Hindustan Unilever

Hindustan Unilever Ltd

Type

Public company BSE: 500696

Industry

Fast Moving Consumer Goods FMCG)

Founded

1933

Headquarters Mumbai, India

Key people

Harish Manwani (Chairman), Nitin Paranjpe(CEO and Managing Director)

Products

Home & Personal Care, Food & Beverages

Revenue

19,987.14 crore (US$4.46 billion) (2010-2011) [1]

Net income

2,305.97 crore (US$514.23 million)

Employees

Over 65,000 direct & indirect employees

Parent

Unilever Plc (52%)

Website

www.hul.co.in

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) (BSE: 500696) is India's largest fast moving consumer goods company owned by the European company Unilever. TheAnglo-Dutch company Unilever owns a 52% majority stake. HUL was formed in 1933 as Lever Brothers India Limited and came into being in 1956 as Hindustan Lever Limited through a merger of Lever Brothers, Hindustan Vanaspati Mfg. Co. Ltd. and United Traders Ltd. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Indiaand has an employee strength of over 15,000 employees and contributes to indirect employment of over 52,000 people. The company was renamed in June 2007 as Hindustan Unilever Limited. Hindustan Unilever's distribution covers over 1 million retail outlets across India directly and its products are available in over 6.3 million outlets in the country, nearly 80% of all retail outlets in India. The company claims that two out of three Indians use its many home and personal care products, food and beverages.[2]

Brands

HUL is the market leader in Indian consumer products with presence in over 20 consumer categories such as soaps, tea, detergents and shampoos amongst others with over 700 illion Indian consumers using its products. Sixteen of HULs brands featured in the ACNielsen Brand Equity list of 100 Most Trusted Brands Annual Survey (2008).[3] According to Brand Equity, HUL has the largest number of brands in the Most Trusted Brands List. It has consistently had the largest number of brands in the Top 50, and in the Top 10 (with 4 brands). The company has a distribution channel of 6.3 million outlets and owns 35 major Indian brands.[4]Its brands include Kwality Wall's ice cream, Knorr soups & meal makers, Lifebuoy, Lux, Pears, Breeze, Liril, Rexona, Hamam and Moti soaps, Pureit water purifier, Lipton tea, Brooke Bond (3 Roses, Taj Mahal, Taaza, Red Label) tea, Bru coffee, Pepsodent and Close Up toothpaste and brushes, and Surf, Rin and Wheel laundry detergents, Kissan squashes and jams, Annapurna salt and atta, Pond's talcs and creams, Vaseline lotions, Fair and Lovely creams, Lakm beauty products, Clear, Clinic Plus, Clinic All Clear,Sunsilk and Dove shampoos, Vim dishwash, Ala bleach, Domex disinfectant, Modern Bread, Axe deosprays and Comfort fabric softeners.

Leadership
HUL has produced many business leaders for corporate India; one of these, Harish Manwani[5], has become a member of Unilever's Executive (UEx). HUL's leadership-building potential was recognized when it was ranked 4th in the Hewitt Global Leadership Survey 2007 with only GE, P&Gand Nokia ranking ahead of HUL in the ability to produce leaders with such regularity.[6][7][8]

Other awards

HUL is one of the country's largest exporters; it has been recognised as a Golden Super Star Trading House by the Government of India.[2] In 2007, Hindustan Unilever was rated as the most respected company in India for the past 25 years by Businessworld, one of Indias leading business magazines.[9] The rating was based on a compilation of the magazine's annual survey of Indias most reputed companies over the past 25 years. HUL was one of the eight Indian companies to be featured on the Forbes list of Worlds Most Reputed companies in 2007.[10] HUL is the most innovative company in India by Forbes list and 6th in the top 10 list of most innovative companies in the world. [11] HUL was ranked 39th in The Brand Trust Report (2011) published by Trust Research Advisory. Fair and Lovely creams also was listed in the same report.

