Aloe vera juice at Marina, both a health fix and business avenue

Sumitha Kumar, 40, is relatively new to walking. She started stepping out regularly in the morning only after her doctors told her that she should since she had diabetes. “I began to walk at the Marina beach every morning and saw people selling aloe vera juice. One of my fellow walkers said that it was good for health and that I must try it. Now, I have a glass at least twice a week,” says Sumitha. 

There are hundreds of walkers who come to the Marina beach every morning: that glass of aloe vera juice has become a part of their routine. There are around six aloe vera juice sellers on the stretch and all of them charge Rs 20 per glass. This has turned out to be a lucrative business for the juice sellers. S. Narayan has been running his  business for the past five years. “I custom-make the juice, going by the taste of my customers. The concoction consists of aloe vera juice, curd or butter milk and palm sugar. For the health conscious, we either completely avoid sugar or put very little. I get close to 100 customers every day,” says Narayan, a resident of Lloyds Road, “I set up shop at around 4.30 am and close at about 9.30 am.” 

Parasuram, another juice seller, was one of the first to start the trend on the stretch. “The business does really well during the summer as the juice is refreshing and the buttermilk soothes the body. Around that time, we get over 200 customers a day.” 

Most of the aloe vera comes from Theni. “Every morning, a truck arrives at Koyambedu and we buy our supplies from the distributors there. We pay Rs 20 per kg and buy close to 60 kg daily. Since people have become fitness conscious these days, the business is likely to improve in the future. Currently, I make around Rs. 1,500 a day.” For those who care about fitness, the juice is a perfect way to finish a workout session. “It is extremely good for the stomach because of its high anti inflammatory properties. It also helps in maintaining cholesterol levels. I also take the plant from the juice sellers  and apply it on myself for better skin,” says Suresh Kumar, another morning walker.