Ghost in the machine

HEALTH GIZMOS: Singapore-based Osim sees a fine market in India for chip-embedded massage machines and fat trimming apparatus.

His agile 5 ft 3 inch frame, with a countenance as cheerful as any, resonates with good health. At 47, Rin Som remains not just committed to healthy living, but has made a fortune of his passion.

In India for the launch of his latest product, a premium massage chair and a mechanically oscillating belt to increase the metabolism rate, the founder and CEO of Singapore-based Osim International appears impressed by the initial response the two products have got so far in India.

According to Som, the massage chair, iDesire has been named so because it "thinks and massages" quite like a human being.

It has a microchip which detects 27 key points on the back, and has special programmes that adapt it to the body, and to special needs (morning massage, sickness massage and so on) that a professional masseuse would be sensitive to. With a price tag of a neat Rs 3.25 lakh in India, iDesire was launched in Hong Kong, Singapore and China last year.

"Life today has become very stressful whether in Hong Kong, Singapore or India," points out Som. "With our innovative products we are trying to create a healthy life within the four walls of the house, as it may not always be feasible to venture out, whether for relaxation or exercise."

Started as a trading company selling household products in 1980, Osim now boasts of a group revenue of $800 million with 1,000 shops in 156 cities across 21 countries.

And now India seems to be the focus area for the company which entered the market through the master franchisee route in 2004.

"We are bullish on India because we feel there's tremendous potential here. At present, the market may be small as we are still in the infant years. But over time we will grow. Moreover, our partners here understand our vision on good health," gushes an enthusiastic Som.

Shaily Grover, managing director of Osim India, is no less optimistic about the brand's prospects in India: "In the last 18 months since we launched, we're at about 35 points of sale across the country. This upswing clearly indicates the market is open to these health products." Spurred by the response, he's set a robust target of 100 outlets in the next 3-5 years and a turnover of Rs 100 crore.

But how far can such high-falutin' stuff go? "We're not looking at all the 1 billion people. Our target is just the 13-14 million rich people. Even 0.1 per cent of this would entail a market for 30,000 chairs," says Grover.

Then there are the lower priced products too. Apart from iDesire, Osim is keen to find buyers for uZap, a mechanical belt that promises to burn fat by raising the metabolic rate, priced at an affordable Rs 10,500. The betting is that fitness is ready for a new wave.