Harnessing nature and applying science for health is the need of the hour. Organic and herbal products are in great demand as it is the safest and most sustainable solution for health-related complications. People are happily embracing organic remedies. It is safe to say that organic and herbal health care solutions are becoming an essential part of human and animal life.
One such company providing top-notch health solutions is Natural Remedies.
Having started in 1998, Natural Remedies is today a pioneer in the herbal animal healthcare industry. Not only is the company one of India’s leading manufacturers of herbal animal and human healthcare products, but it also holds the number one position in the herbal segment. It is regarded as one of the top five companies among all animal health care companies in India.
In the past 35 years, the company, led by a strong leadership team, has established its presence in over 30 countries, founded a state-of-the-art Research and Development team, and launched over 20 products with nearly 200 representatives spread across India.
The Dynamic Duo
An increasing number of medium sized companies have demonstrated explosive growth over the last few years.
One such player is Bengaluru based Natural Remedies (NRPL), steered by Anurag Agarwal and his COO, Narender Reddy. Narender Reddy is a hands-on company veteran who had joined the company as a veterinary sales representative three decades back. He was elevated to the position of COO in June last year.
An inspiring leader and manager par excellence, Narender Reddy (KNR) is one of the youngest COOs in this sector. Having rich hands-on experience, KNR is a seasoned professional in the herbal healthcare industry. A firm believer in doing thorough homework before embarking on a new journey, he exudes positive energy and wisdom.
Growing with Every Step
Narender started his career with Natural Remedies as a veterinary sales representative three decades back. He considers himself lucky to have received training under the guidance of Anurag Agarwal and other industry stalwarts. Their advice and discipline molded him to be what he is today. He has recently been elevated to the post of COO from that of Commercial Director. He spearheads the Sales, Marketing, Formulation and Development, and Supply Chain Management teams.
He is delighted to be part of an organization that nurtures professionals to their potential and gives them a clear career growth path. Some of his other colleagues who had experienced a high growth career at NRPL are heading multimillion organizations outside of NRPL, while many in Natural Remedies have also risen the ranks to lead their departments.
NRPL is all about growth and opportunities. Growing to achieve the best as Narender mentioned, he was lucky to have been groomed by the best in the industry in the early stages of his career. He continues to follow the path of continued growth with the Founder’s inspirational vision, unwavering values, and commitment. His vision and actions reflect the company’s core values and help it to achieve business growth.
Future Endeavors
Narender firmly believes and follows the maxim- ‘Ordinary people with extraordinary efforts produce outstanding results.’ For this to happen, he teaches the team at NRPL to be ‘geared for anything’ and follow the concept of ‘organic growth’ in an ‘inorganic’ way. Though he is called a taskmaster, he is fair in his appraisals and highly focused on work. He believes one should walk the talk.
To make NRPL future-ready, he has selected and groomed a set number of new-gen managers to lead NRPL into the future. The company strongly believes in the ‘bottoms up’ approach. He prefers and encourages its employees to open up, talk, share their ideas, and implement them if it benefits the organization as a whole. In this case, the employees get more confidence and are brand ambassadors for the new generation.
Creating an Impact Uniquely
Natural Remedies is steadily enhancing capacity by setting up multiple plants across India to reach out to the farmers at the grass-root level, diversifying its range of products, ushering in advanced technologies, and enhancing quality assurance. Growing at a quick pace, the company is expanding its presence nationally and internationally.
The various brands of Natural Remedies continue to enjoy the trust of thousands of consumers for the high quality and innovative benchmarks that they have attained over time. Their value-driven culture has enabled them to be the preferred manufacturer of herbal healthcare products for other established brands.
Shining Bright with Achievements
“Though there are many achievements not only set by myself but also our departments, especially our R&D, I have taken the liberty to mention a few here. We have established a state-of-the-art research and development facility to introduce new products to help animals and their owners/farmers resulting in breakthrough innovations and products,” says Narender.
“We increased the number of partners and distributors overseas as per our set targets and time frame. We now intend to expand to other markets in the coming year. We have a strong presence in 30 countries, starting with the Asia Pacific region. We moved to Europe and are now eyeing the US keenly. We aim to be a truly global organization in the coming decade,” adds Narender.
Similarly, the company’s turnover has increased four times year on year compared to the industry growth, which very few companies have managed to do. Last but not least, the organization has bagged the prestigious Great Places to Work certification for the fourth time in a row and India’s best workplaces in healthcare and commitment to being a Great Place to Work award.
