Ayurveda has seen phenomenal growth – Pradeep Cholayil, CEO, Medimix

Organic soaps have taken the world by storm, more so, since the global crisis. The rapid consumption of organic products around the world only indicates an increase in demand from health-conscious consumers looking to protect their skin. Moreover, in the last decade or so, the FMCG industry has seen an increase in ayurvedic/herbal products as consumers returned to products that were cost effective, environmentally friendly, and had a high exfoliating capacity.

Medimix, the Indian ayurvedic herbal/soap with a legacy spanning more than 50 years, has long been a household favourite. From its humble beginnings as a prescription drug for travellers to a brand synonymous with organic, the Chennai-based company has witnessed the change in consumer’s evolving needs.  In this episode of InConversations, Queenie Nair speaks with Pradeep Cholayil, Chairman & MD, Cholayil Pvt. Ltd., about the history of its most iconic product, as well as the future of organic soaps becoming a global must-have.

From a prescription soap to a beauty soap

Medimix’s legacy began in 1969, when it was primarily a prescription soap for Indian Railways passengers with skin issues, which eventually evolved into a beauty soap. Pradeep explains that the evolution of soap stemmed from the fact that ointments were frequently avoided because people forgot to apply them on a regular basis, and thus travellers requested his father, the soap’s creator, to develop a soap that could be used daily. The soap would contains all of the benefits of ayurvedic herbs and would eventually evolve into a healthy soap. Post-COVID FMCG Opportunities and value chains

Pradeep delves deeper into the rise of natural skincare products in the post-COVID era. He clarifies that after COVID, people’s awareness of health issues increased significantly, and as a result, they demanded products such as natural herbal products. Due to the obvious global crisis, which made people more concerned about the aftereffects of products, the demand for natural products increased.

Budget 2022 and its impact

Pradeep is extremely confident on the upward trajectory of the natural skincare industry, particularly ayurvedic products. He believes that it will grow to be a $1 trillion business in the future. According to him, people can attribute the acceptance of Ayurveda to the mass popularity of the product. He projects the growth of the industry to around CAGR of 22% in the coming years for ayurvedic products alone.

Pradeep is hopeful that that government spending on infrastructure expenditures will really boost the rural economy as more and more cities get connected with more roads. This will eventually benefit the ease in the distribution of personal care products and FMCG products, in general.

Gender Diversity in the workplace

Pradeep was univocally positive about the belief in equality and gender diversity

Full video of the interview is available below. Let us know your opinion about the future of the industry in the comments below:

Written by: Anupama Sughosh

Edited by: Queenie Nair                                                                         

 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET Edge Insights, its management, or its members

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