India Retail News.

The Indian business houses didn't take it long to recognize the potential Rural India offers especially in small and day-to-day items / products. Guardian Lifecare has launched Aushadhi brand outlets to cater to the needs of Rural and Semi-Urban areas.

Mr Ashutosh Garg, MD of Aushadhi said,

For Guardian, our tag line is 100% reliablity while Aushadhi says "sau pratishat bahrosa" and if Guardian outlets sell Dove soaps, Aushadhi stores sell Lifebuoy.

Aushadhi outlets are small 200-250 sft in size. The first one is operational in Khairthal [between Delhi and Jaipur]. The company plans to have atleast 50 within the next 2 years.

Mr. Harish Bijoor, leading brand consultant in India said,

Retail organized pharmacies will have to provide a one-stop-shopping experience to rural consumers in order to make their rural presence a success. The companies need to pay attention to rural consumer behavior.

Medplus another pharma chain has over 30 outlets in tier-II cities and plans to expand its presence to tier-III cities. Apollo Phramacy has tied up with Godrej Agrovert for its rural pharmacy chain under the brand name Apollo Adhaar Pharmacy.