HUL trims permanent staff 8.6% to 7,499 in FY26 as demand stays sluggish
Hindustan Unilever cut its permanent workforce by 8.6% to 7,499 and workers by 5.3% to 17,490 in FY26, against just 5% sales growth and flat PAT. New MD Priya Nair is leaning on premiumisation and volume-led growth, with Lakme Lever (+11% to Rs 386 cr) and Oziva (+80% to Rs 462 cr) outperforming the core.
What happened
Hindustan Unilever · HUL cut permanent staff 8.6% to 7,499 and workers 5.3% to 17,490 in FY26 amid sluggish demand, 5% sales growth and flat PAT. New MD Priya
Key facts
- 8.6% permanent workforce cut
- 7,499 employees
- 5.3% worker decline
- 17,490 workers
- 5% sales growth
- 6.1% median pay hike
- Rs 18.19 crore MD pay
- Lakme Lever Rs 386 cr (+11%)
- Oziva Rs 462 cr (+80%)
Why this matters
HUL's outsized growth in premium/D2C-origin brands like Oziva validates bolt-on acquisitions in wellness and prestige beauty as the cheapest route to volume-led re-rating in a stagnant core.