Mr. Saranyan Krishnamoorthi is the Managing Director at Trellis Horticulture. In 1997, he completed his Bachelor of Engineering at the Government College of Technology in Coimbatore and then his Master of Science at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

After completing his studies, he returned to Madurai, Tamil Nadu, eager to pursue opportunities back home. Mr. Saranyan Krishnamoorthi came from a business family. They were in the business of manufacturing matchboxes. Mr. Saranyan recognised that his father's existing set-up did not offer him much room for expansion.

Mr. Saranyan Krishnamoorthy desired to accomplish something of great importance. He was well aware that his grandfather's ancestors had founded the Sivakasi Industry. In the early 1920s, WIMCO's industrial technology was brought to India, but it was unsuitable for the Indian market due to the excessive waste it generated. The Nadar brothers indigenously developed a manual process that significantly reduced waste and became cost-effective. It also created enormous employment opportunities in a region of Sivakasi prone to drought.

He worked in his father's company and actively sought out opportunities. He was a member of the local chamber of commerce for the match industry, and during one of their meetings, 6 second- and third-generation business owners discussed ways to expand their market, primarily on the international level. In 2005, they formally incorporated Apex Match Consortium (india Private Ltd). Mr. Saranyan Krishnamoorthy was appointed managing director and they established a proper corporate structure with defined roles.

Apex Match Consortium provided options for white labelling and ready-to-ship match boxes. Customers could select their own splints, heads, side friction, labelling, etc.

Mr. Saranyan Krishnamoorthy would extensively visit trade shows to generate business opportunities. They identified clusters and started to acquire a small number of customers from each cluster. Slowly and steadily, they gained traction in South Asian and African markets. Their online lead generation mechanisms were optimised. Due to the highly competitive nature of their industry, as an USP they prioritised building strong and lasting relationships with their customers. They ensured quality standards were met and consistently met delivery commitments.

In roughly a decade, they made significant progress and were generating around Rs 25 crores in revenue. Each year, India exported approximately Rs 240 crore worth of match boxes, and Apex Consortium was among the top ten exporters. By 2025, Apex's revenue is expected to reach Rs 50 crore.

However, the future of the matchbox industry, which is valued at Rs 1,500 crore, is bleak. Widespread use of gas lighters at home and to some extent, increased awareness on the harmful effects of smoking and its ban in public spaces, and rising production costs have all contributed to the industry's challenges.

Even the handful of large matchbox manufacturers are struggling. Wimco, once the nation's largest match manufacturer, is a case in point. The industry's revenue has decreased by 25% over the past few years, and approximately 8,000 units have closed in the past decade. For the remaining 1,500 to 2,000 units, 90 percent of which are concentrated in a few Tamil Nadu districts, it is merely a matter of time before the flame is extinguished.

Mr. Saranyan and his fellow directors were aware of the fact that matchbox manufacturing is a dying industry, and consequently devised a diversification plan.

They began to research numerous options and experimented with numerous concepts. The search for a viable alternative vertical lasted three to four years. Numerous ideas failed, and money was continually invested in their trial and testing. Even though they were able to survive on the profits of their core business, they maintained financial discipline and restraint and did not go overboard.

With all these experiments they discovered an opportunity in gardening. They gained a great deal of knowledge about the industry by attending trade shows and seminars. The ornamental horticulture market matched their orientation and goals. In 2016, they had their first set of export clients and shipped cocopeat and garden accessories. They brought in semi-finished goods to which they added value. 

By 2019, they had approximately forty to fifty export customers. In the same year, Trellis Horticulture International Pvt. Ltd. was established as a subsidiary. Additionally, they desired to explore the direct consumer market, so they launched in India.

Unlike most other hobbies, gardening was a character-building hobby, and they see a tremendous growth opportunity in India. During the pandemic, there was a favourable shift towards gardening as a hobby. The retailing of gardening products in India is in its infancy, so Mr. Saranyan chose to establish an online channel. Trellis Horticulture offered a variety of gardening products, including Cocopeat, Coco Husk Chips, Buffered Pith, Coco Discs, Coco Husk Discs, Coco Plugs, Coir Pots, and Grow Cubes.

They ensured that the packaging material was entirely organic and natural. In the past year, Trellis has gradually gained traction. They are receiving positive customer feedback. They are able to fulfill 7-8 orders per day and are laying the groundwork for scaling to 100 orders per day. Initially, they wish to concentrate on the states of AP, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Their goal is to reach one lakh retail customers within three years.

Mr. Saranyan has always viewed impending obstacles as opportunities. He was entirely engrossed with "what he could do" rather than "what would happen." Mr. Saranyan's career path has been meticulously and consciously planned. 

Mr. Saranyan and his team are extremely confident in this venture and are committed to taking it to India's 140 crore population and eventually to international retailing