Q] Netmeds.com entered the online pharmacy segment in 2015. How has the journey been so far?
It’s been a thrilling journey building Netmeds.com from ground zero, ever since we started in 2015. It’s been five years and we are proud to call ourselves ‘Truly India Ki Pharmacy’, since we are one of the pioneers of the largest online pharmacy. We have served 90% of the pin codes across India, including the nooks and corners, and are the first ones to start pan-India operations providing greater access to medicines. It was a strategic call to reach out to people across India.
Q] Tell us about your association with brand ambassador MS Dhoni, which has got you a reported 300% to 400% uptick in brand recall… How has this move paid off for the brand?
We are very proud to be the first online brand to be concomitant with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, as currently there are several dot coms that associate with him. The connection between Netmeds and Dhoni works well for the company, as he is dependable and trustworthy, leading to a great brand recall for us. Whenever we meet people, 80-90% people correlate Dhoni with Netmeds.
Q] Delivering medicines at the hour of need is the job of any pharmacy. However, online pharmacies often have a time lag, which is a disadvantage to the consumer. How do you work around that?
No business can solve every industry problem and there are pros and cons for online as well as offline pharmacies. We have at least a minimum of 50,000 SKUs, which empower users to order at any given point in time, from any place in India. We don’t serve 100% consumers, but we segment the consumers from acute to chronic and serve customers with chronic conditions. Besides, the consumer always has an option to choose either online or offline. Currently, we are the only pharmacy that mentions the date and time of delivery, even before the consumer places an order. It’s a pre-informed decision and where we also reveal the expiry date of medicines before purchase.
