SCA eyes big pie in hygiene market

The traction in the Indian market has so far been good. India is a continent with different culture

August 26, 2014 10:57 pm | Updated 10:57 pm IST - Goteborg (Sweden):

The 10.3 billion euro SCA Hygiene Products of Sweden, which sells the Libero brand of baby diapers among other products, is planning to step on the pedal in a bid to establish itself as a preferred brand for hygiene solutions in India over the long-term.

The company, which started its operations in November 2013, is gearing to up ramp up its sales and distribution as its upcoming Rs.150-crore greenfield manufacturing unit is set to be operational by early next year.

The new plant is expected to make SCA’s products cheaper. It will also help the company grow organically in the near-term in India. The company sees considerable future potential due to large population and limited use of hygiene products.

“We are already in the process of deciding our next investment. We see very good progress in different areas, and will quickly move to Phase-2 investment plans,” Thomas Wulkan, President-Middle East, India and Africa, SCA Hygiene Products AB, said here.

The company is in the process of boosting its own sales and retail presence besides laying a strong thrust on training programmes. “Of course, this journey will take some time, but we are confident that it will be a more successful route to establish our brands,” he added.

SCA is also investing heavily in gaining local knowledge and standards around personal care, hygiene and baby-care products. Its global products are tailored to Indian circumstances. Its Libero brand of baby diapers in India has natural ingredients according to customers’ preferences here.

“The traction in the Indian market has so far been good. For us, India is not a country. It is a continent with different culture. We will build our business step-by-step. Our product offering will combine global practices with local insights,” said Cecilia Edebo, Managing Director, SCA Hygiene Products India.

The firm has embarked on a massive promotional campaign targeted at doctors, midwives, hospitals and baby health clinics. Its Tena brand of incontinence care products will be launched next.

(This correspondent is in Goteborg at the invitation of the company)

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