The company is also trying to deepen category usage itself by encouraging more frequent brushing, especially in rural India
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The Hindu
Colgate-Palmolive India is sharpening its growth strategy around premium oral care, preventive products and digital-led execution as it seeks to move beyond its mass-market toothpaste base. The company’s latest investor presentation shows a clear push to widen its portfolio across whitening, gum care, premium toothbrushes and science-backed oral-health products.Management said one of its core strategic pillars is to “transformatively accelerate oral care premiumisation,” alongside efforts to lead toothpaste category growth and expand overall oral-care consumption. It also said the company has a “strong foundation in place to drive consistent long-term growth,” backed by premiumisation, technology and brand investment.A key part of the strategy is the shift toward higher-value products rather than dependence on mass toothpaste volumes. Colgate is positioning brands such as Colgate Total, Visible White and Periogard around preventive care, whitening and gum-care needs, with an emphasis on stronger consumer stickiness and pricing power.Higher-value ProductsThe company said it is increasing investments behind higher-value oral-care categories while leveraging what it described as “best-in-class oral health technology.” Its presentation cited dual zinc-arginine technology in Colgate Total, clinical superiority claims in Strong Teeth and growing traction in specialist gum-care products as part of its science-backed differentiation strategy.Colgate is also extending its push into adjacent categories such as premium toothbrushes. The aim, in effect, is to raise its share of wallet within the oral-care basket rather than rely only on toothpaste growth.Brand authority remains central to the approach. Internal brand-health measures showed improvement in “dentist recommended” and “best oral care expert” scores in FY26, underlining Colgate’s effort to strengthen expert-led positioning around its premium portfolio.Consumption OpportunityThe company is also trying to deepen category usage itself by encouraging more frequent brushing, especially in rural India. Colgate said more than half of rural Indians still do not brush daily, pointing to a large consumption opportunity in a category that still has room to grow through habits, not just market-share gains.To address this, the company has been running behavioural-change programmes aimed at increasing brushing frequency and oral-health awareness in rural India. Its rural Uttar Pradesh pilot showed improvement in twice-daily brushing behaviour, while the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures initiative now reaches more than 10 million children annually across over 35,000 schools.Digital InvestmentsDigital channels are emerging as another important lever. Colgate said premium products are scaling faster online, while management indicated that digital channels deliver margins above company averages, making e-commerce both a distribution and profitability driver.The company is also using AI and machine-learning tools to improve assortment planning, retailer execution, premium shelf visibility and inventory management as it strengthens distribution quality alongside premium expansion. Its presentation also highlighted the addition of more than two lakh retail outlets during 2025.Colgate’s strong margin profile continues to give it room to invest aggressively behind brand building, technology and category expansion.Broader BetThe broader challenge will be balancing premium growth with affordability in a price-sensitive market where regional and ayurvedic competitors remain active in the mass segment.The company’s broader bet is that India’s next oral-care growth cycle will come less from selling more toothpaste and more from increasing consumption frequency, premium adoption and preventive-care usage.Published on May 22, 2026