Research facilities
The Hindustan Unilever Research Centre (HURC) was set up in 1967 in Mumbai, and Unilever Research India in Bangalore in 1997. Staff at these centres developed many innovations in products and manufacturing processes. In 2006, the company's research facilities were brought together at a single site in Bangalore.[12]

Community services
HUL also renders services to the community, focusing on health & hygiene education, empowerment of women, and water management. It is also involved in education and rehabilitation of underprivileged children, care for the destitute and HIV-positive, and rural development. HUL has also responded to national calamities, for instance with relief and rehabilitation after the 2004 tsunami caused devastation in South India.[2] Project Shakti - A Social Initiative[13] In 2001, the company embarked on a programme called Shakti, through which it creates micro-enterprises for rural women. The major objective of this initiave as a whole remains to create livelihood opportunities for underprivileged rural women. The programme is broadly divided into three components:

Shakti Vani Programme

This model recruites village women as sales persons called shakti amma and trains them to communicate and sell HUL products in villages. The idea is to be able to reach those villages which do not have good road connectivity and where the penetration of media is also poor. Shakti Vani also includes awareness programmes on health and hygiene, education, etc.Shakti Vani now covers 15 states in India with over 45,000 women entrepreneurs in 135,000 villages.

Shakti Entreprenuer IShakti

Direct Selling Division

HUL also runs Hindustan Unilever Network (HULN), a direct selling business arm. Under HULN, health products are marketed by Ayush Therapy in collaboration with Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore; beauty products by Aviance; home products by Lever Home; and male grooming by D.I.Y. There are also premium products for beauty salons and others.

Controversy
Mercury pollution
In 2001 a thermometer factory in Kodaikanal run by Hindustan Unilever was accused of dumping glass contaminated with mercury in municipal dumps, or selling it on to scrap merchants unable to deal with it appropriately.[14][15][16]

Skin lightening creams

Hindustan Unilever's "Fair and Lovely" is the leading skin-lightening cream for women in India.[17] The company was forced to withdraw television advertisements for the product in 2007. Advertisements depicted depressed, dark-complexioned women, who had been ignored by employers and men, suddenly finding new boyfriends and glamorous careers after the cream had lightened their skin.[18] In 2008 Hindustan Unilever made former Miss World Priyanka Chopra a brand ambassador for Pond's,[19] and she then appeared in a mini-series of television commercials for another skin lightening product, White Beauty, alongside Saif Ali Khan and Neha Dhupia; these advertisements were widely criticized for perpetuating racism.[20]

Triclosan
Several academic papers have pointed out the firm's continued use of the antibacterial agent Triclosan ('Active B') in India because it is under review by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[21]

Introduction to HUL
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is India's largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods Company with a heritage of over 75 years in India and touches the lives of two out of three Indians.
HUL works to create a better future every day and helps people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. With over 35 brands spanning 20 distinct categories such as soaps, detergents, shampoos, skin care, toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, tea, coffee, packaged foods, ice cream, and water purifiers, the Company is a part of the everyday life of millions of consumers across India. Its portfolio includes leading household brands such as Lux, Lifebuoy, Surf Excel, Rin, Wheel, Fair & Lovely, Ponds, Vaseline, Lakm, Dove, Clinic Plus, Sunsilk, Pepsodent, Closeup, Axe, Brooke Bond, Bru, Knorr, Kissan, Kwality Walls and Pureit.

The Company has over 16,000 employees and has an annual turnover of around Rs.19, 401 crores (financial year 2010 - 2011). HUL is a subsidiary of Unilever, one of the worlds leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong local roots in more than 100 countries across the globe with annual sales of about 44 billion in 2011. Unilever has about 52% shareholding in HUL.

Foods
From yummy ice creams to scrumptious sauces, our food brands can satisfy even the most discerning palates.

Home care
Whether you want fresh, soft clothes or sparklingly clean bathrooms, our home care brands can help

Personal care
In need of hair care heroics? Wanting to relax with a luxurious bath? Our personal care brands have answers to all these questions and more.

Our vision
Unilever products touch the lives of over 2 billion people every day whether that's through feeling great because they've got shiny hair and a brilliant smile, keeping their homes fresh and clean, or by enjoying a great cup of tea, satisfying meal or healthy snack.

