NEW DELHI: After taking on Nestle's Maggi with instant noodles, Ramdev's Patanjali has readied a strategy to challenge the might of global sportswear giants Nike and Adidas with its foray into yogawear. What's more? The spiritual guru will soon launch health drinks such as Powervita to take on Horlicks and Bournvita, babycare and beauty products, along with an oil-free variant of noodles under the Patanjali brand.

"Our yogawear Vastram will be made of khadi. MNCs have always misled consumers in India. We want to take them on with our products that come with the goodness of Ayurveda and are priced affordably. We will be a Rs 5,000-crore company this year. We have grown by over 150% over last year," Ramdev said.

Ramdev's trump cards for the success seem to be low-pricing of his products and an iron-grip over traditional methods of manufacturing, namely Ayurveda. Hinting at a popular brand of honey that comes for around Rs 122 for a 250gm bottle, Ramdev said Patanjali honey is priced at Rs 70 for the same 250gm bottle. The atta noodles are priced at Rs 15 compared to similar products from other brands that come for Rs 25.

Ramdev claimed the demand for Patanjali noodles is far outstripping supply. "We will set up five plants in Delhi NCR, Maharashtra, MP, UP and Karnataka to manufacture our products."

Arvind Singhal, retail expert and founder of Technopak, said Patanjali products enjoy a phenomenal presence in households across the country. "Look at how the company has grown. ITC's FMCG business is around Rs 5,000 crore. Patanjali has disrupted the FMCG space with simple products that promise the goodness of tradition," he said.

Brand expert Harish Bijoor said Ramdev's spiritual-guru image resonates well with consumers. "He has got his branding spot on. He has gone back to the basics. His ads are rustic, he talks about the products. I'm excited about Ramdev. He could turn out to be the silent MNC killer of the future," he said.

Apart from selling products through more than 5,000 Patanjali Chikitsalaya & Arogya Kendras, Patanjali has tied up with Reliance Fresh and Big Bazaar, among other modern trade outlets. The company has also created a unique marketing model where ad agencies such as Mudra is creating campaigns at a low cost and stars like wrestler Sushil Kumar is working as brand ambassador for free. "They are doing it because a significant percentage of our profits from Patanjali products will go towards funding charity projects for underprivileged children," said Ramdev.

