Page 5 - Patanjali Ayurved

The new business tycoons

Out of nowhere, national and international investors, financial analysts, media and consumers have been taken by surprise at the incredible surge in popularity (and size of business) of spiritual gurus. The poster boy, of course, is Baba Ramdev, and the spectacular growth of Patanjali Ayurved, which boasted of revenue of Rs 2,000 crore in the last financial year, and claims to nearing the Rs 5,000-crore revenue in the current financial year. While profitability numbers are harder to come by, it can be safely assumed Patanjali has its arithmetic right. It cannot expand without getting its basic business model in place. That is clear. Its rise has prompted most other babas to go back to the drawing board. Most of them are either scripting or re-jigging their business plans. The question is, what are the underlying factors for this trend? My submissions:Rising health concern: Consumers across the world are becoming increasingly conscious of their health and well-being, and getting wary ab