Ahmedabad-based pharma firms bank on wellness

AHMEDABAD: Pharma companies in Gujarat are increasingly focusing on wellness and personal care products. Several companies are either expanding their existing line of personal care products or setting up new divisions to cater to the growing wellness market in the country.
For instance, Cadila Pharmaceuticals has set up a new herbal division, Chezgreen, which will offer a wide range of herbal wellness products. The products include skin cream, anti-hairfall and anti-dandruff lotion, mosquito repellant and syrups to improve digestion.
According to the company, Chezgreen has led the company to explore new opportunities in the herbal market. The division with its portfolio of pure ayurvedic products meets the healthcare, hair care, and skin care needs of consumers.
The company has begun manufacturing its personal care products at its existing facility on Dholka campus. The company has lined up aggressive marketing strategies to capture a chunk of the herbal healthcare market.
Ahmedabad-based pharma major Cadila Healthcare's consumer products arm, Zydus Wellness, is planning to up its ante in the personal care segment to strengthen its Everyuth brand portfolio. About a couple of months ago, the company launched a herbal extract-based low-calorie sweetener under the Sugar Free brand and now plans to launch two new products under the Everyuth skincare umbrella later this year.
"Having a wellness and personal care products division helps build the brand for companies. Personal care products not only make pharmaceutical companies a household name but also help them have an edge when they introduce variants. Pharma companies need to have an eye on this category," said a pharma analyst.
The BSE-listed Dishman Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals' personal care division, Dishman Care, also has a range of hand and body wash, sanitizers and antiseptics apart from its active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulations businesses. Having acquired Elder Pharma's formulations business in 2013, Torrent Pharmaceuticals has also strengthened its position in the Indian market, expanding into these fast growing areas. Torrent now has Elder's portfolio of around 30 brands with products across women's healthcare, pain management, wound care and neutraceuticals.