With reference to Shailesh Dobhal's column, "Baba Ramdev and imagining ghosts" (February 10), I agree with him that beyond a point, anti-multinationalism will not serve any good for Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved venture. Having said that, we cannot deny that Ramdev has created quite a buzz in the FMCG market. Interestingly, Patanjali noodles was launched at a time when there was a vacuum in the market caused by the ban on Maggi noodles.
Multinationals such as Colgate-Palmolive, Nestle and Hindustan Unilever have such deep pockets and vintage in the country that they can not only splurge on advertising but also reach every nook and corner of the country to sell their products, both of which Patanajali will find hard to achieve at present. Because Ramdev is a brand himself thanks to his yoga camps, he has been able to create a niche for his products in a cutthroat market. Whether he would be able to keep his operating expenses under control and become a real threat to the MNCs is tough to predict.
Also, as Patanjali is an unlisted company, we do not know its source of funding and other critical details, hence financial transparency, corporate governance etc are not spoken about.
Bal Govind Noida
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