Chairman - Shan Foods

Evolve: Please share rundown of your professional background with us?

After completing my O-Levels from St. Patrick’s, I went to IBA for further studies. However, I discontinued the business studies for the love of art. My first exposure to the corporate world was through pursuing my passion for art and film making. 

Sikandar Sultan: The passion led me to establish the first institute of film making in Pakistan “The Film & Theatre Club” in the Goethe Institute in 1977. A six-month long course in the art of making films was held in which prominent and veteran film makers taught various subjects. After that I established “SSG Visual Creations & Exhibitions”. 

I worked on several societal developmental projects which includes ground-breaking Eye Surgery documentary for some medical students, a revolutionary film focusing on the labors of Pakistan – The Karigar and helping the national airline realizing its true potential through a patriotic film on Pakistan international airline (PIA).

Being a strong adherent of the religion Islam and its teachings, I left my passion for film making but continued to bring progression in the society. My in-depth knowledge of spices and commitment towards helping the society induced me in entering into my current business. 

Evolve: What is the secret of Shan Foods continuous and consistent growth in Pakistan?

Sikandar Sultan: Shan Foods has been able to succeed in Pakistan mainly due to its expertise in understanding the taste palette of desi consumers. Along with providing authentic traditional taste, Shan believes in keeping its quality standards high so that every penny that is spent by a consumer should give value to him. 

Shan’s philosophy is simple; no compromise on quality. The commitment towards producing the best tasting quality food products for its consumers became the corner stone of Shan’s unrivalled success and consistent growth. For consumers, Shan stands as a reliable, trustworthy partner who provides convenience, peace of mind and authentic tasting food products.

Evolve: Shan exports to 65 countries making it Pakistan's largest exporter of packaged spice, food, and rice mixes. How this miracle happened? 

Sikandar Sultan: In early 1980s I launched three blends of recipe mixes which were test marketed in Karachi. At the same time, I started sending Garam Masala powder and other blends in packets to my sister in USA through a neighbor who was an airhostess by profession. My sister did not only use them, but also sold them to her acquaintances which yielded good money. This led me to recognize the true potential of spice blends in both local and international market. 

The demand of the spice mixes increased and in 1981, I decided to launch my own brand with the name of Shan. Shan Foods has evolved as a renowned spice brand over the years in international market mainly due to word of mouth created by its own users. Shan spice mixes have been a helping hand for all the local desi people living abroad who want to stay connected with their roots through food. Since food is the integral part of any and every occasion / celebration in our culture, the desi people never compromise on the food they eat and share. This is the reason Shan has been their savior when it comes to making authentic traditional food. 

Evolve: What significant changes have you noticed in the food industry over the past twenty to thirty years, and where do you see the industry heading?

Sikandar Sultan: Over last 3 decades, there has been tremendous transformation in the food industry. The main reason of this transformation is the ever evolving consumer. There is change in the life style of people, there is globalization happening, technology has penetrated and people are more exposed to a lot of information. One thing which has not changed is the love for food, however, the way people eat, celebrate and share has evolved. Talking mainly about food industry, the consumer need has changed. People now look for quick and convenient solutions however, do not want to compromise on taste and quality. There is an increasing trend of healthy eating.  The consumers are looking for options which are delicious, quick yet healthy. Food businesses are targeting new segments now which were previously non-existent. Food industry has diversified into a lot of new segments and there is an increasing opportunity in every segment which gives the brands and businesses a lot of space to come up with new product offerings. 

Evolve: How do you balance pursuing opportunities and maintaining focus? 

Sikandar Sultan: Every business grows in 2 ways, one by evolving and expanding the current portfolio and second by capturing untapped opportunities emerging in the market space. One will always find opportunities in the market, the key is to pursue the right opportunity at the right time, in the right manner. However, pursuing opportunities should never take away the focus from the core business objective. 

With the vision to become a global food brand, Shan initiated the business with Basic Spices and Recipe Spice Mixes and continues to grow in the same. However, pursuing relevant opportunities to grow in the food segment, Shan has expanded to offer a wide range of food products including Oriental and Arabic recipe ranges, Pickles, Chutneys, Ginger Garlic Paste, Desserts, Instant Noodles, Rice, Lentils, Ready-to-cook and Ready-to-eat range. Revitalizing existing business, entering new food categories, manufacturing high quality food products and expanding into foreign markets are among the initiatives the company has undertaken with vigor in the last 3 decades.

Evolve: What kind of culture you have maintained at Shan Foods and how would you throw light in its significance? How to maintain a diversified culture in your organization ensuring the respect of every belief/doctrine?

