Unilever vows not to miss India's premium boom; HUL to import Hourglass, Nutrafol, K18

CEO Fernandez calls India the group's largest exponential growth opportunity, pledging to avoid the premium-beauty miss it suffered in China. HUL, where premium already contributes 33% of revenue, is targeting a 50% premium share by importing super-premium brands across prestige beauty and wellness.

— Source publishedTue, 2 Jun, 2026, 20:21 IST·First seen Tue, 2 Jun, 2026, 20:52 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

Hindustan Unilever · Unilever CEO Fernandez says India is the group's largest exponential growth opportunity, vowing not to repeat its China premium-beauty

Key facts

  • 16% of group revenue
  • 33% premium share at HUL
  • 50% premium share target
  • 22% US business
  • 40% prestige international

Why this matters

Expect Unilever to accelerate bolt-on prestige beauty and wellness M&A or licensing deals tailored for India entry, opening partnership and acquisition windows across indie premium brands.