Bailahongala Engineer Has Made Tamarind Choco Go Places
With a patent under his belt, Girish Halasagi now dreams of setting up a large-scale Choco business
Published : January 3, 2026 at 8:42 PM IST
Belagavi: An engineer from Bailahongala in Karnataka's Belagavi district has given a global status to Tamarind Choco, a local favourite, by selling it across the country and even abroad. Girish Halasagi has even obtained a patent for this product and now dreams of setting up a large-scale Tamarind Choco business.
Besides providing employment to the local women, Halasagi has made the humble tamarind popular. He is now reaping the rewards of his nine years of hard work. His 'Imli Choko' sweets were patented by the Indian Patent Office on April 25, 2025.
Children have for ages plucked the fruit from the tamarind trees, added salt, cumin and jaggery to it while crushing it with a stone and stuck it on a stick to relish it. The present generation might not be aware of tamarind being a miracle commodity. Its importance was known by the previous generations who used it a lot in the kitchen.
Halasagi, who resides in Shatagara Chala locality, is determined to make his Imli Choko popular internationally. He has been successful in his endeavour.
The third son of retired teacher Mahadevappa and his wife Veeramma, Halasagi is an engineering graduate in industrial production from Basaveshwara Engineering College in Bagalakote. He graduated in 2002.
Those who know him say that he is extremely talented and could have earned a lot by working for big companies. But he decided to stay in his hometown and build a business.
He began from making paper bags and then moved to making his Imli Choko, for which he obtained a patent. He is supported by his wife in his journey.
Halasagi has attractively packed his Imli Choko in small boxes in the shape of a chocolate while using colourful aluminum foil. People are immediately attracted to his product the moment they look at it. Girish sets up stalls at exhibitions, state-level festivals and at other places his product is very popular among the children who refer to him as ‘Choco Uncle’.
He told ETV Bharat, "There are abundant tamarind trees in our area. I had read in a book that tamarind is not getting the value it deserves and thought why not experiment with it. I started researching in 2016 and experimented for about four and a half years before coming up with the product. I applied for a patent in 2021 with the aim of taking it to the international level and was awarded the patent on April 25 last year.”
He disclosed that this is the first process patent for tamarind in India. He has availed a loan of around Rs 60 lakh of which Rs 30 lakh has been provided to him under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme. He claims to have spent Rs 4 lakh on obtaining the patent.
He gets raw tamarind from Murgod, Rudrapur and other villages in Bailhongala taluk which is peeled, cleaned and processed with salt, pepper, jaggery and cumin to make Imli Choko.
"We are sending it to 17 countries, including the United States, England, Italy, Canada, Russia, Australia, Norway and Germany. People from our part who live there buy Imli Choko and take it with them when they come home. Similarly, people from many states, including Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Tamil Nadu have also tasted our product," said Halasagi.
He went on to state, "We are making people aware of the benefits of the product by participating in exhibitions and workshops. Before getting the patent, we were selling three to four quintals of Choco per year. Now, we have sold 1.5 quintals in just two months. The demand is increasing day by day. We have our own website. Customers order through it. They also order directly by calling. Our Choco is available in packing ranging from Rs. 10 to Rs 250." Halasagi has employed nine women under the ASHA Home Employment initiative.
He said that in 2013-14, a company offered to invest Rs 600 crore through him in an industry or business venture but he was only interested in building his own business in his hometown.
“I want to set up a multinational company in Bailahongala. India is the top producer of tamarind in the world. Our Bailahongala taluk also grows tamarind in abundance. About 60 patents have been obtained for tamarind at the international level of which 55 are in Japan and America. We Indians have only five patents,” Halasagi said.
He claimed that he prepares Imli Choko using the traditional method and it increases digestion and appetite besides relieving constipation.
Halasagi’s wife Asha disclosed, “I help my husband in everything from making Imli Choko to packing. I also go to the exhibitions. Children call us Choco Aunty and Choco Uncle. I am very happy and proud of my husband's achievements."
One of Halasagi’s employees, Lalita related that she has been working for his unit for the last eight years. “It has also benefited 10 women like me financially. Each of us gets a salary of up to Rs. 10,000 per month,” she said.
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