New Delhi: British consumer goods company Unilever Plc has reiterated its commitment to India, describing the country as one of its most important growth markets and signalling plans to introduce more premium brands as consumer demand develops.
Speaking at the 2026 dbAccess Global Consumer Conference, Unilever Global Chief Executive Officer Fernando Fernandez said India would remain central to the company’s long-term strategy.
“We got late into the Chinese party; we will not get late into the Indian party,” Fernandez said.
India is Unilever’s second-largest market globally by turnover after the United States.
Fernandez said the company has built a portfolio of premium and super-premium brands that could be introduced in India as market conditions evolve.
“We now have a portfolio of super premium brands that will travel into India at the right time when the markets develop,” he said.
Discussing the performance of Unilever’s Home Care and Personal Care (HPC) business, Fernandez said the segment recorded average growth of 5.4% over the past three years, compared with a turnover-weighted category average of 4.6%.
He added that the company achieved volume growth of 2.5% during the period, ahead of competitors’ average growth of 0.3%.
“Volume growth is the metric that we care about the most. We will defend our units and we will defend our tonnages,” Fernandez said.
Referring to competition in the Indian laundry market, he said a rival company reduced prices by 17% last year.
“It took us 15 minutes to match,” Fernandez said, adding that the company’s India business continued to deliver double-digit growth despite pricing pressures.
According to Fernandez, Unilever’s gross margin expanded by 290 basis points over the last three years, while underlying operating margin increased by 170 basis points.
Unilever operates in India through Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), which reported revenue of Rs 65,219 crore for the financial year ended 31 March 2026.