Poll fever: Modi merchandise flying off shelves
NEW DELHI: Love him or hate him, Narendra Modi sells – from Gujarat to Hong Kong.
Products named after BJP’s prime ministerial candidate are disappearing from the shelves. And manufacturers are finding it hard to cope with the demand.
Take the case of Goran Pharma, a Bhavnagar-based firm in Gujarat that launched Modi balm. Priced at ` 24, the balm carries the catchphrase ‘Dard anek ilaj ek’ seeking to be a multipurpose pain reliever.
“We supplied 10,000 of these ginger balms for muscle pain relief. We have orders to supply two lakh more by this month-end. It is our fastest-selling product and it is tough to keep pace with the demand,” said Hemand D Dholakia, the firm’s managing director.
The case is similar with manufacturers of other products branded ‘NaMo’ or ‘Modi’. These include NaMo Tea, NaMo tablets to fight fever and headache, NaMo android phones, apparels, toys and mobile games.
But distributors are not complaining. “The 250 gm packets of tea are available in 400 general stores in Delhi. We sold 10,000 packets priced at ` 55 in just a week. They will soon be available in all parts of the country,” said Jignesh Pandya, Ahmedabadbased distributor for NaMo Tea.
Not to be left behind, Bipin Chauhan, Modi’s Ahmedabadbased tailor for 25 years, has cashed in on the brand value of the BJP leader. He launched the
THE LABEL HAS GONE GLOBAL AND SALES ARE UP BY 30% IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. WE EXPECT HIGHER SALES IF MODIJI BECOMES THE PM. BIPIN CHAUHAN, Ahmedabad-based tailor, who launched the Modi Kurta fashion label and had it registered
Modi Kurta fashion label and had it registered. “The label has gone global and sales are up by 30% after two months,” he said.
Priced in the ` 900-2,300 range depending on fabric, the halfsleeve designer kurtas come in 20 colours. “We expect higher sales if Modiji becomes the prime minister,” Chauhan added.
Brand Modi is making waves abroad too. Rajeev Bhasin, from Janakpuri in Delhi, has opened a 3,800 sq ft Thai restaurant named Namo in Hong Kong. “It’s our tribute to him. Besides, Namo means prayer in Thai language,” said Bhasin. Market watchers say the Modi merchandise has been worth ` 600 crore, making him the ‘highest-selling politician’ ever. But they are not sure if business can be sustained. “The popularity of politicians is as fickle as the wind of the market they survive in. These are not long-standing products in that sense,” said brand expert Harish Bijoor.
But Nainesh Joshi, spokesperson for the firm that runs NaMo Store, said: “There is a huge demand for our high-quality, affordable products on and off line. Brand Namo will endure in the marketplace.”