Here’s how Dabur is dealing with the 400% jump in Chyawanprash demand

A chat with the Dabur's marketing head-health supplements Prashant Agarwal on how the market for its ‘immunity booster’ has changed over the years, and lately, in the context of the COVID pandemic.

Chyawanprash is witnessing high demand lately. A thick, dark mixture of herbs with Amla, honey, sugar and other ingredients, it is marketed as an ‘immunity booster’. Chyawanprash has been a part of Indian households for ages, but only, or largely, in winters. The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has, however, changed the game, overnight.

Dabur is the undisputed leader in India’s Rs 700 crore Chyawanprash market. Recently, the company reported a massive 400 per cent surge in the demand for this Ayurvedic product. Dabur’s competitors, Baba Ramdev's Patanjali, Baidyanath and Emami, also reportedly ran out of their Chyawanprash stock. Though Dabur has been promoting Chyawanprash as an ‘immunity booster’ for all seasons, it has never witnessed such high consumption in summers, as it has in the last three months.

In an interview with afaqs!, Prashant Agarwal, marketing head - health supplements, Dabur India, talks about how the company has been dealing with this rise in demand. Agarwal also talk about the limited mediums available to reach out to the target audience, and how he and his team are dealing with marketing challenges.

Here are the edited excerpts: