Piramal OTC unit to sell Merisant’s sweetener Equal in India

Mumbai: Piramal Enterprises Ltd’s consumer products division and the Indian unit of US firm Merisant Co. have entered into a sales and distribution partnership to sell the latter’s sweetener brand Equal in India.

Equal is the second-largest selling sweetener by volume in the country after Sugar Free of Zydus Wellness Ltd.

Piramal Enterprises’ consumer products unit will exclusively sell Equal across chemists and general stores in India. The division has one of India’s largest field forces in the industry, covering more than 485 towns that have a population of at least 100,000 each. The deal gives access to about 231,000 retail outlets, including pharmacy and cosmetic outlets, in these places.

“This strategic partnership with Piramal Enterprises is an important step for us to broaden the reach of Equal across India,” Ayan Ghosh, Merisant group’s general manager for South Asia, said on Tuesday.

The Piramal unit aims to increase Equal’s reach across the target markets to four times its current level within a year.

“It brings a brand of international repute to our self-care portfolio,” said Kedar Rajadnye, president and chief operating officer of Piramal Enterprises’ consumer products unit.

Piramal’s consumer products division had acquired the distribution rights to anti-allergy skin lotion Caladryl from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. in November.

Piramal Enterprises’s current consumer products portfolio includes Lacto Calamine, Saridon, i-Pill, Itchmosol and Supractiv Complete, along with niche market brands like i-can, Jungle Magic, Tetmosol and Triactiv.

The Caladryl and Equal partnerships are a strategic fit to Piramal Enterprises’ over-the-counter business and will help achieve its ambition to be a top 3 player in India, the company said in a statement.