Assam’s ‘Piggman’ opens first franchise outlet in Nagaland

‘Trustworthy pork that is safe, consistent, fully traceable’

Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 9

Assam’s own ‘Piggman’ has officially made its entry into Nagaland with the launch of its first-ever franchise outlet in Dimapur. The new store at the Naga Shopping Arcade in Supermarket was inaugurated on December 9, with Dr Wati Zulu Jamir gracing the occasion as the chief guest. The store was dedicated by Rev Thenjamo Tsanglao in the presence of Franchisee partners Mhabemo and Phejin alongside families and well-wishers.

The premium pork brand, known for its clean, safe and hygienic products already operates six company-owned outlets, five in Guwahati and one in Tezpur. The Dimapur outlet is its first franchise store, signalling the brand’s broader expansion plans across the Northeast and beyond.

Behind Piggman is Manoj Kumar Basumatary, widely known as the ‘Pig man of Assam’ for his pioneering work in transforming the region’s unorganised piggery sector into a modern, commercial industry. Over the past decade, Basumatary has built one of Northeast India’s most advanced pork ecosystems through his company, Symbiotic Foods Pvt Ltd, integrating scientific pig farming, high-quality breeds, hygienic processing facilities, cold-chain delivery, modern retail outlets, and ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products.

From banking to pig farming
Basumatary’s journey into the world of piggery was far from conventional. An alumnus of Sainik School Goalpara and St Stephen’s College, Delhi, he joined the State Bank of India as a probationary officer in 1998 and rose to the position of Chief Manager.

In 2013, at the peak of his banking career in Delhi, he made the bold decision to resign and return to his hometown. “I decided to leave and do something of my own,” he spoke to The Morung Express on the sidelines of the event.

In 2014, he started modestly with just 25 sows and two boars, at his village in Ghoramari near Tezpur. Two years later, he formally incorporated Symbiotic Foods as a startup, securing foreign direct investment to build a robust farm-to-fork pork ecosystem. During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, the company began packaging meat, and by 2021, it introduced the brand name ‘Piggman,’ replacing the earlier label ‘Slice of Gahori.’

“The idea was to build a brand that is easy to remember because we have international ambitions. People in Assam already called me ‘pig man,’ so it felt natural to adopt the name,” Basumatary said.
Award-winning impact

In recognition of his contributions, the Government of Assam conferred the Assam Bhaibhav—the state’s highest civilian award, upon Basumatary in its inaugural edition in 2021. His work has also extended far beyond Assam. Over the years, he has trained more than 10,000 farmers across the Northeast in commercial and scientific pig rearing, including several batches in Nagaland. The Morung Express previously covered one of his workshops in Mokokchung district, organised by the Ao Officers’ Association.

The company today operates a 200-sow breeding farm that produces 4,000 to 4,500 piglets annually. Through a network of associated farmers in Sonitpur district who collectively raise around 10,000 pigs, the brand maintains a farm-to-fork model which ensures traceability, quality, and hygiene. Its processing capacity stands at roughly 30,000 pigs per year, Basumatary mentioned.

“All pigs associated with the brand are raised on compound feed, not swill, they are dewormed regularly, vaccinated on schedule, and maintained under strict scientific protocols.” The company’s commitment to high-quality breeds including Yorkshire, Landrace, Duroc, and Hampshire, has helped professionalise pig farming across the region.

Basumatary also founded the North East Pig Farmers’ Association (NEPFA) which has been instrumental in organising a sector traditionally dominated by small, backyard farms.

Today, Symbiotic Foods employs more than 50 people, an achievement Basumatary said is “the biggest satisfaction” of his entrepreneurial journey. While expansion continues, he said they are being cautious at present due to the spread of African swine fever in parts of the Northeast and other regions of India.

With its first franchise now open in Dimapur, Piggman aims to accelerate its Northeast footprint before expanding pan-India and eventually entering international markets.

During the launch, franchisee partner Mhabemo while expressing gratitude to God and all the well-wishers said that Piggman gives consumers what they always wanted and rarely got—trustworthy pork that is safe, consistent, and fully traceable.

The store offers a full range of ready-to-eat items, cold cuts, along with fresh and chilled options. Pork belly starts from INR 580 per kilogram and cold cuts from around INR 220.

“We want to take high-quality pork from Northeast India to the rest of the country and the world,” Basumatary said, encouraging customers in Nagaland to try the brand’s products and “taste the difference.”