HUL posts 6% net profit growth in Q1 as commodity deflation aids margins 

The company’s EBITDA margin declined 130 basis points year-on-year to 22.8 per cent
| Photo Credit:
DANISH SIDDIQUI

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) reported broad-based growth in the June quarter, aided by commodity price deflation, brand relaunches and stronger demand across urban and rural markets. The company said that the growth was led by a revival in Home Care, Beauty & Wellbeing, and Foods, supported by innovations and premium extensions.

“Encouraged by favourable macro-economic indicators, we strategically stepped up our investments to advance our portfolio transformation agenda this quarter. As a result, we delivered competitive, broad-based growth,” said Chief Financial Officer Ritesh Tiwari.

Performance was buoyed by strong rural recovery alongside gradual urban improvement. “Overall as we mentioned that markets have improved and gradual recovery has happened for urban, it has also happened for rural. It is just that rural is a little ahead of urban in terms of recovery. The informal rural and the informal urban sectors are resilient and are getting better,” the management noted.

Consolidated net profit rose to ₹2,768 crore from ₹2,612 crore a year ago, while revenue increased to ₹16,323 crore from ₹15,532 crore on underlying 4 per cent volume growth. Margins were at 22.8 per cent, lower year-on-year as the company “stepped up investments across different lines of the P&L.”

On market competition, CEO Rohit Jawa emphasized the growth potential, “This is not a zero-sum game. It’s a market that is underpenetrated and per capita consumption is low across all categories. So, therefore, there’s many, many more years of growth in the market.”

Regarding digital channels, Jawa highlighted the company’s strong performance “We are getting market shares both in modern trade retail and in e-commerce. And, of course, we are also doing very handsomely in quick commerce as well. He added that consumer shopping behavior is evolving: Consumers, shoppers are becoming omnichannel. As there are more options for people to buy, people are buying for different shopping missions across different channels.”

Growth was also underpinned by new launches and relaunches across categories. Home Care volumes rose on the back of Surf Excel and Vim Pro Clean Liquids. Beauty & Wellbeing was lifted by Ponds, Vaseline and Simple, while Health & Wellbeing surged as OZiva tripled turnover. The company also expanded its premium portfolio with the launch of Nexxus haircare and the Lakmē Retinol range. In Personal Care, premium soap bars and body washes saw double-digit growth, while Liril and Dove Serum Bar were relaunched with upgraded formats.

In Foods, tea and coffee sustained double-digit momentum, while Packaged Foods and Ice Cream contributed to volume-led growth. The company also extended its nutrition portfolio with Boost Protein, formulated for adults, marking a significant brand extension from the iconic Boost line.

HUL further strengthened its presence in high-growth demand spaces through acquisitions, completing the purchase of skincare brand Minimalist and scaling up OZiva in plant nutrition.

Looking ahead, management said it expects the gradual recovery to be sustained, supported by its ASPIRE strategy to sharpen innovation, expand in channels of the future, and accelerate premiumisation.

This was Jawa’s final earnings call as CEO, with Priya Nair set to take over the leadership role. Reflecting on his 37-year Unilever journey, Jawa said he felt “grateful” and “fulfilled” after leading eight markets including China and India. “How many people can count as having been leader of China and India in one career,” he noted.

On stepping down, Jawa said: “I feel I need to do something different now in my second half of my career.” He praised successor Nair as “the perfect casting for this time,” highlighting her three decades of experience and global beauty leadership role. “All in all, grateful and excited about the future,” he concluded.

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Published on July 31, 2025