A clear direction
The four pillars of our vision set out the long term direction for the company where we want to go and how we are going to get there:

We work to create a better future every day We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. We will inspire people to take small everyday actions that can add up to a big difference for the world. We will develop new ways of doing business with the aim of doubling the size of our company while reducing our environmental impact. We've always believed in the power of our brands to improve the quality of peoples lives and in doing the right thing. As our business grows, so do our responsibilities. We recognise that global challenges such as climate change concern us all. Considering the wider impact of our actions is embedded in our values and is a fundamental part of who we are.

Purpose & principles

Our corporate purpose states that to succeed requires "the highest standards of corporate behaviour towards everyone we work with, the communities we touch, and the environment on which we have an impact."

Always working with integrity

Conducting our operations with integrity and with respect for the many people, organisations and environments our business touches has always been at the heart of our corporate responsibility.

Positive impact
We aim to make a positive impact in many ways: through our brands, our commercial operations and relationships, through voluntary contributions, and through the various other ways in which we engage with society.

Continuous commitment
We're also committed to continuously improving the way we manage our environmental impacts and are working towards our longer-term goal of developing a sustainable business.

Setting out our aspirations

Our corporate purpose sets out our aspirations in running our business. It's underpinned by our code of business Principles which describes the operational standards that everyone at Unilever follows, wherever they are in the world. The code also supports our approach to governance and corporate responsibility.

Working with others

We want to work with suppliers who have values similar to our own and work to the same standards we do. Our Business partner code, aligned to our own Code of business principles, comprises ten principles covering business integrity and responsibilities relating to employees, consumers and the environment.

Food brands
HUL is one of Indias leading food companies. Our passion for understanding what people want and need from their food - and what they love about it - makes our brands a popular choice

Brooke Bond 3 Roses

Playful banter, a little mischief, serious conversation theres no time for young couples like the time spent sharing a cup of 3 Roses.

Annapurna
Partnering with the mom in nurturing her dreams, Annapurna Atta is aimed at helping her provide wholesome tasty nutrition to her family.

Red Label
Brooke Bond Red Label 'Chuskiyaan Zindagi ki'

Brooke Bond Taaza

Brooke Bond Taaza

Brooke Bond Taj Mahal

Brooke Bond Taj Mahal is an exclusive selection of teas for the discerning consumer.

Bru
Bru se hoti hain khushiyaan shuru

Kissan
With Kissan, good food is loved not shoved!

Knorr
Knorr helps families make meal times special, nutritious, tasty and healthy.

Kwality Walls
A good honest scoop of daily pleasure.

Lipton
Lipton has a range of vitality teas that truly encompass the goodness of tea.

Modern
Modern A Wholesome & Nourishing, Hygienically produced & Reliably Safe Bread

Brooke Bond Sehatmand

BB Sehatmand Jo Sehatmand Woh Aage Har Dum!! (One who is healthy is a step ahead. Always)

Personal care brands

Our personal care brands, including Axe, Dove, Lux, Pond's, Rexona and Sunsilk, are recognised and love by consumers across India. They help consumers to look good and feel good and in turn get more out of life.

Aviance
Aviance enables women actualize their unique potential through expert customized beauty solutions.

Axe
Axe with Best Quality Fragrance

LEVER Ayush Therapy

LEVER Ayush aims to help a new generation of Indians rediscover everyday health and vitality through customized Ayurvedic solutions.

Breeze
Breeze, with the goodness of glycerine gives soft, fragrant and smooth skin.

Clear
New Clear with Essential Oils, guarantees Zero dandruff and leaves your hair feeling fabulous.

Clinic Plus
Clinic Plus - makes hair inside strong, outside long!

Closeup
Freshness that brings you Closer

Dove
Dove stands for real beauty. All around the world, Dove is making real women feel more beautiful!

Fair & Lovely

More than 30 years ago, a unique brand was born. Wrapped within a humble lavender tube, it went on to become the Worlds No.1 Fairness cream.

Hamam
Holistic skin care experiences perfected over the ages to deliver healthy, beautiful skin

Lakme
Lakme is an ally to the Indian Woman and inspires her to express her unique beauty and sensuality. Thus, enabling her to realize the potency of her beauty.

Lifebuoy
Lifebuoy is available in multiple variants in soaps and specialist formats such as liquid handwash, catering to the entire family.

