The Himalaya Drug Company is getting into the oral care space eyeing a 2 per cent urban market share of the Rs.3,500-crore toothpaste category within two years for the range of its herbal toothpastes.
This, it hopes, is possible with a strategy that draws on the strength of the Himalaya brand, the products, and the growing need for toothpastes addressing specific oral problems.
The oral care market has evolved in the last 5 to 10 years from products focussed on germ protection to one where the emphasis is on catering to specific requirements, including gum protection and whitening.
And this evolution, where consumers started looking beyond the basic has made the company launch four toothpastes, which it says offers “complete oral health through plant-enzyme technology, anti-oxidants and natural active ingredients.”
Noting that the company used to have a dental cream, Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Business Head, Consumer Products Division, said “We are seeing consumers with specific oral care needs seeking Sensitive and Whitening toothpastes. This has resulted in the presence of two or more different toothpastes in the same household.” Unlike the dental cream, which was restricted to the south, the toothpastes would be taken nationally. It would also not just look at the herbal but compete in the mainstream too, he said.
