Emami Limited is one of the front running FMCG majors in India, operating in the personal care and healthcare space with popular brands like Navratna, BoroPlus, Fair and Handsome, Zandu Balm, Mentho Plus Balm, Kesh King, Emami 7 Oils in One, HE, Vasocare, Zandu Pancharishta, Zandu Nityam, Zandu Chyavanprash and many more. Recently the company also entered the category of home hygiene with the launch of its new brand EMASOL. It has a renewed focus on its healthcare portfolio and has introduced many digital first brands in this segment, under the Zandu brand umbrella.
The company offers a wide range of products across skincare, haircare, therapeutic cool oil, cool talc, pain management, male grooming, personal hygiene, home hygiene and ayurvedic healthcare product categories.
Immunity Boosting Products
Emami has a vision of evolving to best-in-class packaging offerings to drive sustainable and affordable innovation for all its products.
“For the post-COVID future, healthcare and immunity are the areas which have exhibited tremendous potential for growth, especially for Ayurveda based solutions in wellness and immunity boosting categories. With a tectonic shift in lifestyle, people have become more conscious about health and natural solutions to ailments. And we view this trend as one which will continue for quite some time in the future,” says Harsha V Agarwal, Director, Emami Ltd.
“With the current consumer awareness and focus on healthy lifestyle, a trend that is expected to strengthen over time, Emami too is highly focused on its Healthcare division which is driven by innovation. Emami has launched many innovative products under the Zandu Healthcare umbrella, many of which are specifically launched online, to meet this demand surge. Innovative products like Ayush Kwath Powder and tablets, Zandu Tulsi drops, Zandu Haldi drops, Zandu Jatiphalrasadi Churna (Health detox) etc. are a few such examples. Another unique innovation is Emami’s Zandu Immu Jelly. Targeted at kids, Zandu Immu Jelly provides the perfect alternative to mothers who struggle to give a dose of immunity to their children. Zandu Immu Jelly comes as soft chews enriched with amla, tulsi, honey and apple and is scientifically tested to give 2x immunity (basis laboratory NK Cell activity) with just 2 soft chews every day,” he further explains.
Innovation & Technology
With consumers becoming more tech savvy and digitally active, Emami has launched its own e-portal www.zanducare.com through which the company has launched many digital first innovative products under the Zandu Healthcare umbrella in the last few months in the category of immunity and wellness.
“Digital and e-commerce space are expected to throw up newer opportunities, opening new vistas for investments. More and more consumers are now inclined towards online purchases and digital mode of payments. Leveraging this trend, launch of digital first brands is the next big shift in consumer offering that will drive the growth trajectory of FMCG sector,” says Agarwal.
“With new launches and new category entries, there have been significant advertising and branding innovations. Our ad spends have returned to pre-COVID levels with specific focus on digital channels,” he adds.
Growth Path
Emami’s healthcare range grew by a handsome margin of 38% in the recent third quarter and this growth is expected to sustain since the lifestyle of the people in general has undergone a sea change with an increased reliance on health and hygiene.
“Our innovation in the digital eco-system through the launch of our digital channel www.zanducare.com – which not only offers product information but provides an interactive platform to the consumers for doctor consultations etc. – has added significantly to the sale of our healthcare care products. Our digital first brands launched on this portal are on a definite growth path. In the third quarter, e-commerce alone has multiplied by 3.5 times, which is a growth of around 250%, contributing over 3% to our domestic sales and our healthcare digital portal has significant contribution in the same,” says Agarwal.
“From the product point of view, prevention is going to be the key driver in the immunity category more than problem solution. The industry will witness a lot of path breaking R&D innovations in this category and Emami, as a key FMCG player in the country, is geared up to take maximum advantage of this trend,” he concludes.