NEW DELHI: Patanjali Ayurveda, the wellness grocer that has upended India’s well-settled consumer goods leader board, is unhappy with the tax slab proposed for its products under the Goods and Services Tax GST ) plan, the introduction of which would more than double the levy to 12%."We request the government for a review of the GST rate for the ayurvedic category in the interest of the common man. Without good health or good living, there cannot be ‘achhe din’ (better days),” Patanjali Ayurved spokesperson SK Tijarawala said. Ayurveda products using natural ingredients previously attracted levies of about 5%.Patanjali makes a raft of ayurveda-based consumer products such as toothpaste, shampoos, and cookies. Harnessing the wellness platform, it breached the citadel of transnational consumer companies such as Nestle, Colgate-Palmolive, and Hindustan Unilever, which dominated several product categories for decades in the South Asian nation.The company, with yoga expert Baba Ramdev as its public face, also pitches itself as a home-grown or swadeshi brand that seeks wellness over profits."Increasing the GST rate on ayurvedic products is disappointing and disheartening. We are the ones who have made ayurveda reach consumers at affordable prices, and other companies have followed our lead,” said the spokesperson, articulating the views of Baba Ramdev.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated Patanjali’s research institute in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar earlier this month. Patanjali had generated revenues of Rs 10,561crore in FY17, making it the second-largest consumer goods firm in the country after giant Hindustan Unilever. By sales, Patanjali is ahead of rivals such as Colgate-Palmolive, GSK Consumer Healthcare and P&G Hygiene and Healthcare.Baba Ramdev had said Patanjali toothpaste has a 9% share in the overall sales, followed by hair oil at 8%. Divya Pharmacy, Patanjali’s over-the-counter arm, contributed 8% to the company’s revenue.After Patanjali made disruptive moves in the ayurvedic space, most large consumer goods firms have either directly acknowledged or created categories of herbal products.Other companies directly affected by the increase in GST rates include Dabur and Emami. Dabur India CFO Lalit Malik had said on Friday that the company was ‘disappointed’ with the government’s decision to levy 12% GST on ayurvedic products."We believe this will have an adverse effect on the category and that too at a time the government has been talking about promoting traditional Indian alternative medicine,” Malik had said.On the impact on consumer prices after the increase in GST rates starting July 1, Patanjali Ayurveda has said it will factor in input credit adjustments before taking a call on retailing rates. Tijarawala had said on Friday that since input costs were being reduced, the company intended to absorb the increased tax outgo."Initially, we will not pass on any hike to consumers, and review the price strategy at a later stage,” he had said.