Medical and Health Research Foundation (A)

Organisation and its thrust areas:

Medical and Health Research Foundation (MHRF), is a South India based non-
profit organisation established with the objective of reviving local health
traditions in the country. The foundation was set up with support from
international organisations and the Government of India with the following thrust
areas:

 Developing a database of medicinal plants in the country

 Creating awareness through publications and posters about the medicinal
plant wealth of the country
 Helping local communities and NGOs in cultivating and processing medicinal
plants so that the returns go to the communities
 Help marketing of branded raw material to pharmaceutical firms

The foundation operated in the four major states of South India and
Maharashtra. The foundation also set up a not-for-profit company under Sec 25
of the Indian Companies Act with the participating local communities as
shareholders. MHRF also participated in exhibitions and industrial fairs to
promote Indian medicine. It also set up a modern office with professionals such
as botanists, MBAs and forestry experts to take care of its activities.

Marketing research project brief:

MHRF also proposed to launch branded ayurvedic products, the raw materials for
which was to be sourced from NGOs and local communities it was working with,
in the near future. Towards this end MHRF decided to commission a marketing
research project to be undertaken by an IRMA student as a summer assignment.
The objective was to understand the nature of the demand for ayurvedic
products and formations from retailers, consumers and practitioners.

The areas of enquiry were identified as below:


Case prepared based on a real life situation by Prof. M.R. Suresh, Indian Institute of Plantation
Management (IIPM), Bangalore for class discussion and is not designed to illustrate either correct
or incorrect handling of administrative situations. A part of the information is drawn from the
brief given to a participant of the PG Programme in Rural Management (1999-2001) at IRMA.
The study was undertaken under the guidance of Prof. Suresh. No part of this case to be quoted
or produced without permission. Name of the organisation has been disguised.
Urban consumers
Rural consumers
Ayurvedic
practitioners
Retailers

The above marketing research study was to be conducted in the city of Madurai.
The study ought to be completed in nine weeks.