Unilever CEO says India investment will continue as HUL targets high-single-digit growth
Fernando Fernandez said Unilever will keep investing in India, its second-largest market, to protect leadership. HUL expects high-single-digit growth in coming quarters after reporting 5% volume growth and 10% value growth in Q1 FY27.
What happened
Hindustan Unilever · Unilever CEO Fernando Fernandez said the company will keep investing in India, its second-largest market, to defend leadership. HUL expects
Key facts
- High-single-digit growth expected in coming quarters
- Profit growth expected to slightly outpace revenue growth
- Q1 FY27 volume growth: 5%
- Q1 FY27 value growth: 10%
- India is Unilever's second-largest market
Why this matters
Unilever’s commitment to India suggests continued appetite for local capability-building, making scalable brands, digital channels and supply-chain partnerships strategically relevant targets.
What to watch
- HUL quarterly volume growth holding at or above 5% and whether value growth remains near double digits.
- Advertising and promotion spending trends relative to sales, indicating whether growth is becoming more expensive to sustain.
- Gross-margin movement from palm oil, crude derivatives, packaging and currency fluctuations.
- Rural-versus-urban demand trends, especially in mass personal care, home care and foods categories.
- Market-share performance against large FMCG peers, regional brands and quick-commerce-led challengers.
- Management commentary on price hikes, grammage changes, premium portfolio mix and quick-commerce contribution.
- Increase investment behind high-frequency categories, premium formats and rural distribution expansion.
- Accelerate e-commerce, quick-commerce and direct digital shelf execution to defend discovery and repeat purchase.
- Prioritize localized innovation and smaller-price-pack offerings to capture value-conscious consumers without abandoning premiumization.
- Use Unilever’s India investment commitment to expand manufacturing, supplier capability, data infrastructure and talent capacity.
- Maintain selective pricing while shifting growth messaging toward volume, market-share resilience and category development.