A home-grown tooth powder that stands out

Many copied its model, but failed to make an impact 

In the expanding dental hygiene market, the consumer is spoilt for choices with branded toothpastes available in multiple flavours and variants. While foaming toothpastes have overshadowed the tooth powder, the home-grown Gopal Palpodi (Gopal Tooth Powder) from Madurai remains an active player. The pinkish red powder, with the herbal components of clove, kadukkai ( Terminalia chebula) and kandankathirikkai ( Solanum Surattense), continues to have a loyal clientele.

The older generation is no stranger to Gopal Palpodi, thanks to a blitzkrieg of advertisements on radio, newspapers and magazines and even television in the later years, with the catchline: “People’s favourite tooth powder in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia.”

Manufactured by S.P.S. Jayam and Company, it also owns Jet brand of tooth powder and Anjal aluppu marundhu, a pick-me-up for people having weariness or body pain. Its proprietor S.P.S. Selvaraj, 85, says his father S.P.S. Muthu Nadar from Sattankulam started making these products in Nazareth in the present day Thoothukudi district in 1920. The distribution was done by cycle.

Simultaneously, the business was flourishing in Sri Lanka with a production centre in Colombo. Since the company was also into distribution of ‘shop saamaan’ such as soap, comb and mirror in the name of M.A.R.S. Muthu Nadar firm, it was felt prudent to shift base to Madurai to upscale business.

“In the 1940s, we shifted base to Madurai where we have production centres in Villapuram and five other places,” Mr. Selvaraj says.

“In the Vallanadu hill area on the Thoothukudi-Tirunelveli Highway, thieves cut the ropes and took away the consignment from a moving lorry. Thereafter, we shut our Nazareth production unit in the early 2000s,” he says.

“I joined Madras Medical College for B. Pharm in 1962. My father died that year. So, I looked after the business while continuing studies for the four years.”