MUMBAI: A swadeshi SIM card! Well, that was just waiting to happen, if we discount the other telecom services in India. So, after a slew of FMCG products, comes the co-branded service from Patanjali group, of course with a government-controlled telecom operator as a partner: swadeshi samridhhi (national prosperity) SIM card.

Speaking at the launch, Patanjali’s Baba Ramdev cited the “welfare of the country” as a motif of the alliance with BSNL. However, Patanjali fans need to hold their horses for now because at the initial phase only the employees and office bearers of Patanjali will be able to avail the benefits of the SIM card.

"Patanjali's plan is BSNL's best plan. In Rs 144, one can make unlimited calls from any part of the country. We are giving 2 GB data pack, 100 SMSes. The members of Patanjali have to just show their identity and their SIM will be activated," BSNL chief general manager Sunil Garg said.

After full-fledged launch, the ‘Swadeshi Samridhhi’ card will have its own perks including 10 per cent off on Patanjali products. More importantly, it comes with medical and life insurance covers of Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh ( subject to a number of conditions), respectively.

While in Goafest 2018, Baba Ramdev revealed Patanjali’s plan to venture in the dairy sector and mineral water, this move was definitely an unexpected one. After competing with international FMCG brands, it is ready to take on bigger companies in an industry which is expected to be worth over Rs 14 trillion by 2020. However, FMCG and telcos being entirely two different sectors the future course in one is hard to predict the success in the other.