When 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗮𝘁 launched in 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟯, most FMCG brands were battling shelf wars over cola, energy drinks, and tetra-packs of synthetic juices.
Paperboat didn’t just launch a product — 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆."𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀," they said. And it worked.
But here’s what they didn’t say loudly:
👉 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗮𝗺𝗿𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀.
While Paperboat became famous for "𝗔𝗮𝗺𝗿𝗮𝘀" and "𝗝𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗞𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮" —
it was not just sourcing mango pulp from big processors.
They actively revived smallholder linkages with fruit farmers across Maharashtra, Gujarat, and parts of Karnataka — especially for neglected fruits like jamun, kokum, and bel (wood apple).
𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗼 (𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗶-𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻),
• Jamun often rotted unsold or fetched low prices in mandis.
• Kokum stayed confined to local pickling units in Konkan and Goa.
Paperboat didn’t make a lot of noise about it, but here’s what they actually did:
• 𝗡𝗼 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵𝘆 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝘀 — just quiet deals with FPCs.
• Kokum pulped 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝟱𝟬 𝗸𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺.
• 𝗕-𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘀 turned into purees, concentrates, and more.
• 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀: "Harvest when soft," "Avoid big sacks," "Cool kokum immediately."
A quiet form of contract farming — 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹.
Paperboat didn’t chase demand. 𝗜𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁.
𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁?
✅ Fresher fruits
✅ Higher farmer incomes
✅ Lower rejection rates
✅ Drinks that actually tasted like the real thing
What if Paperboat’s quiet revolution is just the beginning? Could more brands follow suit... or will it remain a one-of-a-kind story?