Liril 2000
Liril 2000-Now come closer to your loved ones

Lux
Lux For soft and smooth skin!

Pears
Pears the purest and most gentle way to skincare!

Pepsodent
Pepsodent India is committed to improve the overall Oral health of Indians.

Ponds
Get the expert to look after your skin

Rexona
Rexona gives you silky skin irresistible to touch that keeps the romance alive!

Sunsilk
Sunsilk has had a re-style!

Vaseline
Your skin is amazing. It deserves to be treated as such.

Water

Pureit is the worlds most advanced in-home water purifier. Pureit, a breakthrough offering of Hindustan Unilever (HUL), provides complete protection from all water-borne diseases, unmatched convenience and affordability.

Nutrition
We've created policies and guidelines to ensure we always act responsibly when it comes to health and nutrition.

Acting responsibly
Millions of people around the world enjoy the foods and drinks we create. So the ingredients we use, the formulations, and the way we advertise and market our brands can potentially make a big impact on global health. We aim to act responsibly and have a strong nutrition policy. We've also developed a carefully considered approach to health and nutrition which includes:

encouraging a balanced diet with the right amount of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals developing a growing range of low fat, low sugar, low calorie alternatives, plus more 'active health' products marketing responsibility our foods and beverages and helping to reduce over-consumption helping people understand the nutritional benefits of our products creating products that reflect the fact that people will only eat foods that they enjoy having sound specific evidence underpinning all our claims making significant contributions to researching the relationship on nutrition and health, such as the effects of good fats (unsalted fats), fruits & vegetables and vitamins and minerals

Clear communication
We've also developed a set of marketing principles to ensure we're always 'honest, decent and truthful' in our communication which include special principles on advertising to children. As well as excluding anything that appears to condone over-consumption in our marketing, we also prohibit anything that undermines the promotion of healthy, balanced diets and lifestyles, or misrepresents snacks as meals. We will also make sure that any claims made in our marketing about any of our products are supported by scientific evidence. Under our principles for marketing to children, we ensure our advertisements don't convey misleading messages, don't undermine parental influence, don't encourage pester power, don't suggest time or price pressure, don't encourage unhealthy dietary habits, and don't blur the boundary between promotion and content. In addition, as well as supporting the development of international self-regulatory codes for all marketing and advertising, we recently agreed to voluntarily restrict all paid marketing communications (with the exception of packaging) directed primarily at children under the age of six years.

We believe that by putting these principles in place, we're not only doing the right thing, but we're being proactive through voluntary self-regulation instead of simply reacting to external pressures.

Company structure
Hindustan Unilever Limited is India's largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company. It is present in Home & Personal Care and Foods & Beverages categories. HUL has about 15,000 employees, including over 1400 managers
The fundamental principle determining the organisation structure is to infuse speed and flexibility in decision-making and implementation, with empowered managers across the companys nationwide operations.

Board of Directors
The Board of Directors as repositories of the corporate powers act as a guardian to the Company as also the protectors of shareholders interest.

Management Committee
The day-to-day management of affairs of the Company is vested with the Management Committee which is subjected to the overall superintendence and control of the Board.

Executive directors
The Executive directors are members of the HUL Management Committee as well as the Board of HUL.

Mr. Nitin Paranjpe - CEO and Managing Director

Mr. Nitin Paranjpe (46), after obtaining a degree in BE (Mechanical) and MBA in Marketing (JBIMS) from Mumbai, joined the Company as a management trainee in 1987.

Mr. R. Sridhar - Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Sridhar Ramamurthy (45) is a Chartered Accountant (Gold Medallist) as well as a Cost Accountant and Company Secretary.

Mr. Gopal Vittal - Executive Director, Home & Personal Care

Mr. Gopal Vittal (42), an alumnus of Madras Christian College, completed his MBA from IIM, Calcutta. Mr. Vittal has 18 years experience in Marketing & Sales in FMCG market including Skin Care, Soaps and Laundry.

Mr Pradeep Banerjee - Executive Director, Supply Chain

Mr Pradeep Banerjee (51) joined HUL as a Management Trainee in 1980.

