In a significant move that could revive the refreshing memories of the past, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd. (RCPL) has inked a pact with the owners of the iconic Velvettee brand to bring yester-year glory back to it.
Announcing the acquisition of the Velvette brand, the Chief Operating Officer of RCPL, Mr. Ketan Mody, said that the objective was to make the legacy brand an integral part of consumers’ lives.
He, however, declined to disclose the cost of the brand acquisition. He merely said that the agreement with the owners – Mrs.Sujatha Rakjkumar and her son Mr. Arjun Rajkumar – provided for acquiring a perpetual licence of Velvettee. “This aligns with Reliance’s ongoing commitment to building a futuristic business with a solid foundation while also reviving and reintroducing India’s cherished heritage brands to modern consumers,” he added.
Recently, RCPL acquired SIL, a food brand known for sauces and condiments. SIL Foods, a 75-year-old brand under the VKL Food Solutions Enterprise group, offers a range of packaged products, including mayonnaise, sauces, baked beans and jams.
In 2022, RCPL acquired the iconic beverage brand Campa. Last year, it purchased Ravalgaon Sugar Confectionery’s brands, including Coffee Break and Paan Pasand, in a ₹27- crore deal.
Velvette was the talk of the town and a superhit brand in the ’80s and ’90s thanks primarily to the extraordinary vision of its founder late Dr. C.K. Rajkumar. Often referred to as the “Sachet King”, Rajakumar shook the Indian consumer products market with a pioneering concept that offered shampoo in a sachet. Velvette literally gave bigwigs like Hindustan Lever a run for its money with its shampoo in a sachet. Much water has flown under the bridge since then. Sachet has since become an integral part of personal care products. Godrej was marketing Velvette products initially across the country. Subsequently, NEPC did the marketing of Velvettee. For assorted reasons, the brand Velvettee had sort of slipped into oblivion. Reliance is now injecting life into this iconic brand.
Significantly enough, the Velvettee revival comes close on the heels of another revival exercise in Chennai. Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd (KICL) has entered into a licensing pact with the owners of Industrial Economist, one of the oldest financial magazines published from Chennai, to relaunch it. KICL itself – among the oldest brands and enterprises in Chennai – has got a fresh lease of life under a new owner, Mr. Rafiq Ahmed.