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Baba Ramdev, who is known to be one of the fiercest critics of multi-national companies, on Tuesday took to Twitter to promote Patanjali Ayurved's hand- sanitiser emphasising on its Swadeshi antecedents.
However, he also claimed that Patanjali Ayurved 's hand-sanitiser was priced cheaper than Reckitt Benckiser's (RB) Dettol hand-sanitiser. But RB clarified its prices are in line with the government guidelines and termed any claims on the company charging higher prices as "misleading and ill-intended."
In a tweet on Tuesday, Ramdev claimed that a 50 ml bottle of Dettol hand-sanitiser was priced at ₹82, while 120 ml of Patanjali's hand-sanitiser was priced at ₹55. He further urged his followers to adopt Swadeshi products and save the country "from the loot of foreign companies."
However, RB clarified that Dettol hand-sanitiser is being sold at ₹25 for 50 ml ₹30 for 60 ml and ₹100 for 200 ml, which is in line with the government's guidelines.
Dettol India's official twitter handle stated, "Dettol has been a gold standard of protection for over 80 years and continues to be the most trusted protector of health in India. The brand continually strives to protect, heal and nurture a healthier world. "
"Dettol Hand Sanitizer is being sold at ₹25 for 50 ML, ₹30 for 60 ML & ₹100 for 200 ML. This is in line with Govt of India recommendations. Any communication suggesting otherwise/higher price is misleading and ill-intended. In this need of the hour, our efforts should be focused on fighting the danger of Covid-19, together and refrain from acting malafide or spreading fake news," the company stated on Twitter.
In early March, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs had declared hand sanitisers and masks as essential goods and brought them under the ambit of Essential Commodities Act capped the retail price of a 200 ml bottle to ₹100.
This led all hand-sanitiser makers to slash prices of their products. With the rise in demand for hand-sanitisers, over 150 new entrants have forayed in the segment in March, according to Nielsen. Despite the intensified competition, the hygiene product makers have been mainly focusing on raising awareness about hand-washing and sanitisation, as the country grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic.
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