Taking a pioneering leap in an almost non-existent 'hand sanitizer' market, herbal healthcare major Himalaya Drug Company on Tuesday announced the launch of a first-ever hand sanitizer called PureHands in the country.

"We are upbeat about entering this category. We believe that we have gone a step forward in initiating a revolution in personal hygiene in India," Himalaya Drug Company's business head, pharmaceutical division, Philipe Haydon said at the launch of PureHands here.

A hand sanitizer is a product that is used as an alternative to repeated handwashing. Since no soap, water or towel is required after use, the risk of recontamination is eliminated.

The market for hand sanitizers is well evolved in the West compared to India where the product usage is almost negligible and may be limited to doctors only, Mr. Haydon said.

Himalaya Drug's Philipe Haydon at the launch of herbal hand sanitizer in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Not surprisingly then the company has taken the ethical route for marketing the product and would be approaching doctors for creating awareness about the product. The product will, however, be retailed at all chemists and leading stores across the country. Himalaya however has no plans to create pull for the product as a consumer brand for the time being.

The company, Mr. Haydon said, will wait for about three years before it decides to launch it as a consumer brand.

"For the time being we plan to launch a subtle education campaign for the medical community," he added.

The 50-ml pack priced at Rs 39 which gives 100 applications, is alcohol-free and is made of herbal ingredients. The company also claims that it kills 99.90 per cent germs, prevents infection and ensures total hand hygiene.

According to Mr. Haydon, some of the new areas the company was working on included development of products in the areas of immunology, oncology and tropical diseases where it had about 14-15 products in the portfolio.

The company has targeted a growth rate of 25 per cent for its pharmaceutical division which contributes Rs 180 crore to the overall company's turnover of Rs 300 crore.