Back To The Roots

Armed with investment in R&D and innovation, India Inc. is now betting big on healing with herbs

- C.H. Unnikrishnan

WHEN MUMBAI - BASED entrepreneur Sanjay a Mariwala wanted to set up his new venture for developing active ingredients from natural sources for health and wellness products in 2004, even his business enthusiastic family didn’t consider it a sensible choice and was hesitant to help invest. But Mariwala’s venture, OmniActive Health Technologies, is currently one of the fastest growing natural care companies in India with large global investors queuing up to invest in it.

“And they ask no questions,” says Mariwala while talking about the routine calls that he receives from potential investors, who are convinced about the sector’s growth.

Pragun Jindal, MD of Bangalore-based Jindal Aluminium, too, did not have second thoughts about his plan to enter the natural care business when the group recently decided to diversify their business. According to him, the research-backed natural care market is going to be the next big opportunity in India as well as abroad.

Mariwala and Jindal represent hundreds of India’s new age entrepreneurs and business entities, who have taken a serious call on the exponentially growing natural care segment in the newly emerging healthcare and wellness market. This is because those seeking good health and personal care around the world are increasingly moving towards alternative therapies and natural products.

Large corporate players including pioneers such as Himalaya Drug Company, Dabur India, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), EID Parry, OmniActive, Patanjali, and many new entrants such as Jindal along with at least a dozen top pharma companies such as Zydus Cadila, Wockhardt, Sun Pharma and Alkem Labs are betting big to seize this huge global opportunity.

A World Of Opportunity