Letter to BS: Is Patanjali trying to become a 'jack of all trades'?

This refers to “Patanjali’s Kimbho app makes swift retreat” (May 31). After jolting the FMCG majors, Patanjali was eying the communication space and take the fight to WhatsApp, the instant messaging app. Now, since the app has been removed from the Google Play store, the question is, what is Patanjali trying to prove? Is it trying to become a “jack of all trades”? Managing a conglomerate is definitely not an easy task and this is what the company is heading towards by entering into unrelated diversified business segments. What started just as a herbal products company in 2009, by 2018, has spread its wings into the communication space by launching its Swadeshi Samriddhi SIM cards with BSNL and then this Kimbho app. The company has closed FY18 with revenues standing at the same level as that of FY '17, despite making tall claims of doubling its turnover to Rs 200 billion. There is an important lesson for Patanjali from this Kimbho episode: Focus. Focus on what you are doing presently, whatever you do, do it with perfection. Decisions made in haste are good for none.

Ankita Kalia  Chandigarh

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