Indian companies have always taken the easy way out for success. Whether it is infotech or pharma, most companies have stayed away from the product game because that requires investments in research, marketing and more importantly, tremendous commitment to quality.

Himalaya Drug Company is one of the few Indian firms that have got it right. This Liv.52 manufacturer is no more a company with a few Ayurvedic medicines. It is now an international company with a complete range of health care and personal care products

A moving force behind the transformation of this company is Ravi Prasad, its CEO. He would probably never have made it to Himalaya if not for his intuition. Nine years back, moving from Delhi to a less known company in the outskirts of Bangalore wasn't exactly an exciting proposition. Ravi Prasad had half a mind to call off his expedition when he couldn't find his prospective employer's office even after a good 40-minute drive!

But nine years later, he doesn't regret that journey, recalling it fondly instead.

It was probably the common sense of the family of the promoters which made him accept the offer. While many others made a lot of noise about themselves, Himalaya quietly worked its way up through its extensive focus on research and quality. More importantly, it believes in giving freedom to its employees and has produced leaders without much fuss. In Ravi Prasad's case too, rather than assigning a designation to him with a work profile, he was asked to choose his designation himself. When the promoters asked him what he wanted to do with a company that believed in providing quality healthcare products to the consumers, it didn't require much persuasion for this management graduate to take the decision. He himself was a disillusioned management man looking for a fresh challenge after a stint in the pharma industry.

But times have changed, and so has Himalaya. The company isn't anymore just an Indian company but an international company with a presence in 52 countries. Its brand name is not restricted to healthcare but has been extended to animal health products and personal care. Its personal care products have managed to withstand international competition.

Q: Companies generally launch their product in India and then take it overseas. You chose to reverse the trend. What has been your strategy?

A: We have always believed that our products should spell quality. That has been the philosophy of our promoters.

Yes, we launched our personal care product range in the international market before introducing it here. There aren't too many international brands from India. We wanted to build a brand that symbolizes quality. Our initial healthcare product range was under the brand Ayurvedic Concepts.

We took the tough route to convincing our customers. We first took the task of convincing the health practitioners in the international market about our product quality. Some of the most qualified journals in markets like the United States talked about our products. Even in stores, our products occupied a prominent space. That success encouraged us to launch the products in the Indian market.

We have always believed that if you deliver a quality product to the customer, it will be well accepted. Last year, we decided to integrate all our products under a single brand name, Himalaya. The transformation has been smooth because the customer has accepted it without much fuss.