With many problems and many more solutions, hair care is still a luxury for most Indians. The cost factor, lack of time and plain ignorance are all factors that have kept hair care a largely neglected business in the country.

To promote the cause of hair care in India and break attitudinal barriers, the country's leading healthcare company, Godrej Soaps Ltd (GSL), has set up a dedicated hair care institute, the Godrej Hair Care Institute (GHCI). The first centre of the institute was launched early this month at Vikhroli, Mumbai. The company has decided to set up three more such centres in Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai by the end of this calendar year.

What prompted Godrej to set up a hair care institute? H K Press, president (consumer products), GSL, says, "Our research shows that Indian consumers are not getting tailor-made products to serve their specific needs. On the contrary, they are facing a bewildering array of hair care products in the market, amidst which they often lose track of what they are searching for. Thus, the Godrej Hair Care Institute was born in 1999."

Elaborating GHCI's mission, GSL managing director Adi B Godrej says that the institute is dedicated solely to the art and science of hair care and it will provide an interactive and educative forum for Indian consumers and hair care professionals. The centres will facilitate interaction and cooperation among the professionals themselves, with customers and with international experts in the field.

GHCI has already tied up with the International Association of Trichologists (IAT) to promote hair care awareness in India. In that endeavour, the institute has proposed to organise professional workshops and seminars in collaboration with IAT and it will also undertake student scholarship programmes and consumer camps.

GHCI has empanelled eminent professionals from the field of beauty and cosmetology in India as its consultants. The panel of consultants includes international aesthetician Dr Jamuna B Pai, hair stylists and make-up experts Bharat Godambe and Yatin Deshpande, beauty consultants Anuradha Yusuf and Sushila Vaswani and cosmetologist and beauty therapist Maya Paranjapye.

"Workshops and seminars on hair care for professionals and students will be organised at GHCI centres on a regular basis; customers can also avail of free consultancy on hair care from our panellists," says Press.

GHCI's Vikhroli centre recently organised its inaugural workshop, participation in which was free. However, the institute is yet to announce the educational programmes it will offer to professionals and students and the fee structure for the programmes.

Godrej's foray into hair care education is in line with its hair care product business. "Though we will not operate it like a commercial salon, consumers can visit the centres to get free hair advice from our consultants," says Press.

He adds that a newsletter will soon be in place to cater to professionals and the institute will also introduce world-class hair care certification programmes in association with IAT for professionals. To give its effort a cutting edge, GHCI has also launched a website at http://www.haircareindia.com.