Vikas Bagaria, Founder, Pee Safe provides an insight into how hygiene products were a niche commodity but in the last few weeks the demands have risen exponentially and there are signs of slowing down even post COVID-19 pandemic
Today, the entire world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. The potentially fatal virus has no specific vaccine, drug or therapeutic procedure and has a high rate of infection. The best protection against the virus is to observe social distance and utmost personal hygiene practices. It is this aspect of personal hygiene that was grossly overlooked by the common public prior to the outbreak of the new pandemic. While the Indian government, UNICEF and various other bodies had been regularly promoting the cause of hygiene and sanitation, the prevailing COVID-19 spread gave things an enhanced thrust.
For instance, before the outbreak, hand sanitisers were very much a niche commodity primarily used in hospitals and by people on the move. The overall Indian sanitiser market was valued between Rs 40-60 crore only. The demand from general public was nearly insignificant until the start of 2020. However, once the warnings started coming out and the government put a great thrust on hand hygiene, there was a sudden surge in demand. It was so sharp that there was a temporary supply shortage of sanitisers. Now sanitisers, face masks, soaps and disinfectants have suddenly become essential commodities at par with medicines. It is now expected that the Indian hand sanitiser segment alone will be valued at more than $2 billion by 2025. In other words, we can say that the market will grow by more than 100 times in about five years. The overall intimate hygiene market is expected to grow past $5 billion mark by 2025.
The sustained campaigning during the last few months by various stakeholders like central and state governments, WHO, local healthcare providers and industry players has resulted in an enhanced pan-India understanding of the importance of hygiene. People have been sensitised about the need for frequent handwash with soap and water and also on using sanitisers to disinfect their hands. Just a few months ago, there were very few brands in the personal hygiene segment, but, now the market is quite competitive and new brands have rapidly come up in recent weeks.
The exponential growth of hygiene sector is no longer just an urban phenomenon, but also common in Tier 2, 3 and 4 cities as well as rural areas. The havoc wreaked by COVID-19 has surely been a catalyst, but now with the greater understanding of the present and future risks, it is expected that the societal outlook on hygiene will change permanently. The increased demand for products like disinfectants, masks, sanitisers, soaps, etc., will continue to grow even in the post-pandemic world. Whether it is pollution or the annually recurring viral diseases, people will now be a lot more aware and willing to stay safe by observing hygiene protocols.
However, to truly provide coverage to the 1.35 billion Indians and make personal hygiene a way of life, we need to support the awareness with affordability. For instance, if we look at the Indian soap market which is worth billions of dollars, the best sellers are the products priced in the Rs 5-10 bracket. Similarly, we need to create other hygiene products which the billions of financially constrained people can also afford and remain safe from various microbial diseases.
Today, the transformation in observance of hygiene practices and the demand for the products is rising exponentially from metros as also Tier 2, 3, and 4 cities. Calamities like this viral infection can push people to become resilient and better, and what we are seeing today is a COVID-19 driven hygiene transformation. The virus will surely be contained soon and there will be vaccines in another year or two to cure its future occurrences. However, the hygiene industry in India as well as on a global scale is on an upswing and will only grow stronger even after normalcy resumes.
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