Self-reliance was the very seed that gave us Dabur, writes chairman Amit Burman. In the 19th c, when disease was rife but medicine scarce, his forebear took Ayurveda to the masses.
Self-Reliance is not new to us. It was, in fact, the seed that germinated into the tree called Dabur. The story began in the late 1800s with a small, but visionary endeavour, by Dr S.K. Burman, a physician based in Bengal. It was the time of great turmoil with killer diseases like cholera and malaria taking a great toll on human lives and livelihoods. With no modern medicine available, Dr Burman went about with missionary zeal to treat patients using ayurvedic medicines.
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Soon the news travelled, and he came to be known as the trusted ‘Daktar’, or Doctor, who came up with effective cures. The year 1884 saw our first steps in aatmanirbharta, when Dr Burman set up Dabur to mass-produce and dispense ayurvedic medicines, reaching out to a wide mass, which had no access to proper treatment. Dabur is derived from the Devanagari rendition of Daktar Burman, a combination of ‘DA’ from Daktar and ‘BUR’ from Burman. Over the years, generations of the family transformed Dabur from a fledgling manufacturer in a small Calcutta house to a consumer products manufacturer, with a product range spanning ayurvedic medicines, health supplements, hair-care, oral care, home care and foods. Ayurveda and nature remain the common threads binding the business, with most products being derived from nature and nature ingredients.
Taking Brand India global: We believed that aatmanirbharta is not just about creating enterprises, but taking Brand India abroad. It’s not just about targeting the diaspora, but giving the world a taste of India and Indian products.
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When most companies were looking at exports, we decided to take a route less taken and establish manufacturing bases abroad to cater to local consumers. We took the more tedious route of setting up a supply chain, and making products that were completely different from the ones available in India, purely because they were made to suit local tastes and aspirations. But we decided to keep our brand architecture intact. We have popular brands like Dabur Amla and Vatika in overseas markets, but products sold under these brands were tailor-made to fit needs and preferences of local consumers.
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For instance, we have hair serums, hair mask, hair creams and hair gels being locally manufactured abroad under these brands. Even the hair oils available as Vatika are different from the ones here. We have Cactus Hair Oil in the Middle East, for instance. Our iconic brand, Dabur Amla Hair oil, launched in 1940 in India, acquired a special place in women’s hearts worldwide as the trusted brand for hair nourishment. Latest innovations like Hammam Zaith and Snake Oil have been especially created for women of the Middle East by the Indian R&D team, comprising over 100 scientists.
Today, Dabur India has transformed itself into an Indian transnational with a manufacturing footprint spanning four continents, and products reaching over 100 countries.
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Post-Covid world: To say that life has changed dramatically because of Covid is an understatement. It has changed the way we live and work. To succeed in this uncertain and highly dynamic environment, we needed to be agile and seize opportunities in a short timeframe. We have to quickly adapt our business approach, mobilise teams despite lockdown restrictions, besides leveraging technology and innovation to address the changing environment and emerging needs of our consumers. In days following the outbreak, millions rediscovered the power of ayurveda. The AYUSH ministry advocated use of ayurvedic remedies and yoga to boost immunity. This was the new ayurveda wave. People are more inclined to prophylactic remedies like immunity-boosting products.
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As the country’s largest ayurvedic products maker, we have strengthened our portfolio with the introduction of a new range of immunity boosters, while expanding capacity for the existing range. The first three months of the pandemic saw Dabur introduce 40 new products under the immunity umbrella and for personal and household hygiene. We are conducting clinical trials on chyawanprash, in addition to prophylaxis studies on ashwagandha and giloy, specifically with respect to COVID-19. As the world prepares for life after Covid, economies across the globe are more likely to look inwards. The same holds true for India with the ‘Made in India’ tag being a key unifying factor. COVID-19 has acted as an inflection point, increasing the relevance of ayurveda in consumers’ minds.
(Views are personal)
Amit Burman Chairman, Dabur