Medimix first saw the light in VP Sidhan’s kitchen in 1969, with unheard-of red and black packaging for an Ayurvedic brand. Finding its position in the huge soap business, the brand has stayed steady against every difficulty and today sells to over 30 nations.
Img Source: https://www.cholayil.com/
Medimix has been around for about 5 decades, and its distinctive green-colored soap is immediately recognized by most Indians. Medimix, in addition to being a typical household item, can be found in the majority of Indian hotels due to its inexpensive price and good-quality personal care items. Medimix’s story will undoubtedly inspire you as India’s biggest company selling handmade soap.
From the home kitchen to a manufacturing facility while remaining faithful to its foundations: Story of Doctor VP Sidhan, a timeless pioneer.
Dr. VP Sidhan, who was working as a doctor in the Indian Railways at the time, invented the soap in 1969 to cure skin disorders among railway workers. He was born into an Ayurvedic household, and all of his family and relatives used oil that was prescribed for various skin ailments.
Dr. Sidhan wished to transform this oil into a soap product that addresses common skin issues. Dr. Sidhan started recommending these soap bars to his patients after he and his spouse manufactured them in their own home. Patients began to recommend the soap to others, which is referred to as ‘Word of Mouth’ in promotional terms. As a result, Sidhan began producing them back in the early 1970s in a tiny rented facility in Perambur with only one employee.
It was a prescription item, and even its initial advertising used the phrase ‘doctors prescribe’ since that’s how it all started. A significant worker strike forced them to close the Chennai factory in the early 1980s, although the soaps were still manufactured at the other facilities. Work restarted in 1983, and Sidhan’s son-in-law, AV Anoop, joined the team. The Madhavaram plant opened in 1984. The group was split into two parts: Cholayil Private Limited in the north, overseen by Pradeep Cholayil (Dr. Sidhan’s son), and the AVA Group in the south, handled by Anoop.
Medimix hasn’t been holding back since with no compromise on the quality:
When it comes to the manufacturing process, a traditional soap block takes around eight working days to be prepared to hit the market. Most soap manufacturers employ soap granules created as a derivation of oil refineries, but Medimix is the only one which employs the oil straight. Coconut oil, palm oil, and castor oil are the oils implemented. In large stainless steel cauldrons with rotating bases, a set quantity of extract of herbs and scent is introduced to the oil and soda combination and churned periodically. Before being sliced and packaged in boxes, the mixture of ingredients undergoes cooling in steel containers on shelves for a few days.
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Medimix has become the standard for ‘natural skin care’ due to its consistent growth and development.
Today, more than 50 years later, Medimix continues to be one of the leading Ayurvedic companies in the health and beauty space, developing on the strength of high-quality goods while raising no investments. The organization has a revenue of more than Rs 200 crores and sells personal care items consisting of soaps, face wash, body wash, moisturizer, shampoo, and hygiene wash, with plans to grow into other categories. Another intriguing statistic about the Medimex production process is that women make up more than 60% of the workforce.
After Dr. VP Sidhan died in 2011, Pradeep took over as CEO of Cholayil Pvt Ltd. In recent years, Medimix has added two new brands to its portfolio: Cuticura (talc, soap, and deodorant line) and Krishna Thulsi, a local soap brand still thriving in a market valued at Rs 13,000 crores. Soap and face wash sectors are very competitive in the health and beauty industry. According to Pradeep, competing with other businesses, media spending, and marketing efforts is challenging. People believe in utilizing herbal and organic goods, yet they are often dubious, reducing the need for sophisticated body care products.
Today, VP Sidhan’s grandson and Pradeep Cholayil’s son, Lasakan Cholayil, 30, is carrying on the family legacy as the founder of Medimix. When he entered the Chennai-based firm in 2015, the company’s revenue was Rs 200 crore, but he increased product sales online and launched new items, bringing their revenue to a whopping Rs 300 crore in the financial year 2021-2022. His father is the company’s managing director. “There was no online sale when I joined the company in 2015.” “We only sold through retail shops,” Lasakan recalls of his time at Medimix and the value he brought to the company. Lasakan was mindful that he might have to take over the family company at some point.
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Medimix has tailored its offers for its consumers in order to ascend to the top of this crowded sector. Pradeep adds that the brand is well-known for its effectiveness and quality. It is paraben-free and cruelty-free, with one of the strongest-rated soaps on Amazon.
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Medimix aspires to become the biggest Ayurveda organization, offering a wide range of Ayurvedic personal wellness products. It has launched its new campaign, ‘Skinfit Raho, Manmarziyaan Karo,’ with Katrina Kaif as brand ambassador. The brand hopes to deepen this and engage with a younger audience with the new campaign. Mullen Lintas designed and executed the campaign.
Cholayil Private Ltd, the Medimix soap manufacturer, has announced the hiring of Anupam Katheriya as its new CEO. Katheriya will be in charge of the company’s expansion and diversification strategies throughout its selection of brands at Kerala-based Cholayil. Katheriya’s appointment is targeted at reaching a turnover of 1,000 crore in the next couple of years. Katheriya will assist the organization in expanding its multichannel brand presence.
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