Indian FMCG major Dabur said on Wednesday it is seriously considering an association with the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year.

The most popular cricketing event from the sub-continent will commence from September 19 in the UAE.

“IPL in the UAE will be a great opportunity to connect back to our consumers again. We are evaluating a few options,” Krishan Kumar Chutani, CEO of Dabur International Ltd, told Arabian Business.

Dabur is the second Indian origin company after the LuLu group which has indicated its keenness to tie up with the IPL through either a category sponsorship or on ground branding options.

Retail industry experts said Indian companies could derive massive benefits from an association with the IPL in terms of the reach and visibility for their brands, both in the GCC and the Indian markets.

Chutani said Dabur will also launch two innovative hygiene products in the GCC market this month - vegetable wash and baby accessories cleaning solutions.

Both the products will be launched under the company’s popular Vatika brand.

“We will be expanding our hygiene portfolio in the GCC and the larger MENA region with these two new launches this month.”

“We also have plans to unveil more products in the hygiene and home care categories in the coming months,” Chutani added.

The company’s new launches comes close on the heels of it unveiling a host of hygiene products in the MENA region in the last two months in the height of consumer frenzy for ayurvedic and natural products to ward off the coronavirus threat.

Dermoviva hand sanitizers, anti bacterial hand wash, Vatika sanitizing body wash and Dazzl range of home hygiene products were among the Dabur products which have hit the Middle East market since April.

Chutani said Dabur International has also formed a separate institutional sales division to address the need of hygiene products for corporate houses and institutions.

“We are now offering hand sanitizers, wipes, wash products in bulk to corporates, malls, factories and have aggressive targets to expand the portfolio through this division,” he told Arabian Business.

Chutani also said the company had to switch its sourcing requirements from China and other countries to locally within the GCC region in the wake of cross border supply issues due to lockdown and travel restrictions since March.

Dabur, known for its ayurvedic and natural consumer products, currently markets its products in over 100 countries including in the US, Europe, Russia and SAARC countries, besides the Middle East.