Indian FMCG braces for fresh 3-7% price hikes as raw material costs surge in H1 FY27

Systematix Research flags 8-10% input cost inflation hitting F&B and HPC players, with palm oil up 11%, Brent crude up 32% and HDPE packaging up 56%. Companies expected to lift prices and trim grammage to defend margins, with gross margins already contracting ~50 bps YoY.

— Source publishedThu, 28 May, 2026, 09:24 IST·First seen Thu, 28 May, 2026, 09:29 IST·Source BL · Consumer & Economy

What happened

Indian FMCG sector · Systematix Research warns Indian F&B and HPC companies will likely raise prices further and cut grammage in H1 FY27 to offset 8-10% raw

Key facts

  • 3-7% price hikes
  • 8-10% raw material cost rise
  • palm oil +11%
  • Brent crude +32%
  • HDPE +56%
  • gross margin contraction ~50 bps YoY

Why this matters

Stressed mid-tier FMCG players squeezed by 8-10% input inflation and limited pricing power become attractive bolt-on targets—screen for brands with strong equity but sub-scale procurement leverage.