Today ‘502’ is the most renowned brand in India selling over 11 million sticks a day providing livelihood to 150,000 workers 80% of which are women. Pataka was the first to advocate minimum wages in the industry despite opposition and is still the only company providing all lawful welfares and benefits to every single worker.

Spanning across 12 factories in Bengal the focus is purely the continued welfare of fringe districts of rural Bengal (Murshidabad and Malda). Pataka’s operations span pan-India across 18 States and is the single largest revenue provider to many industries, eg. Forest produce, fringe farming, etc.