ALWAYS BEEN VERY INNOVATIVE

Could you brief us about Emami’s journey over the past five years?

If you look at our business model, since inception we have been in segments where competition from MNCs was less so that we could consolidate position in niche product areas. For example, ‘Navratna Oil’ has always been more than oil – it has also been a therapeutic cooling oil.  Hence, it was something quite different than what was available in the market at that point of time. In the same way, ‘Fair and Handsome’ is a fairness cream specifically formulated for men. What we have done is to identify the consumer need gap and then deliver very effective and different products which were then marketed very aggressively. So that’s the way we have grown all these years and that includes the past five years too.

How will your company continue to create value for your shareholders?

Wealth creation for our shareholders is the outcome of our efforts through delivering values which gets converted into wealth. If you look at our market cap, it has increased in four years by four to five times. In the last one year, it has doubled. If you look at the reason for this increase in the market cap or the business value, it is because we have delivered consistent and strong topline and bottomline growth. Moreover, we have always been very innovative by introducing new products over the years with strong consumer benefits and packaging them attractively while making them cost-effective too. We have recently launched many new products and along with strengthening our market position in niche segments we have ventured into some mainstream categories too, including face wash, deodorant, etc. Thus, our growth engine has kept producing good results with this two-pronged strategy.

What are the challenges faced and the strategies adapted for being among the top value-creating companies today?

There are the normal business challenges as in the case of any other business. This also includes increasing competition and the fact that we have to be on our toes to consistently give our customers valued-added products. However, we have always overcome these challenges very successfully and will continue doing so. In terms of brands we have kept on innovating and that has helped us create value for business and investors, and all the other stakeholders. Meanwhile, we have been doing well in our international business. Our products are available in around 60 countries across the globe and some of our leading products like Navratna Oil, Boroplus Antiseptic Cream and Fair and Handsome command leadership positions in the Middle East, Bangladesh, Russia and Nepal.

Any new products which will be launched soon?

We have recently come up with many new launches in the categories of face washes, deodorants, sanitary napkins, hair oil, etc. and there are some other products in the pipeline which will be announced soon. We have also drafted an aggressive business plan for the healthcare segment.

What is the company’s vision for the next five years?

We expect to grow at the same pace as we are doing now, which is around 18.20 per cent YoY and we will continue to grow the wealth of our stakeholders.