Future, Patanjali join hands to challenge foreign FMCGs

Yoga guru Ramdev on Friday tied up with the Kishore Biyani-led Future Group to retail Patanjali Ayurved products. Apart from selling Patanjali's consumer goods, the two sides are discussing a manufacturing venture.

Ramdev reiterated his mission to propagate swadeshi products on Friday, throwing a challenge to foreign multinational companies operating in India. Expressing his desire to transform India into a country which predominantly uses India-made products, Ramdev declared, "The prime minister is bound by his constitutional obligations and treaties that the government has signed in the WTO (World Trade Organization), I am not. The field is not empty for multinationals anymore."

Patanjali Ayurved makes food, staples, nutrition, toiletries, and hair, skin and dental care products. It is aiming to become India's largest consumer goods company by 2020.

"Patanjali will become a Rs 5,000-crore company by March 2016 from Rs 2,000 crore last year. According to estimates, sales of Patanjali products through Future's retail outlets in 240 cities will touch Rs 1,000 crore in 20 months. Apart from this, we are in talks with them to make other consumer goods," Ramdev said.

Patanjali Ayurved is planning to set up manufacturing units in Karnataka and Rajasthan. It intends to invest Rs 500 crore next year for expansion.

Patanjali sells some products on its website and is developing an e-commerce model it plans to launch in 2016. "Our e-commerce plans are under way. We are figuring out the details of the business model. We are also figuring out the range of products we can sell online," said Acharya Balkrishna, general secretary, Patanjali Yogpeeth.