Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved Limited, which has given multinational consumer product makers a run for their money, is looking to set up a production unit in Sahibganj, a district in Jharkhand. The central government has been planning to turn the district into a multi-modal hub with direct connectivity through roads, waterways and air with neighbouring countries.

A senior central government official confirmed, as reported by Sounak Mitra and Jyotika Sood for Mint, that Patanjali is in talks with the Inland Waterways Authority of India and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari to use the Sahibganj multi-modal terminal for the export of its products to East-Asian countries like China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and others.

For the past couple of years, Patanjali has been exporting to the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada and Mauritius, which are home to huge Indian-origin populations. According to the company’s spokesperson, Patanjali has, in the recent past, received offers from countries like the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Azerbaijan to retail its products in those markets but it hasn’t done so.

China has been a tough market for Indian companies. So far, no FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) company has been able to crack the market. It would be interesting to see how the Yoga Guru will tackle the dragon.