Bayer India board to consider sale of Baygon brand

NEW DELHI: The board of directors of Bayer India will meet on October 29, 2002, to consider sale/ disposal of the consumer care (household insecticides) division of the company, primarily the Baygon brand. A couple of companies including Reckitt Benckiser has bid for buying Bayer''s Baygon brand, which is up for sale for quite some time.
Bayer has a 10 per cent share of Indian insect repellent market with the Baygon brand which has a strong presence in the liquid segment but keeps a low key in advertising.Other major players in the insect repellent market are Reckitt Benckiser and Godrej Sara Lee.
Other brands of parent Bayer under consumer care division are Aspirina, Alka-Seltzer, One-a-Day, Autan, and Canesten. Along with Baygon, Bayer also has plans to sell its Autan brands, with an objective to offload its household insecticides business unit to streamline portfolio.
Keeping focus on core healthcare business, Bayer is of the view that Baygon and Autan are no longer a good strategic fit in this scenario. Bayer aims to complete the sale by the end of 2002.