Stung by virus, Medimix finds its pull factor

The medicinal soap brand is seeing a sharp spurtin demand across the country ©

- TE NARASIMHAN

Over the past few weeks, Medimix, the low-key medicinal soap brand that was once the staple of budget hotels and rail travel has found itself thrust into the limelight. Born and sold as a cure for skin ailments, the brand that turned 50 last year has never seen such a massive crush at its shelves. So much so that the company is struggling to Keep up with demand.

Medimix is owned by two companies. Cholayil in the North run by the son of founder V P Sidhan, who is said to have mixed herbs and oils on his kitchen counter to make a medicinal mix and then named the soap thus, and AVA, in the South, owned by his son-in-law. Although the two are run as separate businesses, they share the brand name. And while Ava has seen a huge surge in demand, for Cholayil, there is a perceptible shift in the way the brand is being perceived.

A V Anoop, managing director, AVA Group says demand for the products, especially for hand wash (liquid soap) has increased by nearly 25 per cent. “The growth came as sweet surprise for the segment, which was de- growing,” he said.