Touchless tech...

Consider this: Raichur-headquartered pharma company Shilpa Medicare has launched a green tea film as a substitute for tea bags, aimed at making it not only convenient, clean, and easy when preparing green tea, but also boosting immunity. “We are speaking about a specific component of green tea called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which, research suggests, protects one against viral infection. Our green tea films have 60 per cent EGCG content,” said Vishnukant Chaturbhuj Bhutada, managing director (MD), Shilpa Medicare.

Century Ply has launched plywood and laminate products that claim to kill viruses, while Duroflex has an antiviral mattress protector made with Swiss technology and Welspun antiviral floorings certified by a US laboratory. Nimisha Jain, MD and partner, Boston Consulting Group, says consumer behaviour can be classified into three broad buckets.

Accelerators are those habits that existed earlier, and have received a fillip now, she said. This includes digital adoption and health and wellness, including embracing a healthy lifestyle and eating habits. Reversables are those that could come back once the pandemic subsides, such as out-ofhome eating, while wild cards are those sets of behaviour that have become an important constituent of one’s life such as hygiene habits and DIY skills.

According to Jain, habits in the wild-card bucket are unlikely to reverse, implying marketers in these categories have a new set of consumers. This point is endorsed by Gulbahar Taurani, vice-president, personal health, Philips (Indian subcontinent), who has introduced a series of products in the grooming and kitchen appliances segments in the past few months. “Consumers are increasingly being introduced to DIY beauty and skincare routines at home in these times.”

Titan Eyeplus, the eyewear division of the company, has been aggressively advertising its anti-fogging glasses, a need that hardly existed before the pandemic began. Saumen Bhaumik, CEO (eyewear division), Titan, said: “As long as you have to wear a mask and glasses, an anti-fog lens is a clear necessity.” Kamal Nandi, business head and executive vice-president, Godrej Appliances, said UV sanitizing boxes were also the result of a felt need triggered by the pandemic. Clearly, consumer goods companies have new avenues of growth available to them.