Dabur is one of India’s first and oldest FMCG company well-known and trusted for Ayurveda and natural consumer products. It all began when Dr. S.K. Burman, a practitioner in Kolkata formulated an Ayurveda cure for constipation, cholera, and malaria. His foresight for the growing demand in Ayurvedic medicines prompted him to establish Dabur India Limited in 1884. By 1896, Dr. Burman set up the first manufacturing plant to mass produce the Ayurveda formulations. Since then the company has continued to grow under the able management of 5 generations of the family. It is only the fifth generation who introduce the company to professional management in 1998.
The idea behind the logo
Take a look at the Logo of Dabur. Now as you look closer let us tell you what it stands for. The company logo is ‘ The Banyan Tree’. It symbolizes nature and the tree that is indelibly regarded as a provider of shelter, food, and protection. The banyan tree trunk mirrors the form of three people with their arms raised conveying exultation in achievement. The sturdy trunk represents stability and its multiple branches represent growth.
Dabur India Limited which belongs to India’s consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry has since 1884 stood firmly to convey the same message of stability and growth.
Product Lines
The company is a world leader in Ayurveda. It even owns approximately 4,500 acres of farmland to grow rare medicinal herbs. It manufactures over 260 Herbal/Ayurveda based products. In 1996, the company identified and categorized its products under four divisions – Health Care Division, Products Division, Family Products Division, and Ayurvedic Specialities Division.
Its five flagship brands are: –
- Dabur for natural healthcare products,
- Vatika for premium personal care,
- Fem for fairness bleaches and skincare products,
- Real for fruit juices and beverages, and
- Hajmola for digestives.
Today Dabur is ranked among the top five FMCG companies in India selling a wide range of products in 120 countries around the world.
Plant and machinery
Dabur has state-of-the-art factories in India and overseas. The India plants are located at,
- Sahibabad (Uttar Pradesh) – seven factories
- Baddi (Himachal Pradesh)
- Pantnagar (Uttaranchal)
- Silvassa, Gujarat
- Alwar, Rajasthan
- Katni and Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh
- Narendrapur, West Bengal
- Nasik, Maharashtra,
- Tezpur, Assam, and
- Jammu.
The Foods business is serviced by manufacturing facilities at Newai (Rajasthan) and Siliguri (West Bengal).
The manufacturing plants out of India are located in Dubai, Sharjah, Ras-al- Khaimah, Egypt, Nigeria, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
These factories supply to 6 million retail outlets in India and others in the Middle East, Africa, USA, Europe, Russia, and the Indian sub-continent.
The Dabur Timeline
In over 100 years of existence like its contemporary Godrej, Dabur too has achieved many milestones. Some of these are: –
- 1919: Establishes the first research laboratory to introduce scientific processes and quality standards in large-scale production of traditional Ayurveda medicines.
- 1979: Sets up Dabur Research & Development Centre (DRDC) in the new Sahibabad factory of Dabur to continue its Ayurvedic medicines.
- 1986: Dabur becomes a Public Limited Company, known as Dabur India Ltd.
- 1992: Enters into its first strategic international partnerships with Agrolimen, Spain, to manufacture and market confectionery items in India.
- 1993: Dabur’s health care division manufactures oncology formulation at Baddi, Himachal Pradesh.
- 1994: The company raised its first ever public issue which got oversubscribed 21 times.
- 1997: Dabur enters India’s nascent processed foods market with the creation of a Foods Division. Project STARS (Strive to Achieve Record Successes) is introduced to accelerate Company growth.
- 2000: established its market leadership status when the company’s turnover crossed INR 1,000 crores.
- 2005: Dabur acquires Balsara a hygiene and home products company for INR 143 crore all-cash deal.
- 2007: Dabur Foods unveils the new packaging and design for Real to celebrate 10 years of the brand. It design gives a modern look depicting the natural goodness of the juice from freshly plucked fruits.
- 2007: Was also the year Dabur India announced its foray into the organised retail business through a wholly-owned subsidiary, H&B Stores Limited. The company set aside INR 140 Crores to be invested by 2010 to establish a chain of stores in Health & Beauty.
- 2008: The company acquires Fem Care Pharma a leading skincare brand
- 2010: Dabur makes its first overseas acquisition taking over Hobi Kozmetik Group, Turkey, a personal care products company for USD 69 Million. Shortly after its first acquisition, the comapny buys a 100% equity stake in Namaste Laboratories LLC, USA for USD 100 Million.
- 2012: Dabur India Ltd. crosses the billion-dollar turnover mark in FY 2011-12 with net sales of INR 5283.17 Crores.
- 2015: Brands Real, Vatika, and Amla all cross the INR 1,000 crore turnover mark.
Awards and Recognition
The list of awards include: –
- 18th ICSI National Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance: Best Governed Companies
- PHDCCI Award for Outstanding Contribution to Social Welfare for community development initiatives
- In 2018, awarded India’s Top Companies for Sustainability and CSR ranking at 37th position
- SABERA Responsible Business Award for initiatives in the field of Hygiene and Sanitation
- Red Paste and Hajmola won Top 100 Most Trusted Brands 2018, at The Economic Times Brand Equity
- Won the Gold Award in the Ayurvedic category, at Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Survey, 2018
- Réal won the Gold Award in the Packaged Juice category, in Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Survey, 2018
- Consumer Voice magazine ranked Real as No. 1 in the Juices category
- At ‘Nutrition & Wellness 2018’ GlycoDab receives an award for Best Ayurvedic Medicine in Diabetes Management.
- Honey Squeezy pack and Gulabari 30ml LUP pack won the Stars Of The Industry Packaging Excellence awards.
- Activations by three Dabur brands – Vatika, Pudin Hara and Dashmularishta bagged the Silver at RMAI Flames Asia Awards
- Dabur Chyawanprash sets Guinness World Record in 2019 for ‘Largest Immunity Lesson’ with school students.
(The above information is from Dabur India Limited Annual Report 2018-19)
CSR Initiatives
Dabur commits to its corporate social responsibility (CSR) and undertakes numerous initiatives through Sundesh, a non-profit organisation started by Burman. The NGO carries out welfare programs in rural education, health care, and other socio-economic activities.
Conclusion
Though the Brand Trust Report 2015 puts Dabur at 19th place, it is facing tough competition from Patanjali. This has forced the company to reassess its marketing strategy. In the 1990’s when Dabur embarked on diversifying its business portfolio it did not place Ayurveda as its core. With Patanjali strongly promoting Ayurveda, Dabur is under pressure to regain its place and rebuild its image as India’s first Ayurvedic company.