While the herbal concept has caught on with the consumer, urging even small-time players to package a concoction of herbs for cosmetic succour, complete herbal wellness is something that everyone cannot offer.

And this is where The Himalaya Drug Company fits in, with its internal health, external grooming philosophy. It's a winning formula, and its cool corridors are echoing with success. The company changed its logo from Himalaya Ayurvedic Concepts to Himalaya Herbals recently.

The transition has been smooth and the brand unification exercise is already yielding a more positive consumer response. "Ever since the packaging changed, the consumer feedback towards the personal care range has been encouraging. The new additions of shampoos and lotions have been well-received. Our philosophy revolves round bringing the ancient system of ayurveda into mainstream usage. We've worked towards putting the 4,000 -year-old system to contemporary use. Right now, we will consolidate our efforts towards distributing and marketing this concept, " says Ravi Prasad, President and CEO of The Himalaya Drug Company.

The corporate headquarters has a natural feel about it reflected in its interiors - clean corridors and a water body adding to the overall ambience. The brand and packing blend with the interiors. The serious look behind Ayurvedic Concepts has given way to an international one. Good packaging could best describe the new containers, which look classy besides sporting vibrant colours.

As a result, Himalaya Herbal has evolved into a range of herbal skin, hair and health care products that cater to the expectations of the modern consumer.

Himalaya's focus is to build a global brand. "Today, India is just one of our markets. Being the first wellness brand, we will position ourselves as a mainstream product and not an alternative available for children and adults. This is a logical extension in making Himalaya an international head-to-toe brand," he adds.

The green signal came after having a presence in 56 countries including Russia, Europe and the Middle East, where they are the third biggest personal care brand. Nearer home, the spotlight is on increasing its presence through shop-in-shop outlets, where trained professionals will be linked to a panel of specialists to help people make decisions concerning their purchase. "We have an interesting mix of clients, with the middle class opting for footcare creams and the affluent, buying from our petcare range. Which is why, our price points are within everyone's reach," explains the much-travelled professional.

He never misses a chance to roll up his sleeves and pay surprise visits to medical stores across the country. And Bangalore, being the IT city has helped them stay connected with their chain of suppliers all over.

The clean, leafy surroundings of the premises is complemented by a well-equipped library and a rather hi-tech R&D unit, which cracked the herbal code through a systematic scientific approach. Not many know that it takes 10 years to make a product. A process that involves constant testing, improving dosage and upgrading the product to fight the myth that ayurvedic products take time to react.

Once the safety measures are met, they are tried and tested, before being published in health journals. All this became possible when the herbal specialists team got details of the various herbs and subsequently adopted villages in the far flung corners of India to cultivate them.

"We have a 100 per cent buy back arrangement with the villagers and will soon branch out into organic farming," he reasons.