Robust Sustainable Trait
Worldwide, the animal health industry is growing at a steady 5%, with the demand for organic and sustainable products far higher when compared to India. With international governments also laying out policies emphasizing the usage of chemical-free and residue free products, Natural Remedies is way ahead in this regard. Its motto is ‘Go Green, Be Sustainable.’
“Since inception, sustainability has been an integral part of our way of conducting business. Ensuring profitable growth yet remaining sustainable, we consistently work towards reducing carbon footprint with a firm focus on alternate crops with high yields,” says Narender. The company also aims to ensure that the environment and farmers are duly benefited. The focus has been on operating with a strong regard for the environment and its sustenance.
The company and its partners (farmers) work closely with herbal and natural elements, with responsible management of natural resources an integral part of the business activities from the very start. As a part of Being Useful, Natural Remedies support its partners in cultivation, ensure their animals have access to superior health products through the strong R&D, resulting in healthier animals and happy farmers, making them better human beings.
The journey of NRPL started in the foothills of the Himalayas, and the team respects and values natural resources immensely. Narender recalls a quote by Mr. Anurag Agarwal wherein he said, “The earth does not belong to human beings, but humans belong to the earth.”
This is one of the prime reasons why Natural Remedies’ emphasis on sustainable development is massive. The company has even formulated a unique ‘Herb Secure’ program to adhere strictly to its environmental responsibilities.
Herb Secure Program – At its Best.
The five pillars of the Herb Secure program as devised are:
- Good agricultural practices
- Good collection practices
- Good manufacturing practices
- Good laboratory practices
- Good quality practices
The Herb Secure program enables the herbs to be sustainably sourced with complete control over the company’s quality and supply chain. Though it is not 100 percent ‘herbal’ in all its products, the team is getting there. Natural Remedies is clear about its goals and will achieve them as its R&D team is working on constantly.
Going an Extra Mile by Providing Unique Solutions
India is unique. Though the farmers’ land holdings are smaller when compared to overseas markets, the team makes it a point to identify the clients’ pain points, sit with them, and co-create solutions.
“As we work closely with them, they automatically know our processes and methodology. Today, many look at us as their ‘solution provider’ rather than a mere product supply organization,” states Narender.
Being in the healthcare industry and providing services has also helped NRPL gain the customers’ confidence. During the pandemic’s peak, the company went above and beyond to help customers by offering credit and delivering much-needed products within given timelines. Many customers appreciate the company’s genuineness, its help to overcome their pain points, methodology, and approach by extending the required technical support and scientifically validated products.
All this is a part of the core value i.e., Being Useful.
Sustaining the Pandemic
“We do not have any written mantra. What has been guiding us is our Founder’s vision and values. We change and adopt new methodologies as the situation demands. For example, we told ourselves it is the ‘survival of the quickest’ post-pandemic, states Narender.
The pandemic did take a toll on everyone and has shrunk the global economy. Though the organization was also affected to an extent, it managed to make a comeback by thinking on its feet, adapting, evolving, and implementing what it felt and knew was right in these given circumstances.
To start with, Natural Remedies, a product manufacturing organization, was quick to deploy a select number of employees to the shop floor. It provided them with boarding and lodging facilities. The company ensured they were protected from the virus as they stayed inside and completed the assigned jobs while the factory premises was off limits to everyone else. They then addressed the issue of how to communicate with customers in India and Overseas.
The organization wanted to convey to them that we are here and ready to help them. “We shifted to the virtual mode by launching our in-house virtual universe platform. We reached out to our customers, vendors, and partners on a timely basis, assuring them our full support. We are proud to say, we can call ourselves one highly responsive and responsible organization in India,” expresses Narender.
Industry Know-how
“I think I have a distinct advantage when it comes to this industry. I have a professional degree in Poultry Sciences and a management degree from the Indian School of Business,” says Narender.
This has helped him understand the industry’s nuances yet remain passionate about serving the animal healthcare segment by bringing effective and scientific solutions and addressing commercial farming needs in India and abroad. Change is the only constant, and one has to evolve with the changing times. There are many pain points that every organization has and need to be tackled.
This industry is very crucial as it is the healthcare partner between farmers and their animals.
“We need to bring in more professionals, shift farmers from unorganized farming to organized farming and ensure no animal is left untreated. We are working towards this goal, and we should definitely see positive changes in the coming years,” adds Narender.
Due to the increased animal protein consumption by millennials, Natural Remedies is planning to achieve a fourfold growth compared to the industry’s average growth. As it expands and grows multifold, it needs and welcomes the next generation to join the workforce.
It is indeed exciting times ahead for the organization. The organization believes that keen minds can transform this industry with its well thought best management practices firmly in place.
