Himalaya Drug Company, India's renowned manufacturers of herbal medicine, is going global and unifying all its products under "Himalaya" brand name. The 70-year old company that makes well known brands such as Liv.52, Ayurvedic Concepts range of personal care products and a vast range of herbal drugs and animal health products has decided to set up manufacturing and marketing units overseas. First among the series of planned manufacturing units is coming up at UAE.

The company has decided to unify all its offerings under the brand name "Himalaya" as the name strikes a familiar chord all across the world.

Himalaya Drug Company was set up by M. Manal in Dehradun in 1930 and moved its operations to Bangalore by setting up its corporate office here. Its medicines are based on Ayurvedic systems of medicine. Today the Rs. 250 crore company is India's premier herbal health manufacturing firm whose products are sold in 50 countries. It is now headed by its founder's son, Meraj A. Manal. One of its top line products, Liv.52, a liver protective pill, is world's top selling medicine.

According to Himalaya's Chief Executive Officer and President, Ravi Prasad, global market for herbal healthcare is estimated at $50 billion and there is immense potential for the Himalaya products for being accepted by medical fraternities worldover. He informed that the Swiss Department of Health Care certified the Himalaya products as the approved ones eight years ago.

He said the company's products are available in the USA, the UK, Holland, Switzerland and Belgium. He hoped that Himalaya will consolidate its position as a leader in the herbal healthcare space.

Ravi Prasad said the company's R&D wing was developing drugs to cure tropical diseases such as malaria and to tackle AIDS. He said the Company wants to double its revenue in the next five years with a 50 per cent export billing. He said the Himalaya drugs are today prescribed by nearly 200,000 doctors worldwide.