Says Ajanta Pharma general manager (marketing) PK Vijaysarthy: "Pinkoo has been created as a child care brand and will see many brand extensions. The first in such an exercise is Pinkoo cough syrup." An oral rehydration salt (ORS) version of Pinkoo Gripe Water is set to follow the cough syrup version, while similar extensions are planned for the popular Thirty Plus brand.

"The highlight of the cough syrup is the safety of the formulation. While some leading OTC companies have started advertising chemical cough syrups (generally meant for prescription by a highly qualified child specialist), Pinkoo cough syrup offers safe ayurvedic ingredients that have been well researched for safety and efficacy," he claims, as the USP.

Mr Vijaysarthy says that the strategy involves educating the chemist-the first person who the parent contacts in case he/she decides to try some quick and safe remedies for child cough. The cough syrup comes in 50ml and 100ml packs and caters to the medium and low-end price bands.

"Ajanta Pharma regularly conducts child health care awareness programmes like the healthy baby contest, a polio awareness programme and child health screening camps. These socially relevant marketing programmes have helped to reinforce the brand franchise of Pinkoo as a reliable child care brand," he added.

Significantly, the gripe water market is rather mature and has started showing signs of decline. "This is primarily due to the national leader Woodwards not doing enough for the category," Mr Vijaysarthy claims.

However, Pinkoo gripe water, he adds, is growing at the cost of the other brands. Analysts say that Woodwards controls roughly 60 per cent of this market with Pinkoo gripe water accounting for 15 per cent of the pie. "Also states like Maharashtra, where Pinkoo gripe water is very strong, the brand has managed to expand the market due to deep and wide distribution and effective marketing programmes aimed at the rural mothers," he said.