Non-executive directors
The Company has Non-Executive Chairman and four Non-Executive Independent Directors

Mr. Harish Manwani - Chairman

Mr. Harish Manwani (57) assumed charge as the Non-Executive Chairman of the Company with effect from 1st July, 2005.

Mr. D. S. Parekh - Independent Director

Mr. D. S. Parekh (64), is a B.Com graduate and holds a FCA degree from England and Wales. Mr. Parekh has held senior positions in Grindlays and Chase Manhattan.

Mr. A. Narayan - Independent Director

Mr. A. Narayan (57), joined ICI India as a Management Trainee in 1973 and grew through diverse functions and businesses before being appointed as the Managing Director of ICI India in 1996.

Mr. S. Ramadorai - Independent Director

Mr. S. Ramadorai (64), is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services Limited; Chairman of Tata Technologies Limited and Chairman of CMC Limited.

Dr. R. A. Mashelkar - Independent Director

Dr. R. A. Mashelkar (66), is presently the President of Global Research Alliance, a network of publicly funded R&D institutes from Asia-Pacific Europe and USA.

Management Committee
The day-to-day management of affairs of the Company is vested with the Management Committee which is subjected to the overall superintendence and control of the Board.
The Management Committee is headed by Mr. Nitin Paranjpe and has functional heads as its members representing various functions of the Company

Mr. Nitin Paranjpe - CEO and Managing Director

Mr. Nitin Paranjpe (48) joined the Company as a Management Trainee in 1987. In his early years in the Company, Mr. Paranjpe worked as Area Sales Manager - Detergents and then Product Manager - Detergents.

Mr. R. Sridhar - Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Sridhar Ramamurthy (46) joined the Company in 1989 and worked in a number of finance and commercial roles in India till December 2002 spanning Internal Audit, Factory Commercial, Post-acquisition Integration of TOMCO with HLL, Supply Chain and Corporate Accounts.

Mr. Gopal Vittal - Executive Director, Home & Personal Care

Mr. Gopal Vittal (44) has 21 years experience in Marketing & Sales in the FMCG market, including Skin Care, Soaps and Laundry.

Mr. Hemant Bakshi - Executive Director

Mr. Hemant Bakshi (44) joined the Company in June 1989 and has worked in various sales and marketing assignments spanning across Personal Products and Home Care categories.

Mr Pradeep Banerjee - Executive Director, Supply Chain

Mr. Pradeep Banerjee (52) joined the Company as a Management Trainee in 1980.

Ms. Leena Nair - Executive Director, HR

Ms. Leena (40) is an Electronic Engineer who discovered her passion for people and HR and switched lanes. She is a gold medalist and MBA in HR from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

Mr Dev Bajpai Executive Director, Legal and Company Secretary

Mr Dev Bajpai (44) is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and has a law degree from University of Delhi.

Unilever Sustainable Living Plan

Visit the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan website in related links.

Small Actions. Big Difference.

Our Sustainable Living Plan aims to help everyone enjoy a good quality of life while respecting the planet. We have set ourselves three big goals to achieve by 2020:

Halve the environmental footprint of our products Help more than 1 billion people take action to improve their health and well-being Source 100% of our agricultural raw materials sustainably For more information visit our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan website or download our brochure in related links

Sustainability Strategy
We have a long-standing set of values and principles that guides our behaviour. These values underpin our approach to sustainability.
We have always been a business driven by a strong set of values. Today those values are as important as ever. We now know that the well-being of society and the environment is critical to our ability to grow.

Sustainability Strategy
Sustainability is central to our business strategy.

Engaging with our stakeholders

Engagement ensures we are listening to and addressing the right issues in the right way.

Governance
Our strategy is supported by company-wide governance and management structures.

Commitments
Our commitment to sustainability and responsible business practice.

External commentary
External comments we have received on our sustainability strategy.

