Dabur plays catch-up in toothpaste game

Dabur India is aggressively reshaping its oral care strategy as the company plans to launch three new products by the end of this year in the segment. The segment, according to Nielsen stands at Rs 4,987 crore, and grew 6.1 per cent over the last year.

Dabur India is aggressively reshaping its oral care strategy as the company plans to launch three new products by the end of this year in the segment. The segment, according to Nielsen stands at Rs 4,987 crore, and grew 6.1 per cent over the last year.

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“We are looking at all kinds of options and are ready to go in all areas that offer opportunities,” said Rana Banerjee, category head-oral care, Dabur India. “We expect the industry to grow at around 10 per cent this year and ourselves to grow at double that pace,” he said.

For Dabur India, which saw Rs 3,406 crore turnover in the financial year 2009-10, the oral care segment accounts for 20 per cent of its business.

At 13.5 per cent market share, Dabur’s toothpaste business grew by nearly 20 per cent in 2009-10. A key driver of growth in this category was the ayurveda based Dabur Red toothpaste, which grew by 17.5 per cent and surpassed the Rs 100-crore turnover mark in 2009.

Dabur has a wide portfolio catering to all categories—masses, value seeking and the premium. Besides Red Dabur’s range includes Meswak, Promise and Babool.

According to reports, Procter & Gamble is ready to launch its toothpaste Crest and Future Group recently launched its toothpaste range Sach under its private label.