Yakult Danone India expands its Probiotic portfolio by launching Yakult light

Having carved a niche for itself in the probiotic category, Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd., a 50:50 joint venture between Yakult Honsha and Danone has further expanded its product portfolio in India by adding a new variant:Yakult Light. This new variant was unveiled by fitness icon and Bollywood celebrity Shilpa Shetty Kundra who endorsed Yakut Light at a Press Conference in Mumbai recently. Present on the occasion were Mr. Minoru Shimada, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd., and Dr. Neerja Hajela, General Manager – Science and Regulatory Affairs, Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd.

Yakult Light is a sister product of the signature Yakult product and contains the same unique probiotic, Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS), in the same amount (6.5 billion). LcS has been scientifically proven, through more than 80 years of research, to help improve digestion and build immunity when consumed regularly. With reduced sugar and Vitamin D and E, Yakult Light caters for the daily needs of the health conscious and is suitable for all age groups. It contains less sugar and calories owing to the use of a sweetener of natural origin, Steviol Glycoside.The recommended retail price of Yakult Light is Rs. 80/- for a pack of 5 bottles.

Speaking on the launch of Yakult Light, Mr. Minoru Shimada, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India Pvt. Ltd. remarked, “We are frontrunners in the probiotic category globally, and 35 million bottles of Yakult, our iconic probiotic drink, are consumed daily in 38 countries and regions across the world. Driven by our core philosophy of improving intestinal health through our probiotic strain LcS, our journey in India has been interesting so far. We see further growth potential in the market for our products. Our signature brand Yakult is already a household name and is being consumed by most families as a part of their daily diet. Today we are present in over 40 cities in 12 statesacross India. The health benefits of Yakult are tangible and there is an upward trend in consumption. To address the growing demand and in line with the needs of the Indian consumer we are delighted to make our product range more versatile and inclusive by launching Yakult Light to accompany our existing probiotic signature product, Yakult. Yakult Light caters to a broad consumer base such as the health conscious adults and the elderly.

We will sell Yakult Light across 12 states in both retail outlets and our unique Home Delivery system. We have over 260 Yakult Ladies delivering our health message to Indians on their doorsteps. We have planned a 360 degree campaign to communicate the key messages of Yakult Light as well as consumer engagement initiatives at the ground-level to raise awareness.