Our Sustainability strategy

Unilevers vision is to double the size of its business while reducing the overall impact on environment. This new vision recognises that the world is changing, populations are growing and the rise in incomes is fuelling a growth in the demand for consumer products. Products like ours rely on an increasingly constrained set of natural resources, whether it is fuel, water, or other raw materials.
In Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), the principle of Corporate Responsibility (CR) is an integral part of our commitment to all our stakeholders consumers, customers, employees, the environment and the society that we operate in. Today, India is battling multiple issues like water scarcity, poverty, and problems arising out of low awareness of health, hygiene, and nutrition. If these issues are not addressed soon, they will create insurmountable barriers to business growth. We believe that helping society prosper and ensuring a sustainable future for the planet goes hand in hand with our goal of ensuring growth that is competitive, profitable, and sustainable for our organisation. Our contributions have to be substantial and sustainable, which is why we are not just banking on our philanthropic programmes, but are transforming our core business practices as well. Even the seemingly small innovations in our brands and business processes can lead to a big difference in society as we touch the lives of two out of every three Indians.* For example, if one household uses Surf Excel detergent, it can conserve two buckets of water per wash. A million Indian households using Surf Excel can save enough water for meeting the basic hygiene needs of many Indians. Thus, small individual actions multiplied with our large consumer base will make a big difference in combating the issues society faces.

We will further demonstrate that successful business strategies are driven by responsible business practices. The key to this approach is developing a CR framework which integrates the social, economic, and environmental agenda with our business priorities growing markets, maintaining the competitive edge, enjoying goodwill in the communities we operate in, and building trust and an exceptional reputation. Hence, in the future, the three cornerstones for CR integration with business at HUL will be: - Growing markets responsibly: We will address issues related to hygiene and nutrition through product innovations and awareness. Gathering information about the concerns expressed by consumers, communities, and stakeholders can help us identify opportunities for innovation at the category, brand, and marketing plan level. We have a very strong and trusted position in India and we can leverage this to our competitive advantage. - Ensuring sustainable practices in our operations: To secure a thriving future, we need to establish sustainable sources for raw materials. Being a company that is heavily dependent on water, agriculture, fuels and petrochemicals, we must plan now for a future in which water could be scarce, agriculture could be under pressure, and fuels will be expensive. Our consumers add up to two-thirds of the Indian population, hence addressing sustainability issues is a high priority. - Building a good reputation through responsible leadership: CR is one of the key components of reputation and trust. A good reputation can be a major competitive advantage and can build employer brand and consumer loyalty.

Engaging with our stakeholders

Listening to others and learning from our stakeholders informs our decision-making, strengthens our relationships and helps us succeed as a business.

Stakeholder engagement for identifying issues that are material to us:

We appointed SustainAbility International to conduct stakeholder engagement on our behalf. They analysed and assimilated the expectations of stakeholders regarding issues that matter to them. These expectations were similar to the areas identified by us, where HUL's contribution could create a significant impact.

Scoping the areas for intervention

While the issues are many, it is necessary to address them in a systematic manner to make a real difference. Instead of spreading thin across all issues, we have chosen to work on five areas to ensure a deep impact. These areas have been arrived at using the output from our stakeholder engagement process and areas which we are poised to address through our business.

Key messages from stakeholders

- Target. Allocate resources. Achieve those targets. This is more critical than just being visible & talking about it. - We feel that some Indian companies can be leaders in their respective sectors. HUL has the potential to be such a leader. - Invest for your markets don't do social work, it isn't your ballgame. - Please make money out of it. When you make money out of it, things are going to change.

Governance
We aim to have strong governance structures in place to manage our social and environmental responsibilities carefully and thoughtfully.
Corporate Responsibility at HUL is led by the CEO and the Management Committee (MC) of the company. The MC governs the sustainability strategy with a view of key strategic approaches and seeks reports on impacts and efforts against clear targets. Each of the nine cells (in the daigram shown in Sustainability strategy section) is owned by an MC member. For the execution of the strategy there is a team of 12 Sustainability Governing Council (SGC) members based on their respective functions.

Sustainability Governing Council

The Sustainability Governing Council is responsible for:

Recommending sustainability priorities for approval by the MC and monitoring its progress Recommending HUL's positions on critical issues for approval by MC Receiving stakeholder feedback The role of the SGC is formalised, with a clear mandate and terms of reference outlining its mission, purpose, membership, meeting schedule, and reporting systems.

External commentary
We shared our sustainability strategy with leading external experts from diverse backgrounds. Below you can read their comments on our sustainability strategy.

