The Chennai-based manufacturer of pharma and healthcare products has already been marketing cough syrup under the brandname `Nivaran-90', which was a hit with consumers when first introduced in 8 ml sachet in 1990.

"With this launch, we will break into the lozenges and unbranded market", said Dr CK Rajkumar, managing director of Velvette International. Nivaran is far more effective than lozenges as more than 90 per cent of the latter's content is sugar, he said. At present, over 40 per cent of the cough syrup market is flooded with unbranded products. The company expects to double its turnover from cough syrup. About 90 per cent of the company's Rs 12-crore turnover targeted for the year will come from the cough syrup brand, he added.

When the company launched Velvette shampoo in a Re 1 sachet over a decade ago, it revolutionised the shampoo market in the country and all big players in the market adopted the sachet including HLL. The company is known for innovative products like `Memory Plus'-the herbal memory enhancement capsule endorsed by World chess champion Viswanathan Anand. It's latest offering is the yet-to-be commercially launched Nambi-2000, a plant viagra or bio-plant growth regulator.

The 4 ml sachet is primarily targeted at the average consumer and the poorer sections of the society in the urban and rural areas. It will also be available in capsule form in 4 and 8 ml quantities, priced at Rs 50 paise and Re 1. In order to attract the children, the company is planning to launch the cough syrup in orange and pineapple flavours as well as a separate syrup for diabetics. Devoid of any side affects, it is the only cough syrup that can be recommended for babies, said a company official. It is made of natural herbs like Indian liquorice, tulsi, pudina etc with medicinal properties to soothe the throat.

The company is appointing stockists across the country and planning to add around 900 stockists to the 300 it currently has in the three southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It is also increasing its production of the syrup from the present 10,000 litres per day to 30,000 lpd.

Apart from the use of mass media and indirect marketing with doctors, the company is planning to do extensive sampling in crowded areas and promote the product in schools alongwith Memory Plus.