Many popular brands in the market today started as small businesses. Some of them even started in a small room and eventually turned into a successful business empire. Such is the story of the famous brand Vicco, which was founded by Keshav Vishnu Pendharkar in 1952. The VICCO Vajradanti tooth powder was its first product. Even if you haven't used VICCO products, you must have watched its popular ads with the jingle 'Vajradanti Vajradanti Vicco Vajradanti'.
VICCO stands for Vishnu Industrial Chemical Company. Before VICCO, Pendharkar used to run a grocery shop in Nagpur, Maharashtra to support his family. But one day, he decided to shift to Mumbai with his family. He did some odd jobs for some time in Bandra and other areas of the city. Later, he moved to Parel, where he noticed that people use allopathic medicines and foreign cosmetic products a lot. He then decided to launch his own brand which will be a chemical-free alternative to cosmetic brands.
Pendharkar gathered knowledge about Ayurvedic scriptures and took help from his brother-in-law, who knew Ayurvedic medicines. He later made the first Ayurvedic product tooth powder at home. He started selling it from house to house with his son.
“The family had a three-room house. The kitchen became the manufacturing unit, and the other rooms turned into the godown and office," Sanjeev, grandson of Pendharkar told The Better India. His hard work paid off. People started liking his tooth powder. In 1952, he named it Vicco. Within four years, his company achieved good growth. Keshav passed away in 1971. Today, Sanjeev, a third-generation entrepreneur, is at the helm of the company.
Years after its inception, the company also sells products such as VICCO sugar-free paste for diabetic patients, VICCO Turmeric Foam Base Multipurpose Cream, etc. The company reportedly had a revenue of Rs 500 crore in the financial year ending on 31 March 2022.
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