The Himalaya Drug Company considers ethical promotion of its range of Pure Herbs and nutraceuticals together with its dedicated wellness zones to drive home concepts of preventive healthcare. The strategy according to the company has enabled the much-needed competitive positioning of its products.

Wellness is a nascent concept in India. More often it is equated to spa treatments, green tea consumption etc. instead of preventative care. People are not well informed about existing wellness products that help prevent lifestyle disorders, said Sudheer Srinivas, general manager, wellness division, The Himalaya Drug Company told Pharmabiz.

According to the company, consumers are seeking overall well-being from concepts like work-life balance, healthy lifestyle and balanced diet. Approximately, 1/10th of India have a vitamin or mineral tablet or food supplements like health drinks and homemade protein shakes. The current market indicates that consumers inclination to herbal products which are natural supplements to prevent lifestyle disorders.

“We are playing an active role in building and defining the wellness space in India. Our biggest equity is with doctors who trust in us and prescribe our medicines. The wellness zones that we have started across various supermarkets will also help consumers make informed choices. In addition, we focus on providing consumers a personalized experience. Initiatives like preventive wellness drives in markets of Ahmedabad and Indore to spread awareness have elicited positive response. Similar concepts will be rolled out in other cities this year,” Srinivas added.

In India, people look at healthcare from a curative perspective and Himalaya Wellness has sought to change this behavior through our portfolio of herbal preventive care products. The two-year old Wellness division has products under three categories: Pure Herbs, General Wellness and Nutrition to address from preventive care to health management.

The pure herbs range consists of single herb formulations like Ashvagandha, Triphala, Neem, Tulasi, Brahmi and Gokshura that deliver benefits like rejuvenating mind and body. General wellness consists of products like acne N pimple, stress relieving massage oil. nutritional range covers HiOwna, HiOwna Momz, and HiOwna Kidz for physical, mental and immunity development.

Currently, the wellness space offers a huge opportunity for growth because of few players in the sector. Since the portfolio spans supplements, balms, creams and teas, competition is also varied covering FMCG, pharmaceuticals and herbal players in this category. Our top performing products are are Ashvagandha, Neem, Triphala, Brahmi, AyurSlim and Himalaya FootCare cream, he said.

For the Rs. 2,200 crore Himalaya, wellness contributes approximately 5 per cent of its total revenues. “In the next two years, we are hoping to double our business. India’s wellness sector is currently valued at Rs. 14,343 crore and Himalaya’s wellness division is registering growth 50 per cent growth,” said Srinivas.