India freed itself from the shackles of British rule and became a breeding ground for Swadeshi products and brands that were Indian in thought and production. Keshav V Pendharkar, started Vicco. A young dreamer in the backstreets of Mumbai’s Parel played a part in the ardour of nationalism by introducing a locally produced brand of toothpowder. The powder, which had 18 Ayurvedic ingredients and was packaged inside a cotton bag, was Swadeshi in every manner. The iconic brand and its jingle won the hearts and faith of customers all around the nation.
Who was Keshav Pendharkar
In Nagpur, Maharashtra, where he was raised, Keshav Pendharkar managed a grocery business. He quickly made the decision to close the company and relocate to Mumbai. He oversaw a number of small enterprises in the area’s suburbs and Bandra. He learned marketing techniques during this time and afterwards travelled to Parel to try his luck selling handcrafted things.
He saw the market penetration of allopathic drugs and cosmetics like Ponds, Nivea, and Afghan Snow during those periods and decided to introduce a natural ayurvedic medicine under a brand bearing his father’s name after taking into account the commercial dynamics. The Vishnu Industrial Chemicals Company, often known as VICCO, was established in 1952 and sells chemical-free, therapeutic teeth powder.
In 1955, in a modest factory in Parel, Bombay, Vicco’s commercial production started making a turnover of Rs. 10,000 every year, as per the official website. In 1968, the factory was shifted to Dombivli, Dist on a 2-acre land.
Taking the legacy to reach greater heights
Gajanan Keshav Pendharkar joined his father in the family business in 1959. He had successfully combined 20 uncommon therapeutic natural plants to create the first Ayurvedic toothpaste in history. He had a key role in making one of the first Ayurvedic skincare products, Vicco Turmeric Skin Cream, a yellow-coloured face cream in 1975.
G K Pendharkar assumed control of the VICCO after K V Pendharkar passed away in 1971, and there was no turning back after that.
In 1982, the company developed its new factory in Nagpur after the Dombivli factory’s output reached its peak level. The capability of this new facility in Nagpur is currently being used to produce both domestic and export goods. While the Dombivli factory only attends to the needs of the USA, Canada, Europe, Middle Eastern Countries, Australia, and the West Indies, among other countries. And over the next few years, VICCO opened factories all over the country and its success skyrocketed.
In the past 25 years, Vicco has exported its goods to a number of nations and generated significant foreign cash for the nation. Vicco Ayurvedic Products was honoured with a Compassionate Business Award by PETA for its outstanding achievement in providing its loyal consumers with safe and natural quality products.
Sanjeev Pendharkar, a third-generation businessman who is currently in charge of the organisation, and in a conversation with the Better India, he said, “The family had a three-room house. The kitchen became the manufacturing unit, and the other rooms turned into the godown and office. The VICCO Vajradanti tooth powder was our first product and made exclusively from herbs that did the job of cleaning the teeth and strengthening the gums.”
VICCO till date remains a trusted and beloved brand to every India, it is regarded as the first and only Swadeshi product in the toothpaste and skincare cream category in the Indian market, and is till now one pf the top players in the market.