A near impossible but extraordinary journey from Rati Caterers India to Rati Co., Ltd Japan

Rati Caterers & Industrial Canteen India

Rati株式会社 (Rati Co, Ltd Japan)

A near impossible but extraordinary journey from Rati Caterers India to Rati Co., Ltd Japan
Hello, I am Prashant Bangera, CEO of Rati Co., Ltd. Japan, which operates the Bangera’s Kitchen Group.
The ongoing pandemic has changed our daily lives to a great extent and put the food and beverage industry in a pinch, by adding challenges to the already challenging food industry.

Yesterday was the last day of my home quarantine after returning to Japan, and I will be back to the grind of business from tomorrow. Farewell to my beloved mother and the mourning shall stop someday, and I need to get back to my normal life for the sake of my family.
From now on, in my blog, once in a while I would like to write about my thoughts, such as my life so far, my feelings when I started the business, and what kind of restaurants I wanted to introduce in Japan. And I hope that you will become familiar with Indian culture & traditions through our restaurants.

Rati was my mother’s name, but everybody irrespective of their age or relation to her—called her Amma, meaning mother. My mother was the world to me. Amma is the sole reason why I earn my livelihood with honesty and integrity. She was my prominent supporter and, conversely, my biggest critic as well. Although I was her only son, I received no special treatment, and she treated me as she treated my four sisters. I thought she was a little stricter with me. Not surprisingly, as a young boy, I frequently complained that she was harsher with me, especially compared to how my friend’s mothers treated them. She responded that she wanted me to be wise & humble. I now realize that Amma’s strict demeanor was a disguised love to make sure I chose the right path in life. She was always helpful and compassionate towards the people around her, for she believed that helping others bought wellness to her children.
As many would call her a warrior that she was, who never gave up, no matter how unfavorable the circumstances were. Today, I feel at times that trait of her has passed on to me.

Although I have been working from a very young age, a situation brought about by my father’s unexpected demise while still a first-year student. But even this was not sufficient to meet my family’s financial requirements. As a result, I had to find a substantial source of income. So I was forced to start my own business in the hope of increasing my earnings. I registered my new business as Rati Caterers Ltd., a business set up to provide food for parties, events, ceremonies, and industrial canteens. I chose this field because we as a family had been engaged in the food industry in some or the other way, and were familiar with it when compared to anything else.
Contrary to my expectations, this proved to be too big a business for a young entrepreneur like me. Fortunately, my mother’s strong support and wise guidance saved me from failure. Although this business was super challenging and needed extreme hard work, it became a great experience in terms of revenue and new opportunities. I experienced tremendous learning, tons of trials and errors, and numerous failures as well. Apart from success in my first business, another fantastic event occurred in my life. Amidst my time-consuming business challenges, I successfully graduated in the science stream. For this, I thank my teachers who supported me during and after college hours. Some teachers even came home to help me out with my studies.

I have named my company after my mother to receive her constant blessings and keep her legacy alive. Though she is not with me anymore, I believe she will always guide me from heaven and show me the path to wisdom and empathy. I am determined to make her proud by ensuring that the company is more successful and helpful to society—as she was.
Before I conclude, I would like to recount a fascinating yet learning experience; you may even call it a diversion in my career. It is my stint as an IT professional. The IT industry’s lucrative compensation, its impact on society, and the western work culture drew me to it. This initial curiosity became a long-term association because I ended up working as an IT professional for over 15 years. Although I am no longer directly associated with the IT industry, I cherish it as an incredible and unforgettable experience. I have happy memories of my time in this industry, & would endeavor to utilize all the experience and knowledge I gained from it.

But I guess the love for the food industry is in my blood. After tasting initial success & a lot of failures in this business, I just could not let it go. I looked farther east to the noble country and people of Japan. I have not been disappointed yet. Japan and its kind people have supported my dream, and I look forward to a long association with this great country and its equally impressive people.