The public’s fear of dengue and malaria is making Singaporean brand Tiger Balm turn to the mosquito repellent segment, given that it is a more ‘urgent’ market here. The parent company in Singapore, Haw Par, is considering entering the ₹3,500-crore mosquito repellent category with sprays and patches under the Tiger Balm brand.

AK Han, Executive Director, Haw Par Corporation, said, “Pain balm as a category is not growing, as people prefer to take pills rather than apply messy balms. Mosquito repellent, as a category, has higher growth. Moreover, with the threat of dengue being high in India, we consider it an urgent market.”

Market research firm Nielsen has reported that the ₹1,500-crore pain balm category has shrunk by three per cent in volume terms.

The ₹35-crore Tiger Balm brand has decided to extend into the mosquito repellent spray and patch market for children and adults. “When it comes to mosquito repellents our research shows that children do not like to use creams or rubs. It is patches which work for kids, since it can be attached to their clothes, while sprays work best for adults,” said Han.

Going forward, he added that the company was also considering the spray format for its Tiger pain balm, since adults appear to prefer the format as an application platform, over balms and rubs.

Though the market for mosquito repellent patches is still untapped in the country, a few brands like Piramal Health Care’s ‘Jungle’ tattoo, is available in the market. “There are some brands of mosquito patches, but technology is still not developed enough in India. Our patches, like our balms, will be made with active ingredients, and will be a value-for-money product, priced at a premium like our balms,” he added.

Haw Par has been trying to build distribution and equity for Tiger Balm since 1993, when it forged a partnership with Elder Pharma in a manufacturing and marketing alliance. In 2011, it split with Elder and engaged CavinKare to market and distribute the brand, with production rights resting with the pharma company, Makson in India.

“We are still trying to build distribution and equity for Tiger Balm, as India is a competitive market in every category. We are the number four player in pain balms,” added Han.

Emami’s Zandu and Amrutanjan are the dominant brands in the pain balm category.

CavinKare has helped Tiger Balm reach to 2.17 lakh outlets, with almost a 30 per cent increase in distribution from the time it was with Elder Pharma at 1.95 lakh outlets. Smaller packs at 3 ml each in tin formats have also ensured that the brand penetrates the rural markets. New variants like neck and shoulder rubs are also expected to help the Tiger Balm franchise grow.

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