BBC'S Business Bizarre ran a repeat telecast two weeks ago, celebrating the vision of man on bicycle who saw the immense possibilities of the herbs that were found in the Himalayas. And out of this belief was born the Himalaya Herbal Healthcare Company. Himalaya's R&D gave to the world its first antihypertensive medication Serpina in 1934.

It was in that year that M. Manal saw restless elephants being fed a root to calm them down. Manal had the root (Rauwolfia serpentina) scientifically tested and discovered its antihypertensive properties. Manal's powers of observation and his curiosity to learn the natural cures used by hill folk, combined with his penchant for R&D has gone on to discover medicinal properties of herbs. These have made it to their product range that comprises personal care, consumer health, therapeutic range and even animal health.

Himalaya Herbal Healthcare aims to look beyond the business of beauty

From a rather humble beginning, Himalaya has risen to become a company that sells one product every quarter of a second in some corner of the world. Soumitro Banerjee, Business Head - Personal Care Division, explains, "Himalaya was not started as a 'business' venture to maximize sales. Even now it is a partnership venture." A venture with a firm faith in the science behind Ayurveda. Their recent innovations include a sunscreen with SPF 15, a remarkable jump from the usual Ayurvedic sunscreens that can only give a sun protection of about 6. Himalaya is going to patent this formulation. A range of new soaps is also ready to hit the market. Himalaya's cosmeceutical range offer hair, skin and oral care products, but it may not come up with colour cosmetics. Says Banerjee. "Our products are more on the lines of 'do good' rather than 'feel good'." Himalaya had first launched its personal care range under the brand name 'Ayurvedic Concepts' as a separate entity from the main pharmaceutical branch. Recently, all products were brought together under the Himalaya flagship. "The transition," says Banerjee, "was not too traumatic. Ayurvedic Concepts had built a brand loyalty, but thankfully we did not lose that."

Himalaya's products are made under meticulous conditions with development of a formulation involving poring through Ayurvedic texts for hints and leads, followed by extensive research and tests for drug development using WHO guidelines. The mountains of Himalayas are not the only source of their herbs, but most of them come from a factory in Dehradun and are processed at an advanced manufacturing facility at Makali in Bangalore.

And these herbs provide the ingredients for everything from slimming capsules to anti-stress massage oils. With 'wellness' becoming a catchword for the health-conscious, Himalaya's ever expanding product range may provide the safest solutions without side effects.