Kochi: AVA Group, manufacturers of the world’s largest selling handmade soap Medimix, celebrates 50 years of its glorious journey. The company still maintains the legacy and originality of handcrafted soap in the era of mechanized production. Medimix originated in 1969 in Chennai when Dr. V P Sidhan, who was a doctor with the Indian Railways, began making soap to treat skin ailments in railway workers. Buoyed by its mention on prescriptions written by doctors treating skin conditions and the confidence his friends placed in him, the homemade remedies for skin ailments turns into a successful business proposition and creates a legacy product.
Commenting on the journey of Medimix, Dr. A V Anoop, Managing Director, AVA Group said “We have maintained the legacy and originality of the process passed on by our founder Dr. V P Sidhan. The art of making soaps by hand is dying now, but we at AVA through series of innovation, cost-effective measures and with the strong and committed workforce have been able to grow into world's largest selling handmade soap. In this 50th year, we are happy to honour and support our stakeholders who have been associated with us since the beginning and will also conduct activities for the development of the communities near the factories.” A major initiative has also been the dedication of “Sanjeevanam”a multi-specialty Ayurveda hospital (Kochi) to Kerala and Ayurveda.
Till the 1990s, Medimix had only one product – Medimix Classic. Over the years the brand has extended into Glycerin and Sandal variants in soap category, apart from handwash. Medimix is purely herbal, with a combination of 18 unique herbs. AVA Group will launch Medimix Hair Oil, Medimix Shampoo and also a body wash, within the next two years.
Today, the AVA Group has six plants across South India for Medimix. Each plant accounts for approximately 100,000 soaps, every day. Medimix in South India alone accounts for 850 tons of soap per month. In FY18-19 AVA crossed 10,000-tonne production mark. The Vision of the company is to achieve Rs. 500 crore sales volume by FY-2020.
The manufacturing process of Medimix is very interesting and unique. The employees come up with innovative ideas and ways and designed machineries that work without using electricity. Every month, the company receives ideas from all workers and in-house team studies these ideas. If the trial is successful, the company implements the idea across its units.
