Chyawanprash: from health to wealth

As a child I always remember my mother feeding me a spoon of chyawanprash especially to ward off the cold in Delhi winters. Not only did chyawanprash become a habit for me but also I prefer taking it even if I am not unwell.

The recipe of chyawanprash was given by Sage Chyawan, amd was first documented by the great Indian medicine man Charaka in the Charaka Samhita. The main ingredient of the mixture is Amla, a herb that is very rich in vitamin c. The anti aging and disease fighting attributes of Chyawanprash is due to the anti oxidant and immunity properties of the vitamin.

There are roughly 25-80 other potential ingredients of the Chyawanprash mixture, which depends on the manufacturer and the region and purpose where the mixture is produced.
The original way of creating the paste is to collect all the ingredients and prepare the paste over a low fire using firewood. Also before the consumption of the paste one has to go a ritualistic purification called the ‘panchkarma’ which removes all the impurities from the digestive system.

But lately there has been a spurt in the demand for chyawanprash. In 2010 the market saw a 25 % jump after almost single digit growth throught the decade.

The Indian chyawanprash market is roughtly Rs 400 crore, mostly dominated by Dabur with 70% market share. The other players include Himalaya, Emami and Baidyanath. The sudden craze for immunity and wellness among urban Indians and the degrading living conditions including stress is leading to a revival in this category. Also Chyawanprash is mostly consumed in the winters. And this year has seen a harsh winter in the northern parts of the country.

While Dabur has banked on its name and launch of new variants like mango and orange, Emami has followed its routine of aligning with bollywood signing on Shah Rukh Khan as a brand ambassador in avery comical ad that shows King Khan as a warrior in the modern world.


Dabur then responding to Emami signed cricket superstar MS Dhoni as a brand ambassador and also signed Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishen to do a local promotion in the UP- Bihar belt.
As mentioned earlier I am not sure on the effectiveness of the commercially produced chyawanprash. But with double digit growth the path from health to wealth has become very clear to most players.