- Title: Indian yoga guru challenges multinationals with homegrown products
- Date: 11th November 2016
- Summary: HARIDWAR, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE PATANJALI CAMPUS SET UP BY YOGA GURU SWAMI RAMDEV YOGA GURU SWAMI RAMDEV STANDING ON THE STAGE RAMDEV'S STOMACH AS HE MAKES HIS BELLY MOVE DISCIPLES SITTING ON MATS FOR A YOGA CLASS BY BABA RAMDEV RAMDEV DOING HEADSTAND TRUCK WITH PATANJALI LOGO DRIVING INSIDE THE PATANJALI FOOD PARK CAMPUS WORKERS CUTTING AND CLEANING ALOE VERA STEMS WORKERS PACKING PATANJALI PRODUCTS FROM ASSEMBLY LINE PATANJALI SHAMPOO BOTTLES ON ASSEMBLY LINE (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) FOUNDER OF PATANJALI AYURVED LIMITED, YOGA GURU SWAMI RAMDEV, SAYING: "We have just one resolve - that the country's money should stay within the country and it should be used for some charitable work in the country. This is important for poor countries. What are these MNCs (Multi-National Corporations)? They don't have a country, neither do they have any religion. They have no conviction, no ideology, no principles and no service - their only ideology is greed and wealth creation. I do not agree with them." NEW DELHI, INDIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) CUSTOMERS ENTERING A PATANJALI STORE POSTER OF SWAMI RAMDEV AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE STORE SHOPPER LOOKING AT PRODUCTS INSIDE THE PATANJALI STORE WOMAN BUYING GOODS AT CASH COUNTER (SOUNDBITE) (English/Hindi) SHOPPER AT THE PATANJALI STORE, REKHA AHUJA, SAYING: "The product is good, and most importantly it is made in our country. It feels happy to know that our children, our brothers and sisters are employed." GENERAL PRODUCT SHOP IN NEW DELHI MARKET PATANJALI NOODLES AND MAGGI NOODLES ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) CONSUMER, MAHIMA CHAUDHARY, SAYING: "No matter how famous Patanjali is right now, no matter how many buyers are there for it right now, I will any day prefer Maggi over Patanjali noodles because I have grown up with Maggi and I love the taste, and I think Patanjali cannot compete with the taste of Maggi." SHOP IN NEW DELHI MARKET COLGATE AND OTHER TOOTHPASTES ON DISPLAY HARIDWAR, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PATANJALI HERBAL TOOTHPASTES COMING OUT OF THE ASSEMBLY LINE PRODUCTION GURGAON, HARYANA (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) LEADER OF CONSUMER AND RETAIL PRACTICE AT GLOBAL CONSULTANCY FIRM PWC, ANURAG MATHUR, SAYING: "The binding that it has created, this overall purpose that he has evangelized of becoming an Indian brand and there are very few strong, solid Indian brands out there. Becoming an Indian brand and built upon principles of health and wellness which are driving the consumers. These, to me are the driving force behind his brand." HARIDWAR, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RAMDEV MEETING HIS FOLLOWERS
- Embargoed: 26th November 2016 05:57
- Keywords: Ramdev yoga herbal products guru
- Location: HARIDWAR, UTTARAKHAND/GURGAON, HARYANA/NEW DELHI, INDIA
- City: HARIDWAR, UTTARAKHAND/GURGAON, HARYANA/NEW DELHI, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA0015801S1X
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: After hooking millions to his daily dose of physical exercises, India's most famous yoga guru Swami Ramdev is setting his sights on dislodging multi-national brands from their bathrooms and kitchens with his own line of Indian-made health and wellness products.
Dressed like a holy man but adored like a movie star, millions of people tune in every day to Ramdev's television show and hundreds of thousands flock to his workshops and yoga camps across India, North America and Europe.
From his sprawling complex in Haridwar, in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, Ramdev's businesses include schools, Indian made consumer goods, drugs and plants.
His yoga demonstrations, filled with crowd-pleasing stunts such as headstands or making his belly dance inside his ribcage are often punctuated by lectures on corruption, or the government's stance on its arch-enemy Pakistan.
But it is the breakneck pace of growth set by his company Patanjali Ayurveda Limited, set up in 2006, that has been grabbing headlines lately.
The homegrown empire, based on affordable products that claims to be herbal and healthy, has registered phenomenal growth in the past few years into a 50 billion rupee ($746 million) company.
Ramdev said people are lapping up the products because of the trust associated with it and are drawn by his objectives of reinvesting in society.
"We have just one resolve - that the country's money should stay within the country and it should be used for some charitable work in the country. This is important for poor countries. What are these MNCs (Multi-National Corporations)? They don't have a country, neither do they have any religion. They have no conviction, no ideology, no principles and no service - their only ideology is greed and wealth creation. I do not agree with them," he said from his headquarters in Haridwar.
While many support the idea of buying Patanjali products, some consumers say they have grown too used to products from big multinational brands like Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Nestle, which owns the famous Maggi-brand instant noodles.
"No matter how famous Patanjali is right now, no matter how many buyers are there for it right now, I will any day prefer Maggi over Patanjali noodles because I have grown up with Maggi and I love the taste, and I think Patanjali cannot compete with the taste of Maggi," said Mahima Chaudhary outside a convenience store.
Despite the existing stronghold by multinational brands, Patanjali's revenues jumped from approximately $100 million to just under $1 billion in the past four years and is giving Hindustan Unilever Ltd. and Procter & Gamble a run for their money.
Observers say that Ramdev is a smart businessman who has tapped into the nationalistic sentiments of people by projecting his company as an Indian organisation, employing fellow Indians that channels back profits into the country - unlike the multinationals Ramdev accuses of taking their money abroad.
"The binding that it has created, this overall purpose that he has evangelized of becoming an Indian brand and there are very few strong, solid Indian brands out there. Become an Indian brand and build upon principles of health and wellness which are driving the consumers. These to me are the driving force behind his brand," said Anurag Mathur, head of Consumer Retail division at the global consultancy PWC India.
Ramdev has set an ambitious target of 1.0 trillion rupees ($14.9 billion) in net sales for his consumer products over the next five to 10 years. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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