 "Tennis player Sania Mirza with captain of Indian football team Sunil Chhetri after being announced as new brand ambassadors of 'Volini' during a press conference in Mumbai")
Also competing for a pie of the Rs 1,700-crore pain relief product market is Dr Reddy's, which launched its Nise-D pain killer spray on Monday. It says the association with sport stars is a reflection of rising trend of active lifestyle and interest in sports other than cricket
The size of the OTC market is pegged at Rs 13,000 crore and is registering double-digit growth. The space is crowded with firms marketing herbal and ayurvedic products and dietary supplements. Increasingly, pharmaceutical companies, which sold only prescription drugs are ramping up their portfolio. Earlier this year, Cipla secured investment from private equity firm Fidelity Growth Partners for its consumer health care business. Cipla is planning a foray in nutritional product segment next year.
“In the consumer health care space, we have five key brands and we are in analgesics, health supplements and digestive remedies segment, too. Within these segments there is a significant potential. We have seen a very healthy growth,” said Subodh Marwah, head, global consumer health care of Sun Pharma.
While Volini always had celebrity endorsers including actors Sonali Bendre and Shilpa Shetty, Marwah said its association with the sport stars symbolises the trend of active lifestyle and public interest in non-cricket sports in India.
M V Ramana, executive vice-president and head branded markets (India and emerging countries), Dr. Reddy’s, said, “Nise-D Spray marks our entry into the new segment and further boosts our OTC portfolio and we expect it to have a great momentum and significant market share across regions.”
