CEO expects India's economic growth to support consistent volume growth, with a strong push for influencer marketing across the country.
Fernando Fernandez CEO, Unilever announced that the company will increase investments significantly in India, concentrating on beauty, wellbeing, and personal care products. Speaking at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference 2025, Fernandez said India and the US will receive disproportionate investments as part of Unilever's growth strategy.
Fernandez emphasized that Unilever will not spend on mergers or acquisitions outside India and the US, showing strong confidence in these markets. He also highlighted the appointment of Priya Nair as the new Managing Director and CEO of Hindustan Unilever (HUL). Fernandez praised Nair's deep understanding of India and her global leadership experience, calling her a critical leader for HUL's future.
In addition to Nair, Unilever has strengthened its leadership by bringing in Rajneet Kohli, CEO of Britannia Industries, and Niranjan Gupta, CFO from Hero MotoCorp, to lead key positions at HUL. Fernandez expressed strong confidence in the new leadership team's ability to drive growth.
On India's economic outlook, Fernandez expects real GDP growth of 5-6 percent and believes HUL's volume growth will align with this over the long term. In the short term, the company aims to maintain steady growth, as seen in the recent quarter where HUL achieved 4 percent volume growth. Fernandez also noted positive economic factors such as government stimulus and food deflation, which have increased disposable incomes for millions of Indians.
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Fernandez further shared an ambitious plan to expand influencer marketing in India. He aims to have at least one influencer in every ZIP code across the country. Currently, HUL works with 12,000 influencers out of India's 15,000 ZIP codes, highlighting the company's push to reach consumers more personally and effectively.
With these moves, Unilever is set to strengthen its presence and growth in the Indian market while focusing on innovation and consumer engagement.