RB to enter into new product segments through existing brands

NEW DELHI: FMCG major RB India (erstwhile Reckitt Benckiser) is planning a foray into multiple segments including deodorants by expanding portfolio of its existing brands such as Harpic, Dettol and Dermicool.

"There are opportunities in other segments of the market and we have brands to exploit them. We just launched new multi-purpose bathroom cleaner under the Harpic brand," RB India Managing Director Nitish Kapoor told PTI.

Elaborating on the possible new areas, he said: "We are planning to expand the brand from just toilets to other areas that are relevant within the bathroom space.

"In Dettol, we launched multi-surface wipes. In Dermicool brand, we have just launched soaps. There are many personal care products that we can launch in India."

When asked about the company's entry into the highly competitive deodorant segment, he said: "Deodorant is one of the products we are looking at but not this year."

RB's global brands include Dettol, Veet, Harpic, Bang, Mortein, Air Wick and Vanish.

The company will also soon launch two new mosquito repellent products under its Mortein brand -- a paper product like Godrej's Good Knight Fast Card and a new LED-based machine, Kapoor said.

The company today announced partnership with 'Save the Children' to help eradicate child deaths from diarrhoea in India, Pakistan and Nigeria.

RB will launch two products -- a toilet powder and a soap -- for this project.

"We are yet to finalise the pricing of these products..We will launch them by end of this year," Kapoor said.

RB will not make a profit from these products and the revenue will be reinvested into the Stop Diarrhoea programme