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HomeOpinionThe secret ingredient to Patanjali’s meteoric success: The Indian millennials

The secret ingredient to Patanjali’s meteoric success: The Indian millennials

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Indian millennials are embracing this hipster culture too and no other company has benefited from this as Patanjali has.

The world is seeing the emergence of the hipster subculture all over again. Food is being served on wooden boards and drinks in coconut shells and clay cups. From our food to the fabric, everything is organic. Indian millennials are embracing this hipster culture too and no other company has benefited from this as Patanjali has.

A few years ago, Patanjali scored well among the groups it was expected to — the retired uncles and aunties, those going through the middle-life crisis and, then, rural India, where the best medicines for any ailment are still milk and ghee. But the secret ingredient to Patanjali’s meteoric success is new demographic: The Indian millennials.

In a globalised consumer culture, global brands don’t cut it for the millennials somehow. They may use them but they don’t want it to erode their cultural pride even a bit. Ayurveda is cool again. As is any talk about the ancient wisdom of the Vedas. That’s where the Patanjali appeal comes in. One would have assumed that it would stick to selling churan or chawanprash, but is now selling instant noodles, aloe vera gel, face packs, conditioners and health bars. And now there is even talk of Patanjali clothing.

Even Fabindia, which seems to be the sole provider of clothing to half of Delhi’s indie-hipsters, can’t be swadeshi enough for the Baba line.

Millennials are lapping it all up. But with an important caveat. It is still cool to make fun of Baba Ramdev.

He may now be a business giant but he still remains the butt of many jokes and memes on Facebook and Twitter. But even as we laugh, his business is growing bigger. Which other brand can you think of where the owner and the product model are lampooned even as the sales soar?

So, everytime a friend who usually makes fun of everything saffron unwraps a Patanjali health bar, I marvel at the amazing irony.

The defence always goes something like this: “It tastes good and kills my hunger pangs, and it’s cheap,” or “It’s a homegrown brand.”

Before Patanajali landed on the scene, ayurvedic beauty brands were really elitist and unaffordable. But Patanjali offers the Indian youth a heady mix of price and pride.

Another friend jumps to defend Patanjali as she turns her Apple laptop towards me to show the prices of the products on the ‘Big Bazaar’ website, “Dude, see the price. See how cheap it is and it’s made here in India. I mean if you are going to use chemicals in your hair, you might as well use ones that are created in your own country instead of ones that are imported from China or anywhere abroad, this is my bit of deshbhakti.”

“Says the girl who just bought Morrocon oil for Rs 1,800 last night,” chuckled another.

“Yes, and I will use that Morrocon oil with my Patanjali shampoo,” the first one retorted.

I let that conversation be, half convinced that it’s something I need to try but with caution. Who knows, I might risk my ideology and end up really enjoying the products.

Whether we like it or not, there seems to be no stopping Patanajli among the young — they can be Left, centre or liberal, the economically-right-but-socially-left gang, the Fabindia-wearing krantikaris, the halla-bol street theatre groups, Tinder-swiping teenagers and campus protesters. Many of us are aware that the concept of ‘swadeshi products’ is a marketing gimmick feeding into the prevalent toxic nationalism. But it is so tempting to pick up a toothpaste that costs half as much as its videshi counterpart, especially when you have only a Rs 2,000 allowance, and there are so many Rs 10 campus chais to be had to discuss politics of religious fundamentalism over.

The West has a kind, halo-ed stereotype about yoga gurus. Baba Ramdev shatters them all. He is not calm, quiet, and disconnected from the world. He is loud, political and possesses the hustle of a quintessential salesman. His business rise was based on WhatsApp forwards about harmful noodles and similar swadeshi hearsay — a sureshot route to anything from election victories to communal riots these days.

A hardcore Leftist friend of mine said that while the products were promoted and liked for being swadeshi and ayurvedic, the Ramdev empire was still a capitalist venture enjoying tax exemptions in the name of being a “charitable trust”.

There are rumours of Baba buying an island and turning it into Patanjali land. A scary thought. While the products don’t seem like the end of the world, this sure hints at one.

Gurmehar Kaur is a writer and student activist.

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19 COMMENTS

  1. You are factually incorrect Gurmehar. Patanjali Ayurveda (pvt.) Ltd and Patanjali Yogpeeth are two different entities. The former which makes this wide range of products comes under tax regime of country and has to pay taxes no matter what. Only the latter which does not Yog service is exempted from tax.

