Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev who lives in Saint Kutir, a huge old patterned house, 500 metres away from Patanjali Yog Peeth, sounded zealous to take the battle straight to the multi-national companies. He said he was determined to take the annual turnover of Patanjali to Rs 10,000 crore per annum. Wrapped up in unstitched cloths, he kept on changing seats in accordance with the changing direction of the light. Ramdev dwelt on numerous subjects in a no-holds-barred interview to Deputy Bureau Chief of The Pioneer Sunil Kumar at his saint kutir by sitting in.
Baba Ramdev having morphed from one who started his career humbly riding an ordinary black-coloured bicycle to one running a company whose turnover has touched Rs 5,000 crore is fuelling speculation. Now, people are saying that you are set to take the turn- over to the dizzy height of Rs 10,000 crore. Is it trueIJ And if it is true what is your plan to achieve the targetIJ Another question haunts the people’s mind. When would we see your company help the society apart from creating jobsIJ
Baba Ramdev: Currently, we are all set to open eight food parks across the country. One in Nagpur (Maharashtra), two in Madhya Pradesh, one in Naidupeta (AP), one in Assam, one in J&K and one each in Noida and Jhansi (both in UP). They are likely to come up by March 2017. In case we miss the date, things would be completed by December 2017. We produce herbal-based products. We are now number one in the country. While other companies have small food processing plants we have established giant plants that produce on an enormous scale. We, at the same time, are not losing sight of the cottage industry, for it is the cottage industry that helps the society grow. We would procure products from the cottage industries in case they are produced in accordance with the norms set by Patanjali. As we would help the society to grow the society on its part would help Patanjali achieve its goal. This is our vision of helping the society grow while keeping Patanjali’s moorings intact.
There is an allegation that you have been taking lands from the state governments at subsidized rates. Don’t you think that you are denting into their coffersIJ
Baba Ramdev: This is absolutely baseless. let me affirm that we do not want any kind of subsidy from the State Governments, we get into. We maintain full transparency and do things strictly as per the law. For instance, in Maharashtra we purchased land through auction.
Patanjali is always in the thick of controversies. There are many instances of its food samples like noodle or honey failing the laboratory tests. What are your plans to avoid such controversies in the futureIJ
Baba Ramdev: let me make it categorically clear at the outset that our product has never failed any lab test. We have a giant research laboratory where 300 scientists are working. Besides, we have ten other big labs. All the samples are duly checked. We don’t bother petty controversy. We know that this is part of the conspiracies hatched by our rivals to malign us. What I feel is that by resorting to such petty conspiracies they are promoting our brand.
Would you please dwell a bit on how you have grown into a champion of SwadeshiIJ
Baba Ramdev: Swadeshi has been in my thought since my childhood. I have just brought it to the fore. Now, the people are opting for Swadeshi. My main objective is to cut to size the foreign based companies. This is an imperative. They freed us politically but sought to enslave us economically. Patanjali has been striving hard since it came up to restrain the growth of the foreign-based companies which are fleecing the people of my country with impunity. Earlier, the people had no option. But now things have changed. We have provided them with the Swadshi substitutes which are of better quality and of cheaper prices. Things are thus naturally reversing.
A question comes to the mind. Why are you involving yourself in brand promotion instead of doing it through the Bollywood stars or othersIJ
Baba Ramdev: We do not need others to promote our brand as we are confident of the quality of the products we are churning out. The multinational companies hire the stars and the like to sell their products off as they know their products are of inferior quality. As far as price is concerned our products are much cheaper, though they are much richer in quality. Besides, the MNCs are faceless, so to speak. The people wonder whom to complain if they find the quality of the goods they purchased as not satisfactory. We have an ideology. I, for one, consume every item we produce. Thus I think that I can prove the best promoter of the company we run.
During the Congress regime, you were vocal on black money and corruption, but these days you are silent. Does it mean that BJP-led NDA regime is succeeding to stamp out black moneyIJ
Baba Ramdev: At least, the people who are running the Government are listening to us. There is thus no need to scream on the roads. But still I feel more should be done. I am happy with the present Government as they are focused on three important things- internal and external security, good policy and its execution and of course, the foreign policy it is pursuing.
How can you claim that Patanjali is engaged in charity instead of doing business. Does not it mean that you are taking the people for a rideIJ
Baba Ramdev: There should be no confusion on this count. Though we are working to increase our turnover two times we have announced that the profit in full would be used for charity. 80 percent of the money earned will be spent on spreading education and the rest 20 percent on research. Neither the company nor the share holders will get dividend.
We are surprised to find that despite running an huge empire, you are giving interview in non-AC room.
Baba Ramdev: Yes. I can avail any kind of comforts if I wish. But I love to be in the lap of nature. I wear unstitched clothes and sleep on the floor. I consume herbal products only. Every day, I teach yoga in the morning for four hours. I also run yoga classes during the day. This is my style of living...
When you staged protest in Delhi you left the place donning a woman’s dress- Salwar and Kameej. WhyIJ
Baba Ramdev: (The Baba took a pause for few seconds, giving the impression that he was reluctant to get into the scene of the high drama he was the principal player of) I have dwelt on it several times earlier. The fact is that I did it to save my life. They were hell-bent on eliminating me. Once you decide to save yourself it does not matter what you wear and how you wear.