View of leading external experts on HULs sustainability strategy

The long-term strategy and roadmap provides a comprehensive approach towards meeting future sustainability challenges, especially with respect to resources such as water and energy. - Shirish Sinha, Head Climate Change & Energy Programme, WWF We are happy with the focus on linking the business processes with corporate responsibility. Social impact has to be central to business processes, which is brought about by HUL's strategy. Corporate responsibility via business strategies is the way forward. - Ibrahim H. Rehman, Director, Social Transformation Division, TERI The tying up of your strategic threads is excellent. Ensure that you carry it through action! - George C. Varughese, President, Development Enterprises, Development Alternatives

Competition
Name Last Price Market Cap. Sales Net Profit

Tot

(Rs. cr.)

HUL Dabur India Godrej Consumer Colgate Marico Gillette India Emami P and G Godrej Ind Bajaj Corp Jyothy Labs Amar Remedies JHS Svendgaard GKB Ophthalmics Balance Sheet

331.15 102.70 414.55 983.05 145.45 2,048.55 435.95 1,925.20 191.90 119.15 164.90 109.10 32.90 37.40

71,557.29 17,890.83 13,414.43 13,368.77 8,942.71 6,675.24 6,596.44 6,249.34 6,095.22 1,757.46 1,329.62 285.45 56.09 15.53

Turnover 19,333.30 3,287.67 2,442.64 2,296.86 2,353.71 1,056.86 1,221.15 1,000.25 1,145.84 359.44 608.02 578.01 85.42 -

2,305.97 471.43 434.96 402.58 315.33 86.15 227.49 150.88 133.43 84.10 80.27 38.05 6.07 -

------------------- in Rs. Cr. ------------------HUL Mar '11 Dabur India Mar '11 Godrej Consumer Mar '11 Colgate Mar '11

Sources Of Funds Total Share Capital Equity Share Capital Share Application Money Preference Share Capital Reserves Revaluation Reserves 215.95 215.95 0.00 0.00 2,417.30 0.67 174.07 174.07 0.00 0.00 927.09 0.00 32.36 32.36 0.00 0.00 1,501.32 0.00 13.60 13.60 0.00 0.00 370.45 0.00

Hindustan Unilever Limited March Quarter 2010 Results

25/05/2010 :
Double-digit volume growth drives 8% turnover growth in MQ2010 MQ2010 Net Profit grows 47 % due to exceptional gains; PBT (bei) maintained Full Year Domestic Consumer business grows 9%; Operating Margin up 10 bps; Net Profit up 4% Final Dividend recommended Rs 3.50 per share; full year dividend Rs 6.50,up from Rs 6.00 per share for previous 12 months. Mumbai, May 25th 2010: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) announced its results for March Quarter 2010 and financial year ending on 31st March 2010. In the quarter, Domestic Consumer and FMCG business grew 8%, driven by strong 11% volume growth. Growth was broad based across Home and Personal Care (HPC) and Foods and in aggregate, ahead of reported market growth. HPC business grew 5.5% during the quarter, with strong volume growth in Soaps, Laundry Powders and Personal Products. Amidst heightened competitive intensity in the Laundry category, proactive and decisive actions were implemented and these helped deliver double digit volume growth in both Rin and Wheel powder. Portfolio rejuvenation in Personal Wash category has yielded positive results with robust volume growth in the premium and popular segment. Personal Products grew 19%,delivering strong volume growth for the fourth successive quarter. All segments including Hair, Oral and Skin care registered robust volume growth. Leadership in Shampoo segment was further strengthened, driven by

