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• In what can be considered as a plan by Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) to enter into the hair extension market, the firm is looking to introduce its African brand Kinky targeting aged customers.

• “Kinky is a leader in South African market, where people normally have short hair. We have a plan to introduce Kinky in the Indian market targeting the aged customers, but GCPL haven’t set any timeline on this,” said A Mahendran, managing director of Godrej Consumer Products.

• Kinky World of Hair, a supplier of human hair, synthetic wefted pieces, wigs, add on’s, hair extensions and hair braids in South Africa, was acquired by GCPL in 2008 for reportedly $33 million.

• Godrej Consumer Products is already a leader in hair extension and hair care market in Africa after its acquisition of 51 per cent stake in pan-African hair care major Darling Group Holdings (DGH) for around Rs 500 crore in 2011. DGH has presence in 14 countries across the continent.

• “Currently, we have acquired Darling firm in only three countries — South Africa, Mozambique and Nigeria. In the next one-and-a-half years, we will acquire stakes of DGH firms in other 11 African countries too,” said P Ganesh, executive vice president of finance, GCPL. “We are in the process of introducing these hair extension brands to other continents also.”

• GCPL had plans to introduce some of its acquired products in the Indian markets like room refreshner brand Stella of Megasari.

• In the recent time, the firm had done several acquisitions including Nigerian personal care brand Tura, Indonesia’s household insecticide brand Megasari, and two hair care firms — Issue and Argencos —in Latin America. The firm had also bought out its former partner Sara Lee from a joint venture in India.

• On the other hand, regarding price rise, the firm managing director said, “We will follow what other industry players are doing.”

• There were speculations of a price rise after a proposal to increase in excise duty in the Budget.

Source