Dabur set to expand portfolio in Middle East

Indian major Dabur is set to broaden its current product portfolio in the Middle East region, looking to expand geographically and increase its penetration across various ethnic groups, a media report has said.
Dabur is focusing on its Middle East operations this year, with a strategic launch of a new face care range, natural hair colour creme and an innovative deodorant range for teenagers, the Khaleej Times report said.
According to the report, more than 65 per cent of the company's revenue base comes from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Sudan and Iraq.

"Dabur International's business division contributes to around a third of Dabur's total turnover. Within the international business, Middle East and North Africa account for 40 per cent of our business," Dabur International chief executive officer Mohit Malhotra told the newspaper.
"Therefore, the MENA region is a very important revenue generator. As part of our growth plans we will be expanding our current product portfolio, looking at geographic expansions and increasing penetration across various ethnic groups," he said.
Malhotra said the company's average growth has been in the range of 18 to 20 percent in the region, in the last two years or so and is expected to be on similar lines.

"We are evaluating setting up of manufacturing facilities in North Africa for catering to Maghreb countries. Apart from capital investment, we have also invested in energy-saving Kaizen Initiatives in our manufacturing units like saving electricity through motion-sensor based lighting, water-saving processes in different production lines, etc.

"In fact, more than 13,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and 82,000 litres of water per month is being saved," Malhotra said.
Adopting Kaizen involves the creation of a culture of sustained continuous improvement focused on eliminating wastes in all systems and processes of an organisation.
Dabur International has invested substantially in setting up a complete business operation in the Middle East, ranging from dedicated manufacturing set-ups in the UAE, Egypt and Nigeria.

The Maghreb, is usually defined as much or most of the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt.