Dr. S. FAROOQ, Chairman of Himalaya Drug Company and Confederation of Indian Industry, was listed in Marquis Who’s Who in the World (U.S.A) in 1997 in International Who’s Who of Intellectuals Thirteen Edition of IBC (England) in recognition of his scientific research work in Photochemistry. He is recipient of many National and International Awards, including the President’s Award. Dr Farooq is the Chief Editor of the Universities Journal of Phytochemistry & Ayurvedic Heights. He has published and presented over 200 papers in National and International Conferences. He is author of “555 Medicinal Plants”, and “101 Herbal Remedies for Cough & Cold”. He was Officiating Chairman, Uttarakhand Minority Commission and Vice President, India Islamic Cultural Centre. Dr Farooq did his schooling from St Thomas School and higher studies at DAV College. He did his M.Sc., PhD and D.Sc. degrees from HNBG University (DAV PG College Dehradun). He also holds a postgraduate Diploma in Business Management. In an interview with MOHD NAUSHAD KHAN, he said, invention was the turning point of the Himalaya Drug Company. Himalaya is considered the world’s first company to give anti-hypertension medicine to the world and also the first company to export Ayurvedic medicine.
First of all, please tell us about the historical progress made by the Himalaya Drug Company?
Meraj Alim Manal established the company in 1930. This company started with just Rs. 100 and the founder chairman was not having Rs. 100 at that time. He borrowed Rs. 100 from his aunt (Khala) and told his mother, ‘Ammi, I have borrowed Rs 100 from Khala and I will start a business’. She replied, ‘My son! This is bad’ and gave her gold bangles to him, asking him to sell it and return the borrowed money. He then started his business with just Rs. 100. What was the vision behind it? That no heirs of his aunt can now claim that he started the company by taking money from aunt and can claim any share in it. This was the vision of the elderly people and children used to obey their parents without any ifs and buts. Today this is a Rs. 3,000 crore company.
Dehradun at that time was famous for tea, rice, sugar, timber and forest. Even today Uttarakhand is rich in forest as compared to other states except Kashmir and some other places. This state was very rich and more than 90 per cent of it was forest. Varieties of herbs were also available in that forest. Keeping that in mind, he started that business.
Invention was the turning point of the Himalaya Drug Company. Himalaya is considered the world’s first company to give anti-hypertension medicine to the world. Himalaya was also the first company to export Ayurvedic medicine. At that time there was no Nobel Prize. So, Serpina, an anti-hypertension drug prepared from Rauwolfia Serpentina (an Indian snakeroot) won the Lasker award, then considered equivalent of Nobel Prize. After that many other medicines were introduced. The launch of Liv.52, a liver formulation that ensures optimum liver function, in 1955 became synonymous with brand Himalaya as a result of its popularity. After that, Septilin, Cystone, Bonnisan, and Rumalaya Forte became very popular. Today we have a range of products in Herbal Ayurvedic medicine, Nutrition, Personal Care and Baby Care.
How difficult was it to establish a healthcare industry for Himalaya Drug Company in the midst of mushrooming growth of healthcare industries?
At the initial stage, when Himalaya Drug Company was established herbal, products were new and people hesitant. But after innovation, research and quality product, it gradually started to win the trust of people. If invention is there, the sky is the limit; today it is also said the sky is not the limit! That is what is about Himalaya. In 1972, Mr Manal gave a product called Gripe Water for new born babies. In 1980s, when I joined this company, a product called Geriforte was introduced. These new thoughts and vision and research helped the company make a mark for itself in the field of healthcare industry. That made Himalaya grow without any competition and no competitor.
When you look at health and hygiene today, what makes you happy and what troubles you the most?
The trouble, I feel, is that people do not understand how to take care of health system. Only 10 per cent of Indian population hardly does half an hour exercise and 90 per cent are not doing that. As for women the percentage is even below 2 per cent. You see Nature is so kind and great and loves human beings that man is blessed with 206 bones for flexibility, just to make him comfortable. Thirty bones in the hands and 30 in the legs, but do we equally use both? Do we do exercise as required? No. If we don’t do exercise, these joints become stiff and there is resistance in movement and the body becomes less flexible. Skin has pores for sweating. When you use these joints, you will sweat and the toxins of the body will go out. Do we care for that?
Benjamin Franklin is quoted to have said: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Who told (man) to rise early, what is its benefit and what does early mean? Who will tell the time? Allah the Almighty has given birds duty to chirp. It is to give musical chirp and fresh awakening to people. Do we rise at that time? No. Then is the duty of flowers to bloom and give freshness, and flowers like chameli, rose and jasmine bloom in the morning and spread fragrance. What is the use of fragrance? It gives aroma therapy and makes you fresh. And in the night flowers like raat ki rani bloom. It gives you peace and good night sleep. We don’t respect the blessings of the Almighty.
Another solution to keep healthy is nutraceuticals, food as nutrition. It’s made up of two words nutrition and pharmaceuticals. What are nutraceuticals? The vegetables which we eat as salad. Someone having piles can have radish; cucumber can be used for urinary problems; and onions and garlic for joint pain; and turmeric powder is very useful for our body. But instead we use junk foods. Still the Almighty is aware of what man will do. So Nature has blessed us with herbs. The duty is imposed on us to give medicine out of herbs. In India every fourth person is diabetic and in the coming years every second person will be diabetic. Mango is rich in sugar but nature has given jamun at the same time. If you eat jamun with mango, it will neutralise the sugar part.
What is the present place and face value of Himalaya Drug Company in India and in international market?
Today, Himalaya is considered a leading global herbal health and personal care organisation with approximately 500 products. The products of Himalaya over the years have been recommended by more than four lakh doctors in about 100 countries. After 89 years of establishment, the vision has been translated into Himalaya’s mission of touching people’s lives with the slogans of “Wellness in every Home and Happiness in every Heart.” Himalaya has developed markets worldwide with an in-depth and long-term approach, maintaining at each step the highest ethical standards. The legacy of researching Nature forms the foundation of Himalaya’s operations.
We have studied over 10,000 herbs and discovered many new properties and in just eight years, we have filed over 90 patents. At Himalaya, research is not just about breakthrough formulations but also about filling the gaps in conventional medicine. Through research, Himalaya has introduced several innovative products. Cystone, Himplasia and Septilin are some of our breakthrough drugs that are prescribed by doctors across the world. Cystone, used in the treatment of urinary stones, is the only herbal drug available for this condition. It is backed by over 90 clinical trials. Today, over four million doctors and customers in more than 100 countries rely on us for their healthcare and personal care needs.
As an entrepreneur, industrialist and also community leader, what do you think should be done to empower Muslims?
Be it Muslims or all Indians, empowerment can be done through innovation and education and that is the only solution. I feel very bad and humiliated when I see Indians doing blue collared jobs and a majority are working like fourth grade employees. We need to be first grade employees as those who have good education succeed. There are people who have innovation and do innovative work make progress and achieve success. Those who are rich in wisdom and vision bag Nobel prizes; this year too Abhijit Banerjee won Nobel for his vision. So we should concentrate on quality education.
You have also served as Chairman of Uttarakhand Minority Commission. What do you think are the challenges before minorities today and what is the way forward?
You see the challenges are the same for all communities. We are no different. I always say that the Indian bride in Hindu or Muslim families wears red colour dress and in no other countries brides wear the red colour dress. If you go abroad, they will not ask you Hindu or Muslim; they will only ask: are you Indian? Our eating habits and dress are same; our rituals are same. For success also you should get equal opportunity truly and that will change the scenario and the growth of India. If we fight and discriminate then with one flat tyre the vehicle cannot move.
Any remedial measures would you like to suggest to people to combat air pollution which is becoming dangerous by the day?
Regarding pollution everyone should care for the single plastic use. I remember in a seminar one lady Shiva, who was also a speaker, said: ‘All of us are sitting here and talking about pollution and when we go from here we will all go in air conditioned cars which causes double pollution but here we will say whatever we like’. The same thing is happening because people talk of environment pollution while they themselves contribute to pollution.
Here in Delhi it takes a long time to travel from one place to another. But in Dehradun my house is close to my factory and every day I go cycling to my house. Such practice should be followed by those who live close to their offices or when travelling for shorter distance. The traffic these days has become so heavy otherwise I used to go to my office on horse. I do riding and have horses. But now the presence of heavy traffic does not permit me to do so. But I go to office cycling. This I learned from my revered father and may Allah bless him.
What would you like to suggest to encourage entrepreneurship in Muslim youth in particular and the rest in general?
I told you earlier Hindu or Muslim is nothing and this should be out of our mind. We should talk about Indian youth. In other countries the government departments and industries give solutions like start-up which is a very good slogan; but how to start, what shall we do? The solution should be there and the purchase of the material you are suggesting should be there. Are the farers getting adequate price of the things they are producing? Are they happy? And there are so many herbs and we are in that industry. The crops which are so abundantly grown that the government also cannot control it. They cannot purchase it on the declared price. Recently the prices of some commodities have been increased twice and thrice. So the one which is used in such abundance and therefore other crops are there and that should be suggested. At Himalaya we do suggest and give all facility for contract farming.
Finally, what’s you take on corporate social responsibility and how important is it?
In social corporate industry the industries which are public limited and the money is pooled from others, partnership and ownership are not covered in it. It is so because so much of interest is being taken. The responsibility and the onus come from the government. We pay tax on the income of the company and we pay tax on the individual income of ours. So the government has not laid any CRS on private firms. But still every person who is happy should enjoy his happiness and even small little thing. There is a couplet: jhulasti dhoop me jise maine paani pilaya thaa wo chidiya roz aati hai mujhe duwayen deke jaati hai. We are blessed by the Almighty; so we should help people who are deprived and less fortunate. But everyone is blessed with something or the other. A person may or may not help you but the Almighty is always there and He is watching and He will bless you. Problems are also from destiny and happiness and solace are also from there. One should be grateful and do something good for others in need. Two things are there which a person cannot change like place of birth which was decided before the birth of the child. One can change the nationality but not the place of birth. The second is the name of your parents. One can change everything but not the name of the parents. We have to respect both and with this couplet I would like to conclude: Kuch hum bhi banayen tere bigde huye kaam, ai khake watan tujhse bane hain hum bhi. Thank you.