Arjuna Natural Extracts Limited, Kochi-based manufacturers and exporter of herbal extracts, plans to strengthen its foothold in the Indian nutraceutical market with its range of bio-active botanics under the brand name ‘Curegarden’. It had recently acquired a patent from the US for the method to treat Alzheimer’s disease. P J Kunjchan, its managing director, tells George Joseph the company plans to raise its turnover to Rs 500 crore by 2020. Edited excerpts
What your plans for the Indian market?
We had been concentrating on the overseas markets since our inception in 1990. We have been exporting to roughly 40 countries botanical extracts in bulk for making specific medicines for various diseases. We had launched Curegarden products in India a couple of years ago in Bengaluru and now we plan to introduce six medicines under the brand in India.
The market is slowly picking up. We are not in a hurry to raise our volumes. After Karnataka, we have introduced our products in Kerala and Gujarat. Last year, we started online trading and the response has been encouraging. During one year, we sold medicines worth Rs 1 crore through the online platform. Our flagship product Bioavailable Curcumin, made out of turmeric, works as a potent anti-inflammatory agent. We also introduced Joint Rescue for arthritic and inflammatory condition. We also have good export orders from Australia, Poland, Finland and Jamaica among others.
What are your diversification plans?
We don’t have any diversification plan as of now, but want to strictly confine to good R&D in natural medicines. For marketing the Curegarden brand, we have started a subsidiary, Live Long Nutracuticals.
Any new products in the pipeline?
By this month, we will be adding four new products to the Curegarden brand, including Omega 3 fatty acid supplements for children and pregnant women and also supplements for respiratory disorders and cholesterol management.
How is the business doing financially?
We expect Rs 200 crore business with 20 per cent profitability this fiscal from Rs 120 crore in 2013-14. We also have expansion plans at our Kochi plant. By 2020, Live Long is targeting a business of Rs 20 crore. For R&D alone, we will invest Rs 20 crore in the next two years. This will be mainly for clinical trials in the US and Australia. We have also tied up with universities in Japan for product development studies.
What are your future plans?
We have 50 patents for natural extracts and medicines. Recently, we got a patent for extracts made out of red Spinach. Research on a herbal medicine for diabetes is in the final state among others.
Close to 10 per cent of our annual turnover is dedicated to the research activities. Arjuna is the only manufacturer of concentrated Omega- 3 fish oil in India and also the first in the world to produce turmeric extract, powered completely by solar energy.
What your plans for the Indian market?
We had been concentrating on the overseas markets since our inception in 1990. We have been exporting to roughly 40 countries botanical extracts in bulk for making specific medicines for various diseases. We had launched Curegarden products in India a couple of years ago in Bengaluru and now we plan to introduce six medicines under the brand in India.
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What is the response and in what ways these medicines are effective?
The market is slowly picking up. We are not in a hurry to raise our volumes. After Karnataka, we have introduced our products in Kerala and Gujarat. Last year, we started online trading and the response has been encouraging. During one year, we sold medicines worth Rs 1 crore through the online platform. Our flagship product Bioavailable Curcumin, made out of turmeric, works as a potent anti-inflammatory agent. We also introduced Joint Rescue for arthritic and inflammatory condition. We also have good export orders from Australia, Poland, Finland and Jamaica among others.
What are your diversification plans?
We don’t have any diversification plan as of now, but want to strictly confine to good R&D in natural medicines. For marketing the Curegarden brand, we have started a subsidiary, Live Long Nutracuticals.
Any new products in the pipeline?
By this month, we will be adding four new products to the Curegarden brand, including Omega 3 fatty acid supplements for children and pregnant women and also supplements for respiratory disorders and cholesterol management.
How is the business doing financially?
We expect Rs 200 crore business with 20 per cent profitability this fiscal from Rs 120 crore in 2013-14. We also have expansion plans at our Kochi plant. By 2020, Live Long is targeting a business of Rs 20 crore. For R&D alone, we will invest Rs 20 crore in the next two years. This will be mainly for clinical trials in the US and Australia. We have also tied up with universities in Japan for product development studies.
What are your future plans?
We have 50 patents for natural extracts and medicines. Recently, we got a patent for extracts made out of red Spinach. Research on a herbal medicine for diabetes is in the final state among others.
Close to 10 per cent of our annual turnover is dedicated to the research activities. Arjuna is the only manufacturer of concentrated Omega- 3 fish oil in India and also the first in the world to produce turmeric extract, powered completely by solar energy.