Preserving Traditions: A Chat with a Local Chekku Oil Entrepreneur
Interviewee: Mr. Vengayyan, Owner of a Chekku Aattiya Nallennai Business
What he says: “Traditional Chekku Oil Making Is Not Just a Business; It Is About Preserving Our Tradition”
Age: 45 years
Location: Chennai
Date of Interview: 29 June 2026
Introduction
Traditional cold-pressed oil, which people popularly call chekkil aattiya nallennai, continues to be what people prefer over regular oils because of its natural preparation method and health benefits. However, running such a business in today’s competitive market comes with plenty of challenges. To understand this line of business better, I interviewed Mr. Vengayyan, who has been participating in the production and sale of cold-pressed sesame oil for a while now.
Interview
Q1. Good morning! Please introduce yourself, sir.
A: Good morning, I’m Vengayyan. I have been running a small business producing and selling traditional cold-pressed sesame oil using resources from villages nearby in Gingee.
Q2. How long have you been doing this cold-pressed oil business?
A: I am rather new to this business. I have been doing it for the past couple of years or so, and very soon it has become one of my family’s primary sources of income.
Q3. How did this idea of starting this business come into your mind?
A: This is not a traditional occupation in our family. I am actually a serial entrepreneur. I also run travels and real estate-related services. I am pursuing this business to provide pure, natural oil to customers. Also, I heard that it is a very profitable business nowadays, as demand is huge. So I decided to give it a try.
Q4. How is cold-pressed chekku oil prepared?
A: We pick the best-quality sesame seeds, groundnut seeds, and other types, which are cleaned and crushed in a traditional wooden chekku. But we use a mechanical chekku, which does the same thing but in a more efficient way. We finally filter the oil and pack it up in bottles for sale.
Q5. Why do you think more customers are going for chekku cold-pressed oil these days?
A: Through word of mouth, the message has spread, and through experience many people now believe it is healthier because everyone knows that whatever is prepared naturally is safer than oils produced with excessive heat and chemicals and commercially available on a large scale.
Q6. Surely there will be challenges in this business? What are they that you had to face?
A: The problem is that the prices of sesame seeds are not constant throughout the year. They keep oscillating based on seasons, availability, and other factors. Also, competition is huge from large branded oil companies. They are now trying to commercialise even this chekku oil. But the speciality lies in small-scale production at the village level, I feel. Once it becomes large-scale, quality goes for a toss.
Q7. Talking about quality, how do you ensure it in your business?
A: As I said earlier, it is all about selecting the best raw materials first. After that, we have to strictly follow traditional methods and proper filtration so that the purity and quality can be maintained to the maximum.
Q8. Does the customer demand increase? Or is it coming down due to more availability of such chekku oils?
A: More and more people are now obese due to inactivity and wrong food habits. So they are also becoming health-conscious and are now forced by their doctors, perhaps, to return to traditional food products. So naturally, the demand has increased.
Q9. What gives you satisfaction in your business?
A: When customers enjoy the quality of our supplies, they are happy and appreciate our good work. And they come back for more. This gives us soul satisfaction in this line of business that we are not only making regular customers but also healthy customers.
Q10. Today, unemployment is a huge problem. Many youngsters are considering entrepreneurship. What is your advice for them?
A: Youngsters should not be discouraged by unemployment. There are a lot of opportunities in traditional businesses, which still have great value and are in demand. It’s all about maintaining quality and delivering supplies on time without delay. Once the customer is satisfied, it creates trust and paves the way for steady business and success.
Conclusion
The interview with Mr. Vengayyan shows how traditional chekku oil-making is not just a business but also about preserving our ancient way of making cooking oil. It is our heritage. Rising raw material costs and huge competition are there, but there is also a growing demand for natural and healthy products. Thus, this chekku business offers wonderful and refreshing opportunities for entrepreneurs willing to check out the traditional, small-scale route.
