Dalmia plans to export non-tobacco smokes, gum

Dalmia Consumer Care (DCC) plans to develop and export its non-tobacco smoking and chewing products initially for south Asian markets and thereafter Europe.

DCC currently sells a bidi-type non-tobacco smoking product called 'Vardaan' wrapped in a tendu leaf as a cigarette replacement, and a herbal chewing gum called 'Chabaaza' to replace pan masala and gutka in the Indian market.

Sudershan Banerjee, managing director and chief executive officer of DCC, said Vardaan was selling strongly in the target areas where bidi-smoking was popular and this success had encouraged the company to develop a paper-wrapped product for the export market.

Both the products were based on herbal raw materials named in indigenous Indian medicinal and ayurveda texts.

Though some ingredients like leaves of neem and jamun were easily available, the supply of others would be supplemented through plantations.

DCC was working on a pilot project in Andhra Pradesh to wean away farmers from tobacco and instead grow the herbal products used in the tobacco-alternative products, said Banerjee.

He cited reports issued by one Indian and one foreign laboratory stating that DCC products contained no known carcinogens or narcotics and also delivered exceptionally low levels of other materials like tar.

"Cigarettes deliver nicotine, alkaloids and tar, while gutkas and pan masalas contain magnesium bicarbonates, all of which cause health problems to users in the Rs 45, 000 crore 'oral gratification' category", said Banerjee.

Besides taking out global patents for its products prior to their overseas launch, the company had also invested in research to identify and isolate other active ingredients that would deliver the experience of tobacco through use of other herbal products.

Traditional systems of medicines had identified or provided indicators to such materials, all of which had negligible side-effects, Banerjee claimed.

DCC's first product was Vardaan, which Banerjee said simulated the experience of tobacco in bidi form and its kick using leaves of plants abundantly available. Chabazaa was in the form of chewing gumlets in pan and gutkha flavours.