The Chennai firm that turns out all too familiar Oral-B toothbrush

Discover the fascinating journey of the Rayala Group, from automotive spare parts to manufacturing 650 million Oral-B toothbrushes annually.

We all begin our day with a toothbrush, but how many know that the Oral-B toothbrush, a brand used by millions, is actually made in Chennai by the Rayala Group for Procter & Gamble (P&G). Rialto Enterprises, the manufacturing and engineering division of the Rayala Group, plays a crucial role in the production of Oral-B toothbrushes under licence from P&G. The company turns out 650 million toothbrushes a year.

How did this 76-year-old family-owned company begin its journey? The Rayala Corporation was established in 1948 by Rajagopal Naidu. It first focused on automotive spare parts and office equipment. The group was named after the Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh, where the family originated. It evolved through generations, with each generation strategically selecting businesses aligned with its interest. Over time, the group has diversified across a wide range of industries, including automobiles, typewriter manufacturing, vehicle financing, white goods, contract manufacturing of toothbrushes, and real estate.

Although the company officially began its journey in 1948, its foundations were laid as early as 1921. “My grandfather Rajagopal Naidu’s first venture, Rajagopal Motor Works, was started in 1921,” says Ranjit Pratap, chairman and managing director, Rayala Corporation Pvt. Ltd. The initial investment for the business was ₹5,000 and its first office and plant were established on a 6,000-square foot facility in Chennai. Before commencing his entrepreneurial journey, Naidu worked for a short while at Simpsons and for a few years at Addison and Co, in the automobile mechanical division.

“The initial products were fire pumps assembled for Addison and Co. Subsequently, he diversified into the bus and truck body building in the mid-1930s,” Mr. Ranjit Pratap says.

He applied for a south Indian dealership for British and American cars sold by Peninsula Motor Corporation in Kolkata. Subsequently, during the freedom movement, he gave up the distribution of British cars and concentrated on American cars and trucks. He also started a bus service from Tirupati to Tirumala in 1940s. And later on, he entered the commercial vehicle financing.

From 1942, the company ventured into typewriters. In 1944, Rajagopal Naidu’s son M.R. Pratap joined the business and was tasked with overseeing the marketing, including the sale of cars, trucks, and typewriters. In 1947, following India’s independence and the cessation of imports, M.R. Pratap turned his focus to typewriter marketing and took the initiative to begin manufacturing typewriters in India. The typewriters were produced in collaboration with the Swedish company Facit AB and were branded as HALDA. They came in 23 different vernacular languages. Apart from typewriters, M.R. Pratap was the first to make calculators and adding machines in collaboration with Facit AB.

Interestingly, Engine Valves Limited, one of the Chennai-based Rane Group’s earliest ventures into manufacturing, had actually been started by the Rayala Group. Rajagopal Naidu’s early death caused the project to slow down, and it was sold to L.L. Narayanan of Rane.