Dabur to launch medicated soaps

Dabur will soon launch a range of medicated soaps in a bid to expand its offerings in the personal care category.

Sunil Duggal, chief executive officer, said that the company was considering to enter the segment with a range of herbal medicated soaps which would be aimed at solving specific problems.

"These will possibly be launched under a separate brand and not under Vatika, the existing soap brand," said Duggal. The products are likely to be launched by end of March 2007.

At present, only a couple of national brands like Dettol and Medimix dominate this category.

Equity analysts point out that while the soaps category is fairly crowded, entering the medicated segment may be a good move as it offers a clear differentiation.

"There are already brands like Chandrika and Margo that exist in this segment. How the brand performs would depend upon its core proposition as well as its positioning," said a Mumbai-based analyst.

Meanwhile, Dabur is also planning a further expansion in the skincare segment under the Vatika brand.

"There are some plans on the skincare front, but nothing has been finalised," said Duggal. "There will be further expansions in the shampoo and other hair care product categories, but this would be in the next financial year," he added.

The company has recently launched a second variant of the Vatika soap with sandalwood and Duggal said that the company expected its soap segment to grow between 30 and 40 per cent on the back on the new launches.