Herbal healthcare major, the Rs.250-crore Himalaya Drug Company on Tuesday announced its entry into Rs.350-crore Chyavanaprasha market with the launch of 'Himalaya Chyavanaprasha'. The company also roped in two ace cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan as brand ambassadors for the product.

Interestingly, Himalaya is entering the Chyavanaprasha market at a time when the category is stagnant and over crowded with small and big players. While Dabur India Ltd dominates with about 65 percent market share, there are other players like Baidyanath, Zandu, Himani, Surya and others.

While admitting that the category has not grown in recent times, Himalaya president and CEO Ravi Prasad said it was because the existing players had failed to bring excitement in the market. Himalaya hoped to rebound the market with it unique product formulation and positioning, he claimed.

While not divulging its ad budget, the company seems to have aggressive plans for the brand's advertising. Apart from the two cricketers, the brand will be promoted by Himalaya's brand mascot - Dadi Ma - through two separate ad films. Targeted at kids, the positioning plank for the product - which will be priced at Rs 110 for a 500 gm jar - is : 'Sehat ho ya Kaamyabi - No Shortcuts.'

The company claims to have researched extensively on the taste front as research had shown that currently available brands were weak on that. The company hopes to garner five percent market share in the first year of the launch.

Meanwhile, Himalaya plans to consolidate its presence and deepen its penetration in the personal care products being marketed under Ayurvedic Concepts. The division clocked a turnover of Rs.30 crore last year, Mr. Prasad said, while the recently opened Pure Herbs division which has about 12 products in its portfolio has clocked in about Rs.18 crore so far.