Chandigarh India based Surya Pharma’s wholly owned subsidiary, Surya Pharmaceutical (Singapore) Pte Ltd, has acquired ActivOn, the over-the-counter analgesic drug brand in the United States, with global marketing rights for about $22 million.
Americans know Activon as the producer of aggravating television commercials.
Through the acquisition, Surya Pharma hopes to market its products in the US through ActivOn’s established marketing network, which includes leading retailers such as Walmart, Walgreen, CVS, Rite Aid, etc.
Indian companies are becoming selectively more acquisitive toward Western brands. While there are some outliers, most of the acqusitions are similar to Activon, in the sense of being under $100 million and often being perceived as undervalued. A few months earlier, Dabur based near New Delhi India purchased Namaste, based near Chicago.
