After the reduction in the excise duty rates in the budget, J&J has cutprices of its products across the board. The price reductions range from 2-4per cent. Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care (P&G), the other majorplayer in the sanpro market, is yet to announce price revisions.

J&J's brands in the market -- Carefree, Stayfree Germishield, Stayfree SilkyDry, Stayfree Secure, and Tampons -- now retail at lower post-budget prices.The price of Carefree Regular (10s), for instance, has been revised to Rs42, from Rs 43. The maximum retail price (MRP) of Stayfree Germishield(10s), the latest offering from J&J's stable, also stands reduced to Rs 42,from 43. Stayfree Secure (10s), the mass market sanpro product of J&J, ispriced at Rs 19.50, against the pre-budget level of Rs 20.

Analysts said that the price cuts were likely to fuel growth in theindustry. The 538 million units sanpro market, valued at Rs 196 crore,suffered from a degrowth of 5 per cent in volume and 6.6 per cent in valuelast year. In the sanpro market, J&J leads with a volume share of about 54per cent, while P&G's Whisper brand of products together command a volumeshare of 30 per cent.

In value terms, while P&G had a market share of 44.6 per cent in 1999, J&J'sshare stood at 43.8 per cent. HLL was the first to revise prices in personalproducts, with toothpastes becoming dearer by 7 per cent, and skin careproducts and shampoos increasing by 2-3 per cent.

The multinational dropped prices of toothpowders by 7 per cent, followingthe excise duty reliefs announced in the budget. The company has also raisedthe prices of colour cosmetics, deodrants, and talcs by 2-3 per cent.However, in the case of low-unit priced sachets, HLL has decided not toincrease prices in the interests of mass market consumers.