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Cycle Pure Agarbathi, a brand recognized for its innovative products, is returning to its core strategy of differentiation by expanding its agarbathi portfolio to include a new range of personal and home care items. Founded by R N Murthy, the company is launching a variety of offerings, including hygiene essentials, body deodorants, pain balms, dishwashing products, scented candles, diffusers, room fresheners, floor and glass cleaners, and potpourri.
This move towards diversification began when R N Murthy, the second-generation leader of the company, noted a decline in incense stick sales, prompting the development of the bestselling three-in-one product that combines different fragrances to meet consumer demands for variety. The brands third generation continued these efforts, introducing various new products such as cup sambrani, bamboo-less agarbathi, and masala incense, thus broadening the traditional agarbathi portfolio.
In 2008, Cycle ventured into aromacology with the launch of its Iris brand, which focuses on lifestyle home fragrances, offering scented candles, vaporizers, incense, fragrant sachets, potpourri, and refill oils. “We recognized the growing importance of aromacology on home fragrance and well-being,” said Arjun M. Ranga, Managing Partner at N. Ranga Rao & Sons and Managing Director at Cycle Pure Agarbathi.
The company later identified a demand for personal fragrances, leading to the development of products tailored for these needs. Initially focusing on odor masking, Cycle launched the ‘Stop-O’ brand to combat unpleasant smells, producing a range of cleaning products, including floor cleaners, home and car deodorizers, and glass cleaners.
Further expanding its offerings, Cycle introduced the ‘Karpure’ brand, featuring mosquito repellents, fragrance pouches, room fresheners, vaporizers, pain balms, hand wash, and deodorants under the name ‘DNA Deo On the Go.’ Additionally, the company has rolled out dishwashing products branded as ‘Gavi.’
Despite its diversification strategy, Cycle Pure Agarbathi emphasizes maintaining a customer-first approach with a strong focus on delivering differentiated value. “If our product does not stand out from what is already available in the market, we won’t launch it,” Rao asserted.
The new personal and home care product range targets clients such as Home Center, Walmart, and Decathlon, with expectations for significant revenue contributions. “As the country continues to develop and urbanize, we are witnessing increased traction. However, we believe we are still some distance from these products becoming a substantial part of our business,” Rao explained. He noted that while agarbathi remains primarily associated with prayer, the lifestyle products are not yet used regularly. As consumer habits shift towards daily use, Cycle anticipates a marked increase in demand. |
