Stepping out of the comfort zone

How Wipro plans to prise open new markets

- CHRISTINA MONIZ

• MASS PLAY IN CONSUMER SPACE

FMCG FIRM WIPRO Consumer Care and Lighting has a dilemma: It is the second-largest soap maker in the country and its top selling brand is also the No 2 player in the market on a national scale. But it is still perceived as a "regional" player with the bulk of its sales coming from the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Time to step out of the comfort zone.

Enter Jo, Doy and Bacter Shield, the three soap brands Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting recently acquired from VVF (Vegetable Vitamin Foods Company).

Neeraj Khatri, CEO, Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting, India, and SAARC Business, says the addition of Jo is key to fulfilling Wipro's growth ambitions in the North and East markets, which drive 65% of the mass market for soaps."Though we have a good distribution and reach in the North and East markets, the South and West have performed better for us because Santoor has a better market share in these regions. With Jo, we expect to gain a big share in the North and East," he notes.