We felt proud when afaqs.com featured, Mr Anshul Agrawal, Managing Partner, MDPH. The story captured our journey with details and fresh insights. It also showed what drives our choices in media and brand building.

The article says that most people know us by one simple sign. If you spot MS Dhoni with folded hands on an agarbatti pack, that is Zed Black. We never expected the association to grow the way it did. In many rural markets, consumers walk in and ask for “Dhoni wali agarbatti.” That trust keeps us grounded.

MDPH brought Dhoni on board to create one unified identity. India is vast and diverse. As the brand grew, we saw that it was hard to keep different identities in every region. Mr Agrawal told afaqs.com, “As the brand grew, it became difficult to maintain different identities in every region. We wanted someone who connected across India and beyond. Dhoni’s values, his calmness, and his small-town roots resonated with Zed Black.”

 

The article noted that before 2017, MDPH worked with regional and national stars like Bhagyashree and Hansika Motwani. But the Dhoni era changed everything. Today, the Zed Black 3-in-1 pack at Rs 12 is our top seller.

 

The article mentions that MDPH is eyeing Rs 800 crore in FY26. The Rs 1,000 crore mark will come soon as well. Agarbatti brings in about 65% of revenue. Dhoop and puja products add the rest.

 

We count ourselves among the top three players in India. Our strongest regions are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. This reach stands on the shoulders of 40 depots and 4,000+ distributors.

Despite such humongous penetration, we keep our target audience simple. We speak to anyone who prays. And to those who don’t. As Mr Agrawal says,“Anyone who prays –and even those who don’t, because we want to make them believe in prayer.”

 

This thought shaped our long-running Prarthna Hogi Sweekar campaign.

 

According to agency faqs.com, our long-term plan is bold. We want to reach 100 countries. We also plan to open more global offices. Even as marketing shifts to digital, our mix stays rooted in what works. We dedicate 80% to TV, 15% to print, and 5% to digital, BTL and ground events.

Mr Agrawal further elaborated, “We are conservative and rely on media we can track. Since we operate pan-India, TV offers better cost efficiencies and strong perception value.

We have grown our presence in GECs and cricket. We co-sponsored Goriya Chali Gaon on Zee TV. During festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja, we focus on BTL sampling at pandals and high-footfall spaces.

Dhoni is our face. But we added another star in 2020—Hrithik Roshan for our Manthan Dhoop brand. The partnership, now five years strong, drives growth in North India.

The article also tells its readers about our journey into prestigious academic circles.

A case study written by a professor at S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, and published by Ivey Publishing, was picked by Harvard Business School.

We are truly proud about the recognition. It reflects years of steady decisions and clear values emphasized by our top management.

We build slow. We build strong. And we move forward with the faith of millions behind us.