The Himalaya Drug Company intends to capitalize on the growing market in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) which holds a lot of potential for the herbal healthcare industry. A sizeable share of Himalaya's export earnings come from the CIS markets. Now the company plans to introduce its skin care and hair care products followed by its baby care range in theRussian market.

"We have already created a strong brand recall for our therapeutic range and will leverage this to expand our presence in the competitive personal care segment, Ravi Prasad, president & CEO, The Himalaya Drug Company said in an email interview.

Amongst the CIS countries Himalaya is present in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. It is looking to deepen its presence in these markets and create a significant niche in this entire region.

At present, the export sales figure stands at 20 percent of the total earnings ( which were not disclosed) and this is expected to grow significantly by next year. We are looking at a 20-25 percent growth in exports, stated The Himalaya Drug Company chief.

The company exports quite a few of its products to the CIS. At least 25 products from its therapeutic, wellness and personal care range are marketed in these countries, including multi ingredient pharmaceuticals and pure herbs (single ingredient capsules).

Its flagship product Liv 52 is doing phenomenally well in the Russian market and is a household name. Both general practitioners and specialists eagerly prescribe the product . Tuberculosis specialists recommend Liv.52 to protect the liver from anti-tuberculosis drug toxicity. The high efficacy of Liv.52 is supported by studies conducted in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Moscow Medical Academy, Scientific Research Phthisiopulmonology Institute. Cystone, another Himalaya product, is equally popular in Russia. It is mainly used for the treatment of urolithiasis and inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract. Cystone is the leader among herbal formulations prescribed for these conditions.

The success of our therapeutic range has worked as a catalyst for us and we are now looking to introduce more products in this market, he informed.