Prevention is better than cure, this old adage has become even more pertinent over the last six months. On the occasion of Global Handwashing Day on October 15, Godrej Consumer Products Limited reiterates its commitment to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene. The hand hygiene segment in Bharat is observing a growth of more than 40% since Covid-19. GCPL has had a strong focus on the hygiene segment this year with a projected revenue of 500 crores in 3 years.
As a part of its commitment as a purpose-driven brand, the company has launched several new products under Protekt. A total of 12 new products have been launched during 2020 in the personal and home hygiene range, foraying into products such as face masks, germ protection Fruit & Veggie Wash and Multipurpose Disinfectant Solution.
While there is a growth expansion plan in the segment, the organisation has always been purpose-driven at heart. To help fight against the Covid-19 crisis, Godrej Protekt – the range of personal and home hygiene products from Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) – launched an initiative called 'Protekt India Movement' in July this year. Protekt India Movement’s aim is to build awareness amongst people by keeping them informed about the preventive measures to ensure protection against the coronavirus. The brand kick-started this initiative with a digital anthem highlighting the importance of regular handwashing, featuring children as the messengers in order to create more awareness about hand hygiene. It showcases how important it is to clean hands not just when they are dirty and smelly but at regular intervals such as after sneezing, after using the washroom, before and after meals, after petting animals, and after touching doorknobs, doorbells, and other publicly used equipment.
The movement has also been running a successful partnership between Godrej Protekt and Mumbai division of Central Railway to improve travel hygiene and its awareness among passengers and rail employees. Godrej Protekt Health Soap has been given to railway employees for their hand hygiene. Besides this, hand sanitiser sachets have been distributed among passengers on Central Railway local trains as well as long-distance trains originating from Mumbai. The programme covers close to 400 local and long-distance COVID-19 special trains.
Sunil Kataria CEO – India and SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) said “We have been focused on catering to the large demand in the hygiene segment and spreading awareness on the importance of regular handwashing. Protekt is largely a personal and home hygiene brand with a strong focus on hand washing. We aim to grown it 7-8 times the current size. While Bharat is seeing a huge growth in inculcating good hand hygiene habits, there is still a long way to go. Having always been a purpose-driven organisation, we launched the Protekt India Movement to support the government and help make our country healthy and hygienic. With #ProtektIndiaMovement and this anthem, we want to make sure that the message of washing hands regularly and correctly is conveyed to every Bharatiya.”