NEW DELHI: After close to a decade of strong growth in the oral healthcare business in India with Sensodyne, GSK Consumer Healthcare has now forayed into the specialised denture care category with the launch of Polident brand.
With this introduction, the company aims to make a meaningful difference to the lives of millions of denture wearers in line with the purpose of introducing products that help people feel better and live longer, GSK said in a statement.
"A significant number of denture wearers today face discomfort while eating, speaking or even smiling with dentures. In fact, one of every seven Indians above the age of 45 wears a denture and only five per cent of these people use specialist care products,” said Anurita Chopra, Area Marketing Director, Oral Health, GSK Consumer Healthcare.
Dental experts and chemists will play a critical role in establishing the category. “We realised the attention required by the category in India and therefore decided to bridge the gap by introducing Polident Denture fixative. The company will work with experts, who will develop India’s first denture care guidelines,” she added.
Currently, GSK plans to market the new offering through imports, while it is also engaged in parleys with a few companies for local production of Polident. Globally, Polident accounts for nearly 50 per cent share of the total Rs. 12,500 crore business in this segment.
In India, Polident Denture fixative will be available across pharmacies and e-commerce platforms. It is available in a pack size of 20 gm with MRP of Rs. 315.
“The launch strengthens GSK’s oral health portfolio in India making it one of the formidable players in the space. Currently, the portfolio consists of Sensodyne range of toothpaste and toothbrush especially designed for people with sensitive teeth,” GSK said.
Other significant players in the Indian oral care market include Hindustan Unilever's (HUL) Pepsodent, Colgate-Palmolive and Dabur’s Red and Babool brands. In April this year, HUL and GSK completed their merger, following which GSK Consumer's health drinks brands Horlicks, Boost, Maltova and Viva were formally brought under HUL.
Post the merger, GSK’s standalone healthcare division comprises over-the-counter brands such as Sensodyne, Eno, Crocin and Otrivin, among others --- all of which have become household names.