Pays Rs 204 cr at Rs 800 per share, open offer to follow.

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Dabur India has acquired 72.15 per cent in Fem Care Pharma, a women’s skin-care products company for Rs 203.7 crore in an all-cash deal. As required by the takeover regulations of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), Dabur will make an open offer for another 20 per cent in Fem Care.

The transaction materialised at a price per share of Rs 800, which translates into Fem Care having an equity valuation of Rs 282.4 crore and an enterprise valuation of approximately Rs 300 crore.

With Fem Care’s product portfolio, which include fairness bleach, hair remover and liquid soap under the Fem brand, Dabur hopes to gain entry into the high-growth skin-care market. Dabur at present has a minor presence in the skin-care market with products under the Gulabari and Vatika brands.

“The acquisition brings to Dabur a portfolio of well-known household brands, which enjoy a pole position in their respective categories, offering us a strong platform to enter newer product categories and markets. Fem's brands fit in well with Dabur's future growth plans, both for India and international markets," Dabur India CEO Sunil Duggal said.

The domestic skin-care market is pegged at Rs 2,200 crore and is growing at 20 per cent annually. While multinational players such as Procter & Gamble, Revlon and Hindustan Unilever dominate the market, domestic players such as Emami, Godrej and CavinKare have a significant share of the pie.

"As Dabur gains access to Fem's research capabilities, we believe it will be able to broaden the company's product portfolio and further capitalise on the emerging opportunities in domestic and international markets," said Sunil H Pophale, chairman & managing director, Fem Care.

Fem Care’s sizable international presence with its OTC products in markets such as Yemen, Maldives, Mauritius, Malaysia, UAE and Oman will boost Dabur’s international growth strategy.

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