CEO Fernando Fernandez said the company is determined not to miss the opportunity presented by India’s expanding consumer base and plans to introduce more premium brands as the market matures
British multinational consumer packaged goods company Unilever Plc is sharpening its focus on India, describing the country as a key growth market where it intends to build on its strong performance and expand its premium product portfolio as consumer demand evolves.“We got late into the Chinese party; we will not get late into the Indian party,” Unilever Global Chief Executive Officer Fernando Fernandez said, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to the Indian market.India is Unilever’s second-largest market globally by turnover, just behind the United States.“We now have a portfolio of super premium brands that will travel into India at the right time when the markets develop,” Fernandez told investors during the 2026 edition of the dbAccess Global Consumer Conference on Tuesday.Premiumisation and growth strategyHighlighting the performance of Unilever’s Home Care and Personal Care (HPC) business, he said the segment has delivered average growth of 5.4 per cent over the last three years, compared with a turnover-weighted category average of 4.6 per cent.More importantly, the company has achieved volume growth of 2.5 per cent during the period, significantly ahead of competitors’ average growth of 0.3 per cent, he added.“Volume growth is the metric that we care about the most. We will defend our units and we will defend our tonnages,” Fernandez said, underscoring the company’s renewed focus on volumes as a key performance indicator.Focus on market share and volumesHe cited an example from the Indian laundry market, where a rival company cut prices by 17 per cent last year.“It took us 15 minutes to match,” Fernandez said, adding that despite the aggressive pricing environment, Unilever’s India business continues to register double-digit growth.Margin expansion and profitabilityThe company has also delivered strong profitability improvements, with gross margin expanding by 290 basis points and underlying operating margin increasing by 170 basis points over the last three years, outperforming the broader sector, he said.Unilever Plc operates in India through HUL, which reported revenue of Rs 65,219 crore for the financial year ended March 31, 2026.Published on June 2, 2026
