Tag: Banjara’s

  • Bajaj Consumer Care bags Vishal Personal Care’s Banjara’s brand in southern swoop

    Bajaj Consumer Care bags Vishal Personal Care’s Banjara’s brand in southern swoop

    MUMBAI; Bajaj Consumer Care, one of India’s oldest and most trusted FMCG companies with a 70-year legacy, has planted its flag firmly in the herbal beauty market by completing the first phase of its acquisition of Vishal Personal Care, maker of the popular Banjara’s range of natural beauty products.

    The company announced today it has secured a 49 per cent stake in the Hyderabad-based manufacturer, with plans to acquire the remaining 51 per cent  within the next three to four months, subject to regulatory approvals.

    The deal, valued at approximately Rs 120 crore for complete ownership, gives Bajaj immediate access to Banjara’s burgeoning business of ayurvedic and herbal personal care products, which generated revenues of Rs 51.53 crore in the 2023-24 financial year.

    “This strategic acquisition perfectly aligns with our growth ambitions in the natural beauty segment,” said Bajaj Consumer Care managing director Jaideep Nandi. “Banjara’s botanical brilliance and strong southern presence provides us with both product prowess and geographical growth opportunities, complementing our existing portfolio of trusted brands like Bajaj Almond Drops Hair Oil and Nomarks.”

     

    Established in 2012, Vishal Personal Care has shown consistent revenue growth, climbing from Rs 39.43 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 45.36 crore in 2022-23, before reaching Rs 51.53 crore last year.

    The Banjara’s brand is particularly well-established in southern India, offering more than 60 products including rose water, face washes, hair oils and natural henna. The company operates a manufacturing facility in the outskirts of Hyderabad with Ayush licensing for ayurvedic and herbal production.

    The acquisition comes as Bajaj Consumer Care continues its expansion beyond its flagship hair oil products. Part of the storied Bajaj group, the company has been an integral part of the Indian consumer experience for over seven decades, with its products reaching households across the country and international markets.

    Industry analysts note that Bajaj’s herbal handshake with Banjara’s could create competitive challenges for established players in the natural beauty space, particularly given Bajaj’s extensive distribution network currently being optimised through Project Aarohan.

    “This acquisition crowns Bajaj with credible credentials in the fast-growing natural beauty segment,” said a market analyst from a leading brokerage firm. “The company can now harness Banjara’s herbal heritage while leveraging its own distribution dominance and the trust it has built over generations.”

    The purchase agreement was originally approved by Bajaj’s board on 14 February, involving Peepul Capital Fund III LLC as the selling majority shareholder.

    Bajaj Consumer Care indicated that the acquisition will accelerate its innovation pipeline and new product launches in the five southern states, while providing access to Vishal’s robust sales processes and experienced management team.

    This move into herbal beauty aligns with Bajaj’s recent quarterly reports highlighting the company’s focus on diversification and strengthening its modern trade and e-commerce channels, which have shown robust growth despite challenges in traditional general trade segments.

  • Banjara’s latest ad calls out on racist mindset in advertising

    Banjara’s latest ad calls out on racist mindset in advertising

    MUMBAI: Indian’s obsession with fairer skin dates back to immigrants, conquerors and rulers from the west with fairer skin lauding it over the `local’ or native Indians which later got defined into a caste system where dalits or ‘untouchables’ often had much darker skin than the upper castes. The innate implication is that if you have fair skin, you are somewhat superior to others around you. Most of the well-known FMCG companies are encashing upon this paranoia which is deep-rooted in our culture. Such advertisements encourage the notion that a fair girl is the definition of a beautiful girl, and that this skin color would ensure that she goes through a hassle free marriage and fulfill her every dream.

    To enhance it’s positioning of being known for its natural range of hair and skin care products, Banjara’s supports a movement against colour bias in India called ‘#proud of my colour.’

    Commenting on the communication objective behind the new campaign, Banjara’s  MD Ramesh Vishwanathan said, “We wanted to change the perception that fair skin does not mean beauty. A woman should feel gorgeous in her natural skin color. The focus of skin products should be on healthy skin and not skin lightening. The highlight of this short film will be to educate people to get over their unhealthy obsession about fairness.”

