DABUR International, which has production facilities in the UAE, has announced it has developed a new line of skin care, shampoo, deodorant and hair colour that will be launched this year as part of an intensified growth strategy in the Middle East.

The company also said it projected a 20 per cent growth in revenues in the Middle East market in 2013 thanks to aggressive expansion and a broadening of the consumer base.

Dabur is one of the recognised personal and healthcare brands in the world.

It said the best-performing product categories in the Middle East market in the past year included hair styling, skin care, depilatories and oral care, adding that those lines were responsible for growth of up to 20 per cent in sales of Dabur’s top-of-the-line products across different key markets in the Middle East in 2012.

Commented Mohit Malhotra, CEO, Dabur International: “The Middle East market has opened a huge window of opportunity for Dabur International to further expand our product portfolio and widen our global consumer base. The strong demand for our top-of-the-line products in the region has certainly added a tremendous boost to our global expansion plans as we expect to achieve significant business growth in the region in 2013 as well.”

Malhotra said the growth strategy would remain firmly focused on broadening the consumer base through geographic expansions, targeting new niche markets and strategic acquisitions. The focus continues to remain on personal care, including hair care, skin care and oral care, which generated strong results in the previous year.

Malhotra: window of opportunity opens up

Product launches
“Following the successful launch of Vatika Serum, Dabur Herbal Toothpaste, Vatika Henna Hair Colours and DermoViva Skin Care in the Middle East, we have now lined up a new range of products, including skin care, shampoo, deodorants and hair colour as we build on the brand’s outstanding performance in 2012,” said Malhotra.

“Having set an extremely high yardstick in its product and process development, which continues to meet stringent quality standards, Dabur has been one of the world’s most trusted brands in hair care and health care for decades,” said a spokesman.

“Dabur has tailor-made many of its products to fit the diverse needs and preferences of consumers in different regions. New innovations like Hammam Zaith and Snake Oil, for instance, have been especially created for women of the Middle East by Dabur’s R&D team comprising over 100 scientists,” he added.

Acquisitions
Dabur recently made two strategic acquisitions to gain entry into virgin categories and access advanced technologies in the highly developed consumer markets of Turkey and the US. Hobi Kozmetik, a leading personal care company in Turkey, was the first overseas acquisition while Namasté Laboratories, a leader in African American Hair Care based out of Chicago, US, was the second acquisition.

Dabur International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dabur India that has an overall turnover of over $1 billion and a market capitalisation of $4 billion. Dabur’s international business division headquartered in Dubai is the cornerstone of its growth strategy, reaching a milestone of Dh1 billion within only eight years of its existence.