ITC is set to expand its personal care product portfolio this year. The present product portfolio at ITC personal care division consists of soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, perfume and deodorant. ITC got into personal care category with the launch of premium fragrance brand, Essenza Di Wills in 2005 followed by the launch of soaps, shampoos in 2007 and 2008 under three brands namely, Fiama Di Wills, Vivel and Superia.

“At present, we have four brands, Essenza Di Wills, the premium fragrance brand, Fiama Di Wills, which is our premium soap and shampoo brand, followed by Vivel soaps and shampoos that caters to a wide consumer base and Superia, a mass personal care brand,” said Sandeep Kaul, ITC's personal care head. “We have a very rich product pipeline for the existing category and are at the same time exploring and working on getting into new personal care categories wherein we believe we have the appropriate brand proposition.”
While Kaul refused to divulge details regarding new products to be launched this year, he said, “We have been launching new products once every two months and we will continue to do so.”

Even though the company is operating in the personal care category for close to a year now; according to Kaul, it is very difficult to predict a market share the company is eyeing. This because, at present; all brands are in different stages of development and will see a pan-India presence only in the next three to four months. The firm has only one manufacturing facility in Haridwar dedicated to manufacture personal care products. While, Fiama Di Wills is wholly manufactured in this plant and 90 per cent of the Vivel brand is manufactured in this facility, only 50 per cent of the products under Superia brand name are made here. The rest of the products manufacturing is taken care of by outsourced plants.

"Seeing the market response of our products, we are at present looking at options of either expanding the present facility or setting up new manufacturing plant in a different location," said Kaul.