    I am liberal and follow you but the research with which you come was disappointing. Apart from this huge mistake, you didn’t justify the title by the article. I thought you would give me the economics of how Patanjali made it. And how the Print even printed it?

  2. So when are these psuedo liberals, and facebook millenial activists going to write about the chemicals in foreign cosmetics, the artificial sweetners in foreign drinks, the chemicals in baby food products?

    Scared or white-slave mentality?

  3. Followers of Ravidas have not been able to decode the role money played in his life.

    The guru wore his wealth on his body, dressed lavishly, and was a philanthropist. He gifted free shoes to struggling sadhus, and lent money as well. He could travel more widely than any of his contemporaries — Kabir for instance — because he generated revenue from his business. He was probably the only saint in Kashi who neither sought nor accepted patronage from kings; that’s the reason Ravidas continued with his business his entire life. He enjoyed financial freedom and did not live on alms. – Copied from ‘the print’ article only.

  4. First that bullshit placard stunt, now this article, you have yet again proved to what levels your dumbness reaches.

  5. Lol…intelligent people dont help enemy by poiting out their mistakes. I am not an intelligent person but still I will not tell where this ‘confused nehruvian’ is going wrong. he he he

  6. Hey everyone,kondke read above points

    The first thing, I would like to clear you Patanjali Ayurved Limited is a FMCG company,the profit earned by them goes to Patanjali charity Trust. They are working for the noble cause,if we cannot support them atleast people shouldn’t be mocking others who are doing something good. It can be proved by the following points:

    1.He is unpaid Brand Ambassador: Baba Ramdev is an unpaid brand ambassador and doesn’t take salary to his home. To do “Samaj Sewa” he is unmarried. Read more here: http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/unbelievable-ceo-of-baba-ramdevs-patanjali-ayurved-works-for-15-hours/day-but-takes-no-salary_1881149.html

    2.Managing Director takes 0 salary: Acharya Balkrishna is a Managing Director of Patanjali. And he is taking 0 salary from Patanjali and work for long hours. This implies that “Patanjali” is a profitable company but profit goes to charity. Know more here:
    http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/fmcg/acharya-balkrishna-the-man-who-owns-94-of-patanjali-ayurved/articleshow/52049976.cms

    3.Gurukulam and Vansprastha Ashram: Did you heard about Gurukulam and Vansprastha, a bold initiative by Baba Ramdev. Gurukulam is for those people who are dedicated to serve for the motherland “India”. Here people (male/female) across the India come and learn Ancient Vedic System and spend life being as “Brahamcharya”. Vansprastha is ashram for those who can’t afford much and here they can stay for free with good facilities. Read more details about Vanasprastha here:
    http://www.divyayoga.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Vanprasth_Asaram.pdf

  7. I saw the name of the author and had to drastically lower my expectations of the quality of writing. But then again im not surprised. It’s the Print after all. Gurmehar Kaur is the same brainwashed one who shot to fame holding that silly placard.

  8. Unclear write up by a predujiced trying-to-act-smart-but-actually-not-able-to-think writer. Unfortunate waste of time.

  9. When I read the headline, I was really curious because I personally never and will never use that fraud Baba’s products. But what I really looked for in this post was the statistics that proved your claim. I wanted to know how millennials are really booming the sale. There are no statistics and you base your statement because some friends of yours bought morrocan oil or something! That’s ridiculous

  10. 1. Baba Ramdev led Patanjali Ayurved (PA), which is in fast moving consumer goods or FMCG business, is apparently doing well. PA’s CEO Acharya Balakrishna and his colleagues deserve hearty congratulations for good performance of the company. 2. I think information about PA’s business activities is not in public domain as it is a closely held private limited company. 3. We know that these days listed public limited company’s owners are glad to share information about company’s sales, its popular brands, future strategies, forecasts of income, etc. etc. Such information when it is in public domain is shared with financial analysts. Financial analysts’ clients who may be big investors in stock markets can scrutinise such information and all this ensures a certain degree of transparency in matters of listed companies. 3. My observation is that in case of PA all its claims of sales growth are as per information provided by CEO Acharya Balakrishna. Hence, my point is that Baba Ramdev and his colleagues should move with times: their company’s activities should be easily available for scrutiny. That would also be necessary as PA would like to be a good corporate citizen!

  11. A cheap article by a Brown English woman. A Baba and that too from a Backward class giving run for money to Dynastoc Elites is not being digested. If u hv guts compete it with your product or price why r u giving vieled attacks in name of Baba or Ayurved or Retired uncles. The people like this author r disconnected from reality n looks India only through glasses of her ltd wine n dine elite circle

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