    The campaign comprises a film that focuses on how most often the pressure to be “fairer” really begins at home. It captures the concerns and apprehensions that older family members have about skin colour, especially when it comes to their daughters and marriage. Many things both desirable and not so desirable start at home says Prabhakar of India/2 who scripted and directed the film meant for a largely internet audience.

    A second film that captures the affinity of advertisers both large and small to only portray “fair girls” in their advertising is next on the cards. It will take on the need to look beyond colour at talent and achievement, and for that matter at the need to see beauty itself beyond color.

    Sharing his views on the creative thought process, Krishna Mohan, India/2 said, “We learnt a lot from the movement against colour bias that we launched #proudofmycolour. We built a community of almost 2 Lakhs in a period of just 4 months. And the support we got from our “mavens of colour” be it the girl next door (in their hundreds) or celebrities like Padma Lakshmi, Radhika Nair, Nidhi Sunil has been astonishing”. Many of the insights from the #proudofmycolor campaign went into making of the film for Banjara’s Skin +ive. Perhaps this explains why the Ad has resonated with audiences across the country and has recorded more than 3 million hits in under a week.

    The music composed by Dr. Divakar Subramaniam is built around the theme; you can’t judge beauty by colour, and specially created to enhance the desired message. The film has been shot by INDIA/2 Productions and will play on prominent online mediums and cinemas as part of its outreach plans. The strategic promotion of the film on the internet has been crafted by Manish Sinha and Arvind Jha of ParikshaLabs.

  • Banjara’s latest ad calls out on racist mindset in advertising

    Banjara’s latest ad calls out on racist mindset in advertising

    MUMBAI: Indian’s obsession with fairer skin dates back to immigrants, conquerors and rulers from the west with fairer skin lauding it over the `local’ or native Indians which later got defined into a caste system where dalits or ‘untouchables’ often had much darker skin than the upper castes. The innate implication is that if you have fair skin, you are somewhat superior to others around you. Most of the well-known FMCG companies are encashing upon this paranoia which is deep-rooted in our culture. Such advertisements encourage the notion that a fair girl is the definition of a beautiful girl, and that this skin color would ensure that she goes through a hassle free marriage and fulfill her every dream.

    To enhance it’s positioning of being known for its natural range of hair and skin care products, Banjara’s supports a movement against colour bias in India called ‘#proud of my colour.’

    Commenting on the communication objective behind the new campaign, Banjara’s  MD Ramesh Vishwanathan said, “We wanted to change the perception that fair skin does not mean beauty. A woman should feel gorgeous in her natural skin color. The focus of skin products should be on healthy skin and not skin lightening. The highlight of this short film will be to educate people to get over their unhealthy obsession about fairness.”

    The campaign comprises a film that focuses on how most often the pressure to be “fairer” really begins at home. It captures the concerns and apprehensions that older family members have about skin colour, especially when it comes to their daughters and marriage. Many things both desirable and not so desirable start at home says Prabhakar of India/2 who scripted and directed the film meant for a largely internet audience.

    A second film that captures the affinity of advertisers both large and small to only portray “fair girls” in their advertising is next on the cards. It will take on the need to look beyond colour at talent and achievement, and for that matter at the need to see beauty itself beyond color.

    Sharing his views on the creative thought process, Krishna Mohan, India/2 said, “We learnt a lot from the movement against colour bias that we launched #proudofmycolour. We built a community of almost 2 Lakhs in a period of just 4 months. And the support we got from our “mavens of colour” be it the girl next door (in their hundreds) or celebrities like Padma Lakshmi, Radhika Nair, Nidhi Sunil has been astonishing”. Many of the insights from the #proudofmycolor campaign went into making of the film for Banjara’s Skin +ive. Perhaps this explains why the Ad has resonated with audiences across the country and has recorded more than 3 million hits in under a week.

    The music composed by Dr. Divakar Subramaniam is built around the theme; you can’t judge beauty by colour, and specially created to enhance the desired message. The film has been shot by INDIA/2 Productions and will play on prominent online mediums and cinemas as part of its outreach plans. The strategic promotion of the film on the internet has been crafted by Manish Sinha and Arvind Jha of ParikshaLabs.