Haleon plc (formerly GSK Consumer Healthcare), which makes Sensodyne toothpaste and Centrum supplements, is investing Rs 2,000 crore (£175 million) to set up its first manufacturing plant in India, Pithampur (Madhya Pradesh), sharpening its focus on India, now among the world’s fastest growing consumer healthcare markets.The $14.55 billion healthcare maker is also flying its global board to India for the first time this week.Haleon global CEO Brian McNamara called India ‘a bright spot amid global headwinds’ at a media roundtable.“India is a key strategic market for Haleon and an important driver of our long-term growth,” McNamara said, adding that the investment underscores the importance of one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer health markets.Haleon, which also sells Iodex pain relief and Crocin tablets,has all along outsourced its production in India from third-party contract manufacturers.The plant will manufacture mainly oral-health products under the company’s Sensodyne franchise.Kedar Lele, chief executive officer, India and President India Subcontinent, said the local manufacturing will aid “the company’s ambition to reach one billion more consumers by 2030, which includes 300 million in India”.The facility is expected to be operational by 2029–30, enabling the India unit of the British consumer healthcare maker, to meet growing demand across domestic and international markets.The company said the greenfield facility will also cater to key export markets across Asia, in addition to locally manufacturing.HUL, which had merged with GSK Consumer Healthcare in 2020 by acquiring Horlicks and Boost, had spun off GSK as an independent global consumer healthcare business two years later to create Haleon as an independent company.