atika, Dabur India�s herbal beauty care brand, is testing new waters - the Rs 4,500-crore soap market to be precise. Though the soap market has remained stagnant for the last few years, Dabur had been toying with the idea of entering the domestic market for some time (its international business division at Dubai already manufactures soaps), and in March this year it began test marketing Vatika Honey & Saffron Soap.

The product has been introduced under the Vatika brand because the company wanted to launch a "premium soap with beauty benefits". "Vatika is the only masterbrand (out of the the five masterbrands of Dabur) that has strong equity as a premium, natural, personal care and beauty care brand," explains a Dabur India spokesperson. Incidentally, Vatika had forayed into the skin care category in 2003 with the launch of Vatika Fairness Face Pack. "The face pack has clearly established Vatika�s credibility in skin care," he says.... more