Wipro to groom men next year onwards
Make space, the metrosexual man is here. The Rs 700-800 crore nascent male grooming market is all set to glow with increased aspiration in the Indian male to have that ‘fair and lovely’ flawless skin.
By Sushmita Mohapatra & Harsimran Singh, TNN |
BANGALORE/NEW DELHI: Make space, the metrosexual man is here. The Rs 700-800 crore nascent male grooming market is all set to glow with increased aspiration in the Indian male to have that ‘fair and lovely’ flawless skin.
Fighting it out in this market with biggies like Hindustan Unilever and CavinKare is Rs 373-crore Wipro Consumer Care which plans to launch whiteners, hair gels and shampoos in this segment. Post the acquisition of Unza, the company now has access to brands like Romano, Direct, Elite and Dashing, prominent male grooming brands in South-East Asia. And, it is through the Unza vehicle that the company will make its India foray into the sector.
“The male grooming sector is very nascent in India unlike countries in Asia Pacific. But, we are studying the Indian market to understand how we can launch our brands here,” said Vineet Agrawal, president, Wipro Consumer Care & Lightning.
“Earlier the category of men’s consumer brands did not exist as the female consumer care products were being used by the entire family. But, with greater awareness, the men consumer care market has started to pick up pace, especially for men’s whiteners brands in India. Unza has a successful portfolio of men’s skincare brands and we plan to leverage them for India foray,” he added. Wipro plans to foray into men’s consumer care category in 2008.
Currently the company is studying the brand names, product features and its acceptability in the market. “There are various factors that differentiate these markets from India. For instance, Vietnam is a market that is inclined towards perfumistic products. However, similar products may not work in India,” he added.
According to industry estimates, the male grooming market is approximately Rs 700-800 crore and according to analysts the market has been de-growing. But key player, Emami believes that its products have been seeing a significant growth.
“Our product Fair and Handsome is a Rs 50-crore brand now and post its endorsement with Sharukh Khan, it has done really well. Considering its year-and-a-half-old, the brand has penetrated significantly in rural markets,” said Mohan Goenka, director, Emami.
He believes that while there has been increasing excitement about the male grooming sector, there is very little being done about increasing awareness. Recently, players like Shahnaz Hussain and VLCC have also entered this segment.
Fighting it out in this market with biggies like Hindustan Unilever and CavinKare is Rs 373-crore Wipro Consumer Care which plans to launch whiteners, hair gels and shampoos in this segment. Post the acquisition of Unza, the company now has access to brands like Romano, Direct, Elite and Dashing, prominent male grooming brands in South-East Asia. And, it is through the Unza vehicle that the company will make its India foray into the sector.
“The male grooming sector is very nascent in India unlike countries in Asia Pacific. But, we are studying the Indian market to understand how we can launch our brands here,” said Vineet Agrawal, president, Wipro Consumer Care & Lightning.
“Earlier the category of men’s consumer brands did not exist as the female consumer care products were being used by the entire family. But, with greater awareness, the men consumer care market has started to pick up pace, especially for men’s whiteners brands in India. Unza has a successful portfolio of men’s skincare brands and we plan to leverage them for India foray,” he added. Wipro plans to foray into men’s consumer care category in 2008.
Currently the company is studying the brand names, product features and its acceptability in the market. “There are various factors that differentiate these markets from India. For instance, Vietnam is a market that is inclined towards perfumistic products. However, similar products may not work in India,” he added.
According to industry estimates, the male grooming market is approximately Rs 700-800 crore and according to analysts the market has been de-growing. But key player, Emami believes that its products have been seeing a significant growth.
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“Our product Fair and Handsome is a Rs 50-crore brand now and post its endorsement with Sharukh Khan, it has done really well. Considering its year-and-a-half-old, the brand has penetrated significantly in rural markets,” said Mohan Goenka, director, Emami.
He believes that while there has been increasing excitement about the male grooming sector, there is very little being done about increasing awareness. Recently, players like Shahnaz Hussain and VLCC have also entered this segment.
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