Advancing a 132-year-old legacy

Our Correspondent / Emirates Business

Dabur International is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Dabur India Limited (DIL), a leading India-based fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) conglomerate with an overall turnover of US$1.3 billion and market capitalisation of around US$7 billion. Established in 1991 with headquarters in Dubai, UAE, Dabur International contributes to nearly a third of DIL’s global business, delivering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 30
percent and reaching a milestone of AED 1.3 billion within eight years of its existence.

Expansive presence
Vivek Dhir, Chief Marketing Officer for Dabur International, said, “Harnessing a 132-year-old legacy, Dabur International extends the company’s expertise on ‘Ayurveda’ to offer safe, effective and efficient personal care solutions under the categories of hair, oral, skin, and baby care to target consumers in the region.”
The company currently has a presence in over 100 countries, operated by a human resource strength of around 4,000 employees worldwide and 1,000 employees within the MENA region. It has branches in 12 countries, including the USA, UK, Egypt, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey and Sri Lanka.

New Acquisitions
Dabur International has acquired two companies, Hobi Kozmetik — a leading personal care company in Turkey — and Namaste Laboratories LLC – a renowned African American hair-care company based in the USA — as part of its global expansion drive. The successful acquisitions have enabled it to enter the highly developed consumer markets of Turkey and the US.

CSR Activities
As a socially responsive company, Dabur International has a well-developed corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda. One of its flagship CSR initiatives is the Medicinal Plant Project in Nepal which is fully integrated with the company’s business vision. It is the only eco-friendly CSR project of its kind in the Himalayan Kingdom through which Dabur facilitates the provision of the most innovative technologies to farmers to support the cultivation of Himalayan medicinal herbs.
The project will ensure the replenishment of rare, endangered and precious herbal plants that are extensively used in Tibetan, Chinese, Nepalese and Indian medicines.
As part of the initiative, a state-of-the-art greenhouse facility has been set up in Banepa near Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, with the capacity to produce 5 to 6 million saplings of medicinal plants per year. Automatic computer systems control all the required climatic parameters such as temperature and humidity for uniform growth. Aside from aiding the preservation of natural resources, the Medicinal Plant Project has generated employment and income for locals, thereby improving their socio-economic conditions.
Recognising the importance of a green planet, Dabur International uses biodegradable packaging for most of its products, including shampoos and oils, in addition to introducing several energy- and water-saving initiatives. It follows a very high standard of quality and health through regulatory compliant checks before the launch of any product or category and conducts dermatological and human skin sensitivity tests for all skin care ranges through tie-ups with 3P laboratories in Europe as well as with local laboratories. In addition, our offices and manufacturing units use energy saving initiatives such as motion sensor based lighting and recycling of water. Within the UAE, Dabur International regularly organises blood donation campaigns to ensure that the company and its employees make a positive impact on the local community.
Dhir said, “Dabur International carries on the success of DIL across the globe with its popular personal care brands. Remaining true to our deep-rooted legacy of providing completely natural products, we continue to expand our range under the skin, hair, oral and dental categories as well as introduce newer categories to fill in the market gaps.”
“The personal care industry has undergone a remarkable change in the last few years and at Dabur International, we strive to adopt this transformation by maintaining the pace of our research and development to introduce new, path-breaking and effective formulations. In recent years, we acquired two companies and will continue to follow this approach in the medium term to expand our
presence globally and offer more brands and product ranges that address the needs of consumers,”
stated Dhir.