Sikandar Sultan:  As a brand operating in more than 65 countries across the globe, Shan Foods believes in embracing cultural diversity at all levels. From our own employees to our business partners, we have a diversified mix of people belonging to different religions, races, demographics, educational backgrounds and professional expertise. 

Having diversified set of people in the company gives an opportunity to have opinions and ideas from different perspectives. People from different backgrounds are also representation of different consumer segments which we are targeting around the globe and hence it provides a better understanding while making decisions.

Shan Foods over last 3 decades has progressed and evolved as an organization with its offices and manufacturing units in UAE, UK and Saudi Arabia. This gives us a chance to work with a lot of different type of people and cultures. Also with the evolving trend of globalization we have partners across all the countries which helps us working in a cross cultural environment giving more opportunities to learn and grow. 

Evolve: What is special about Shan Foods that separates it from your competitors?

Sikandar Sultan: Shan Foods’ global presence paired with its unrivaled consumer understanding has given it the opportunity of becoming a leading spice brand both locally and internationally. What sets Shan Foods apart from the competition is its unmatched capability of delivering “Authentic traditional taste”, which is the core need of the consumers. In today’s day and age, we have almost lost the skills and expertise to replicate the authentic traditional tasting food. And hence arises the need of a brand which could help us keep those traditions alive. Shan Foods has been the pioneer in the category, and hence has been able to reach out to all the homes where you can find desi food lovers. Apart from the core expertise of spice mixes, Shan Foods has also been able to get into other food categories which make us a complete food solution. 

Evolve: Was there anyone in particular who inspired you early in your career? What did you find so inspiring about this role model to drive you towards success?

Sikandar Sultan: carriages etc. Despite having a financially strong background, I wanted to be a self-made man. For that I struggled rigorously and refused to take any financial support from my family. During times of hardships, I sold all of my valuable possessions that were extremely dear to me just to keep my business running and to pay off suppliers in the initial days.

The idea of Recipe spice mixes was based on my mother’s method of making recipe blends through round, dried spice cakes. She used to prepare them through a tedious process of grinding spices and making a patty, which was later dried on a rope, collected in a jar and used in pieces during cooking. My vision was to preserve the taste of authentic traditional cuisines which I felt was not cascading down to future generations.

Evolve: What are the important benchmarks if kept in a right direction can help any company climb ladders of success?  

Sikandar Sultan: The benchmark for success I would say is the identification of true potential of the market and tapping it with the right product. Unless there is demand for your product and it serves the right consumer, there is no way your brand or product can succeed.

The main reason of Shan’s success has been its ability to identify the right product for the right consumer at the right time. Also another important aspect which works in the favor of any business’s success is the ability to upgrade and evolve with its consumers. 

With globalization happening, another important aspect is to upgrade in terms of the consumer touch points. The brands’ success depends on how swiftly it upgrades and adapts with the changing environment and stay connected with the consumers across all possible touch points. The brands succeed when they are able to deliver their message and provide consistent consumer experience across all platforms. The key to success is integrated marketing and communication while staying competitive.  

Evolve: In your impressive list of career achievements, what do you personally see as your greatest achievement?

Sikandar Sultan: Establishing Shan Foods as a well-known brand both in local and international market while keeping the authentic taste and quality intact is one of the greatest achievement of my life. Knowing the diversity of consumers taste and preference around the globe, we have managed to enter into more than 65 countries and serve millions of consumers with our food products. Shan Foods is proud to represent Pakistan globally, with consumers appreciating it every single day for keeping the authentic traditional taste alive and helping people connect to their roots no matter where they are. 

Evolve: What goals do you have for the future of Shan Foods?

Sikandar Sultan: Future lies in remaining consistent with the approach to tap the emerging markets and developing the current ones. With Shan Foods succeeding as a spice brand, we are aiming to become a global food brand offering variety of food products. In order to achieve this goal, we are and we will continuously work to stay updated with evolving needs of the consumers around the globe. It will not just be about what kind of product we offer, it will also be about how our products reach our consumers and what experience they have with them. Technology and trade is evolving, and so is the consumer. Our main objective is to grow and evolve with the consumer. We want to stay connected with our consumers on all possible touch points providing them the best possible experience when it comes to food. Be it a market or a mobile screen, we want to stay connected with the consumers wherever they go. 

Evolve: Any message for the readers of EVOLVE magazine?

Sikandar Sultan: The message I would like to give here is that no matter what the situation looks like, once should always focus on the broader goal. Life is not fair to everyone but then what is required in unprecedented desire to use all the energy and resources to get the results.

Also it is critical to remember that we all have to give back to the society and hence no matter what we should always consider this as our greatest responsibility to give back to the country and to its people.