Prathamesh
Dhakne
"Building trusted food brands with quality and innovation."
Prathamesh Dhakne
Personal Sourcing & Leadership
Blending MBA-driven strategic thinking with domestic food processing and community entrepreneurship.
Who I Am
About Me
My Story & Journey
My entrepreneurial roots date back to the foundation of Prathamesh Spicy Food Pvt. Ltd. in 2008 in Shirur by my father, Mr. Ashok Dharmaraj Dhakne. In the early days, the company managed the regional distribution of major FMCG brands like Bisleri, Godrej, Britannia, and Nestle.
Driven by a vision to create original, high-quality local products, my father launched our first proprietary brand item—**Dryfruit Farsan**—which quickly gained popularity. From there, we expanded our manufacturing footprint, introducing over 17 distinct products ranging from gourmet sauces and noodles to fragrant agarbattis, culminating in our signature line of pure spices: Prathamesh Masale.
Today, as an MBA student, I combine business strategy and management principles with our family business operations. Working out of our state-of-the-art **5,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Shirur, Pune**, I focus on streamlining supply chains, automated packing cells, and contract farming grids with local farmers to ensure raw material consistency and FSSAI/ISO-compliant safety.
My Core Philosophy
"Industrial growth is the sustainable cornerstone of a prosperous society!"
Education
Academic Foundation
- MBA
Master of Business Administration — sharpening strategic leadership, operations, and enterprise-scale thinking.
- Company Goal — Prathamesh Became a ₹100 Crore Company
Prathamesh Spicy Food Pvt. Ltd. has achieved the milestone of becoming a ₹100 Crore company — a testament to relentless hard work, quality products, and community-first values.
My Areas of Focus
Local & Small Industries
Promoting local enterprise cells to generate employment for regional youth.
Farmer Sourcing & Cooperatives
Direct sourcing agreements with farmers for quality and higher margins.
Cottage Projects for Women
Setting up packing and secondary spice processing cells to enable self-employment.
Modern Manufacturing & IT Policies
Promoting digital automation, PLC control panels, and cloud inventory control.
The Foundation
The Man Behind It All
Mr. Ashok Dharmaraj Dhakne
Managing Director & Founder
Every great enterprise begins with one person's courage to dream. For Prathamesh Spicy Food Pvt. Ltd., that person is Mr. Ashok Dharmaraj Dhakne—my father, mentor, and the founding force behind everything we have built.
Long before the company was formally incorporated in April 2023, my father laid its roots as early as 2008—starting as a distributor for marquee national brands including Bisleri, Godrej, Britannia, and Nestlé. Over years of grassroots distribution work across Pune's rural belt, he developed an intimate understanding of local markets, supply chains, and consumer preferences—knowledge that no classroom could replicate.
Driven by a belief in the power of local craftsmanship, he made the bold pivot from distribution to manufacturing—launching Prathamesh Masale and building the company's flagship 5,000 sq. ft. production facility in Shirur, Pune. Under his leadership as Managing Director, the company has grown to 20 distribution partners across 5 districts, a catalog of 48 products, and a ₹25 Crore annual turnover.
Beyond business metrics, my father has championed a philosophy of community-first entrepreneurship—funding local medical aid, supporting children's education, and creating livelihoods for farmers and women through direct sourcing and cottage processing units. His journey from a small-town distributor to the Managing Director of a thriving Pvt. Ltd. company is a testament to the fact that Prathamesh Spicy Food Pvt. Ltd. became a ₹100 Crore company—a milestone that speaks for itself.
Brand & Enterprise
Prathamesh Masale
By Prathamesh Spicy Food Pvt. Ltd.
Pioneering Authenticity in Food Tech
Founded in 2008 in Shirur, Pune by Mr. Ashok Dharmaraj Dhakne, Prathamesh Spicy Food Pvt. Ltd. originally operated as a regional distributor for top FMCG brands including Bisleri, Godrej, Britannia, and Nestle.
In pursuit of high-quality local products, we launched our first proprietary brand item—**Dryfruit Farsan**—under the brand name Prathamesh Masale. Today, operating out of a modern **5,000 sq. ft. plant in Shirur**, we manufacture over 17 distinct product lines (spices, sauces, noodles, and agarbattis), featuring a robust catalog of 48 pure spices distributed across 5 districts by 20 partners and 750+ retailers. Our business has scaled to a ₹25 Crore turnover while actively funding local medical aid and children's school supplies.
Key Corporate Milestones
Our Offerings
Our Premium Spices
Special Kanda Lasun Masala
Traditional Onion Garlic Blend
Fresh onions are thoroughly cleaned, pasted, and slow-roasted to golden-brown before cold milling. 100% preservative & chemical free.
Fresh local onions, garlic cloves, select red chillies, coriander seeds, dry coconut, sesame, salt, vegetable oil, & whole hot spices (khada masala).
Locally Sourced raw materials
Special Haldi Powder
Premium Salem Turmeric
Sourced from the premium Salem variety containing an average of 5% curcumin. Delivers a deep, rich yellow color and strong Ayurvedic values.
100% pure dried Salem (सेलम) turmeric root rhizomes.
Contract farmed with 150+ local farmers
Special Mirchi Powder
Four-Chilli Premium Blend
Guntur & Teja varieties provide the perfect hot spiciness, while C5 & Releas add a vibrant natural red color and cooking oil texture (tari).
Selected hand-picked blend of Guntur, C5, Teja, & Releas dried red chillies.
Karnataka Markets (Hubli, Byadgi)
Special Dhana Powder
Roasted Gavran Coriander
Gavran coriander seeds are roasted before grinding to eliminate moisture, enhance the natural country aroma, and extend product shelf life.
100% natural, green country (गावराण) whole coriander seeds.
