Ramdev,yoga televangelist plan to include jeans in apparel brand Paridhaan

Yoga televangelist Baba Ramdev whose bearded and saffron-robed image as the Patanjali brand ambassador dots billboards across the country, to launch an apparel brand, Paridhaan, which will include jeans and office wear. Ramdev is also planning to go global with factories in Bangladesh and Africa to start with and eventually spread wings to Europe and the US.

The idea of the apparel brand started with some followers asking Baba Ramdev for Patanjali yoga wear. It is at that time then they thought of a whole range of dresses – Paridhaan – for everyone’. As they are fighting to bring economic independence for their country from multinationals by promoting indigenous and natural products, they should also be in the garments market.

Ramdev said that they will make men’s and women’s wear, not just traditional Indian clothing but also modern wear like jeans for example. Just because he is a baba does not mean they cannot marry modernity with spirituality, they can make desi jeans.

Ramdev further added, the chain of factories would concentrate on medicines, toiletries and food products. They need to ensure perfect quality for these as they impact people’s health. However, other products like clothing, which they will design and brand, can be outsourced. There are many good manufactures in Ludhiana and other textile centres for that work.

Ramdev, who runs the enterprise with his friend Acharya Balkrishna from a sprawling campus on the outskirts of the pilgrim town of Haridwar, said that they have plans to set up a composite factory in Bangladesh which will make the whole range of our (Patanjali) products for that country.

They have already entered the Nepal market. After Bangladesh, they aim to enter Africa. They will first grow in developing countries where the market conditions are similar to India. After that in stage II, they will take the battle against multinationals into the developed markets of Europe and the US, where there is a growing demand for natural products, as against the chemical stuff that these MNCs sell.

Last year, Patanjali reported a turnover of Rs 5,000 crore. Ramdev, who lives in a secluded, high-walled compound on the Patanjali campus, said the turnover was expected to touch Rs 10,000 crore by the end of the current financial year.