Indian Operations

India is the single largest country contributor for Plethico. In the domestic market, the company has two main focus areas of operations: Contract / Toll manufacturing and Over The Counter (OTC). However, in the future, the company intends to shift its focus to voluminous and better yielding businesses and enhance its export initiatives by increasing supplies to advanced countries.

Through its OTC operations Plethico functions in three identified segments namely, Nutriscience, Confectionary, and the Pharma OTC and Herbal supplements category.

1. Nutriscience: The sports nutrition segment comprises the popular umbrella brand ‘Coach’s Formula’, which is a niche product targeted at sportsmen and fitness and health enthusiasts.

2. Confectionary: This segment has three primary brands, launched with the rationale of creating a mass distribution network prior to the launch of its star brand Travisil. When Travisil was launched, Plethico’s confectionary products not only acted as a product basket expander but also a value added offering:

• Byte: in the hard boiled candy segment available in various flavours
• Actifresh: in the mouth freshner candy segment available in a variety of flavours
• Khalo G: in the digestive candy product segment also available in various flavours

3. Pharma OTC: Plethico has launched its internationally successful brand Travisil in India, in this segment, in the form of cough syrup and lozenges. During 2006-07, the company also launched Dr. relief range of products and Coolz range of effervescent products.

A strong and dedicated field force and high brand equity at the retail level, Plethico has, in a short span of time established a large, robust distribution network strong across India.

Contract Services

Contract Manufacturing services has been a conscious part of our strategic business development and revenue stream. Our expertise in this area emanates from manufacturing excellence and pharmaceutical heritage spanning more than 40 years of perfecting the science and art of applied processes, from the pilot scale to the commercial scale.

Brief overview of Indian neutraceuticals industry

The Indian neutraceutical market is amongst the fastest growing regions in the Asia Pacific. The industry portrays high growth rates with the vitamins segment contributing the largest and depicting the largest growth rate of about 8%. Haematinics and minerals also account for a significant share of the total market. Neutraceuticals is attracting significant attention and interest from larger pharmaceutical players although ambiguity exists about whether the sector should be considered as part of the healthcare or pharmaceutical industry. The sector however, is faced with lack of regulatory guidelines and legislation, which impedes desired growth. Additionally, there also exists a need to create awareness of the segment and products available, amongst target consumers and members of the medical profession.

Fastest growth in developing regions

The Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to witness fastest growth in the global neutraceuticals market till 2015. The region is expected to register a likely growth of about 6.6% during 2000-2010 period of analysis, to garner revenues of US$.16.2 billion by 2010 from US$13.1 billion in 2007, being buoyed by the strong Chinese and high-potential Indian neutraceutical market, and the economic prosperity of the region. Factors instrumental in driving the market include greater health awareness, growing consumer interest in nutritional diets and change in lifestyle, rising aging population and preference of medications with no or minimal side effects.

The United States, Japan and key European countries are likely to remain the largest global producers and consumers of neutraceuticals owing to high levels of disposable income, greater awareness and greater preference for specialty nutritional and herbal products, thereby encouraging preventive medicine and innocuous self-treatment.