Meet Tamil Nadu's Arjun Kannabiran, Who Turned Coconut Shells Into Full-time Business

Arjun Kannabiran is a mechanical engineering graduate hailing from the small town of Veeravanallur, Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu. He has embarked on a unique entrepreneurial venture with his start-up company called Crazy Coconut. Leveraging his family’s carpentry background and engineering knowledge, Arjun devised a creative way to utilise coconut shells effectively. His company focuses on manufacturing a variety of coconut shell products while also providing training for college students and conducting weekend workshops for school students.

The young mind behind this innovative venture, Arjun, shared insights into his journey and discussed his future plans and goals. Crazy Coconut is a startup that aims to transform coconut shells into valuable products. According to Arjun, many people tend to burn coconut shells as waste. However, every part of the coconut tree and plantain tree has immense potential, including the coconut shells, he added.

When the shell is removed, some discard it, and others use it for burning purposes. The entrepreneur added that during the COVID-19 lockdowns, he noticed numerous entrepreneurs starting their own businesses. Inspired by my paternal uncle’s use of coconut shells to create something unique, he found himself intrigued. With his background in mechanical engineering and design experience, he got the motivation to pursue innovation in this area. Arjun conducted in-depth research online about coconut shells and brainstormed to come up with unique designs.

He began by sharing my creations through Whatsapp status updates, which gradually gained traction across various social media platforms. Today, Crazy Coconut has over 400 satisfied customers. Arjun Kannabiran considers this journey a success but added that he hasn’t reached his ultimate goal yet.

The crazy Coconut team had the privilege of meeting the Tirunelveli district collector, who provided encouragement and valuable ideas for growth, Arjun shared. The company is now exploring opportunities to make this business more inclusive for women, enabling their involvement in women’s self-improvement and self-help groups. Their next plan is to train these women’s groups and expand our reach in the next phase, he further said.

Arjun Kannabiran added that his company regularly organises workshops for young minds, aiming to cultivate awareness about the significance of eliminating plastic and creating a plastic-free society for the next generation.