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, & Rajasthan
Sunday Special Goda Masala
Traditional Maharashtrian Blend
Formulated primarily for green vegetable curries. Specially processed to be coarse ("charbat") to release distinct bursts of flavor when eaten.
Roasted sesame, dry coconut, whole coriander, & selected hot whole spices.
Locally Blended
Special Garam Masala
12-Spices Premium Mix
A gourmet blend of nearly 12 distinct whole spices, pre-roasted before cold milling to deliver an unmatched aroma and rich taste to curries.
Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, star anise, nutmeg, dry ginger, red chillies, and coriander.
Imported Whole Spices
Behind the Scenes
Factory & Sourcing in Action
Founder Introduction — Prathamesh Dhakne
Prathamesh Dhakne introduces the brand values of Prathamesh Masale, sharing how his father अशोकराव ढाकणे (Ashokrao Dhakne) personally inspects raw materials to maintain pure, chemical-free, and preservative-free quality.
Recognition
Media & Achievements
Young Industrialist Excellence Award
Recognized for pioneering local business growth and creating decentralized rural jobs.
Agro-Business Feature Interview
Featured on regional news highlighting sustainable development models for small-scale food brands.
Rural Women Empowerment Coverage
National and regional press features for establishing self-employment cottage project cells.
ISO & FSSAI Standards Compliance
Successfully certified factories matching international standards for safety and raw purity.
Visual Highlights
Our Gallery
eventsOn-Stage Brand Felicitation
Prathamesh Dhakne on stage receiving a red rose from Managing Director Mr. Ashokrao Dhakne.
eventsVehicle Delivery Handover
Handing over scooters to logistics and distributor partners outside our main blue corrugated warehouse.
eventsKirana Store Gifting
Presenting special milestone incentive gift boxes to local retail merchants and shopkeepers.
eventsSuzuki Access Key Handover
Presenting a new Suzuki scooter key to a leading distributor to celebrate sales achievement milestones.
eventsSupermarket Launch Ceremony
Launch and presentation of gift boxes to channel partners at the retail branch entrance.
eventsDistributor Milestone Recognition
Handing over a premium wrapped gift box to a key merchant partner to appreciate their support.
eventsDistribution Trucks Vahan Pooja
Traditional Vahan Pooja ceremony with family and staff members in front of our delivery vehicles.
awardsRise Up Achiever Award
Prathamesh receiving honors on stage at the Indus Health Plus 47th Achievers Conference in Bengaluru.
awardsBest Business of the Year
Ashokrao Dhakne receiving the Best Business of the Year trophy from Bollywood star Suniel Shetty.
officeMD Mr. Ashokrao Dhakne
Managing Director Mr. Ashokrao Dhakne reviewing corporate files and distribution plans at his office desk.
productsSpecial Kanda Lasun Masala Pack
Premium packaging of slow-roasted onion garlic blend.
productsSpecial Haldi Powder Pack
Premium Salem turmeric powder high-curcumin package.
productsSpecial Mirchi Powder Pack
Vibrant four-chilli spice blend package.
productsSpecial Dhana Powder Pack
Roasted green country coriander seeds package.
productsSunday Special Goda Masala Pack
Coarse traditional Maharashtrian blend package.
productsSpecial Garam Masala Pack
12-spices pre-roasted gourmet blend package.
On-Stage Brand Felicitation
Prathamesh Dhakne on stage receiving a red rose from Managing Director Mr. Ashokrao Dhakne.
Vehicle Delivery Handover
Handing over scooters to logistics and distributor partners outside our main blue corrugated warehouse.
Kirana Store Gifting
Presenting special milestone incentive gift boxes to local retail merchants and shopkeepers.
Suzuki Access Key Handover
Presenting a new Suzuki scooter key to a leading distributor to celebrate sales achievement milestones.
Supermarket Launch Ceremony
Launch and presentation of gift boxes to channel partners at the retail branch entrance.
Distributor Milestone Recognition
Handing over a premium wrapped gift box to a key merchant partner to appreciate their support.
Distribution Trucks Vahan Pooja
Traditional Vahan Pooja ceremony with family and staff members in front of our delivery vehicles.
Rise Up Achiever Award
Prathamesh receiving honors on stage at the Indus Health Plus 47th Achievers Conference in Bengaluru.
Best Business of the Year
Ashokrao Dhakne receiving the Best Business of the Year trophy from Bollywood star Suniel Shetty.
MD Mr. Ashokrao Dhakne
Managing Director Mr. Ashokrao Dhakne reviewing corporate files and distribution plans at his office desk.
Special Kanda Lasun Masala Pack
Premium packaging of slow-roasted onion garlic blend.
Special Haldi Powder Pack
Premium Salem turmeric powder high-curcumin package.
Special Mirchi Powder Pack
Vibrant four-chilli spice blend package.
Special Dhana Powder Pack
Roasted green country coriander seeds package.
Sunday Special Goda Masala Pack
Coarse traditional Maharashtrian blend package.
Special Garam Masala Pack
12-spices pre-roasted gourmet blend package.
Publications
Our Blog & Insights
From MBA to Food Entrepreneurship
How applying MBA-driven business strategy and operational thinking transformed our manufacturing efficiency and product consistency.
Empowering Farmers: The Direct Sourcing Model
By cutting out middlemen, we ensure fair value for agricultural workers while obtaining the highest quality raw spices.
The Role of Modern Automation in Food Safety
FSSAI and ISO guidelines require absolute hygiene. Here is how automation makes zero-contact milling possible.
Get in Touch
Let's Connect
Whether you are a farmer looking to collaborate, a student interested in mechanical agro-processing systems, or seeking guidance for local cottage business setups, feel free to reach out.