innovations behind Dove and Clinic Plus; Dove Dandruff therapy was launched. In Oral, toothpaste growth was ahead of market, with both Pepsodent and Close-up growing double digit. In Skin care, sales growth was well ahead of market with continued focus on market development and expansion into new segments of the future. A significant entry into the male grooming segment was made through the launch of Vaseline Menz. The Facial cleansing portfolio was expanded, driven by multiple variants under Dove, Ponds, Pears and Lakme. Market share improved in the fast growing premium fairness and anti ageing segment. Foods business grew at 18% largely driven by volume. All segments in Foods viz Tea, Coffee, Processed Foods and Ice creams have grown in double digit. The Tea portfolio now straddles the consumer pyramid with the launch of nutritional tea Brooke Bond Sehatmand in the mass segment. Knorr soupy noodles heralded our entry into the attractive noodles market, with a unique offering combining the taste of noodles with the health of soup. Kissan and Annapurna brands continued their strong growth. Icecream grew 22% led by strong innovations for the summer season. Swirls parlours continue to offer a unique Ice Cream consumption experience with 100 parlours now in operation nationally. Pure-it continued its strong growth momentum. During the quarter, Pure-it Compact was launched at an attractive price of Rs 1000. This innovation makes Pure-it accessible to a larger group of consumers without any compromise to the standard of water purity. Superior cost management reduced cost of goods sold by 80 bps, driven by cost savings and buying efficiencies. New innovations, entry into new segments and competitive brand support led to A&P expenditure increasing by 320 bps to 14.5% of sales. PBIT was broadly maintained while PBIT margin was lower. PAT (bei) declined by 7.6% due to higher tax. Net Profits improved by 47.1% due to exceptional gains during the quarter. In FY 2010, Domestic Consumer business grew 8.6%. PBIT margins have improved by 10 bps, despite A&P investment increasing by 330 bps to 13.6%. Underlying PAT (bei) was up by 3% and Net Profit up by 4.1%. The Board proposed a final dividend of Rs 3.50 per share for the financial year ending March 31, 2010, subject to approval of the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting. Together with interim dividend of Rs 3.00 per share the total dividend for the financial year ending March 31, 2010 amounts to Rs 6.50 per share compared to Rs 6.00 per share in the previous year, for corresponding 12 months. Harish Manwani, Chairman commented: "In an environment of heightened competitive intensity we have accelerated volume growth, ahead of market. Broad based actions have been taken to enhance competitiveness of our brands, build new segments, expand offerings in Foods and improve the overall quality of our innovations and speed to market. These initiatives have started to yield positive results. We remain committed to further strengthen our brands through bigger and better innovations and unblinking defense of our strong market leadership positions."

About Hindustan Unilever Limited

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is India's largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods company, touching the lives of two out of three Indians. HULs mission is to add vitality to life through its presence in over 20 distinct categories in Home & Personal Care Products and Foods & Beverages. The company meets everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene, and personal care, with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Brand ambassador

Skin lightening creams

Hindustan Unilever's "Fair and Lovely" is the leading skin-lightening cream for women in India.
[17]

The

company was forced to withdraw television advertisements for the product in 2007. Advertisements depicted depressed, dark-complexioned women, who had been ignored by employers and men, suddenly finding new boyfriends and glamorous careers after the cream had lightened their skin.
[18]

In 2008
[19]

Hindustan Unilever made former Miss World Priyanka Chopra a brand ambassador for Pond's,

and she

then appeared in a mini-series of television commercials for another skin lightening product, White

Beauty, alongside Saif Ali Khan and Neha Dhupia; these advertisements were widely criticized for perpetuating racism.

HUL plans to launch global margarine brand in India

The initiative is part of the companys plan to strengthen its foods portfolio in line with other global market.
New Delhi: The countrys largest consumer goods company by sales Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) plans to bring one of its popular margarine brands from its global portfolio to India, two people close to the development said. The initiative is part of the companys plan to strengthen its foods portfolio here in line with other global markets it is present in. HUL is currently working on setting up a distribution network across the country for the product as it would require different facilities such as a cold chain, the two persons said. They did not want to be identified. Originally developed as an alternative to butter, margarine is vegetable fat that is processed into a spread and can be used in all kinds of recipes, even in applications that need butter. Margarine is also 25-30% cheaper than butter, said R.S. Sodhi, chief general manager of Amul. The company will need to have a cold chain beginning with suitable transportation facilities to ensuring availability of cold storage machines at retail points to distribute the product, the two individuals said, adding that the process of firming the distribution network has already been initiated.

HUL signs Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor as brand ambassadors for Bru
By afaqs! news bureau, afaqs!, New Delhi, January 17, 2011 Section: News Category: Marketing

Conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather, the television commercial featuring the brand ambassadors will be on air from mid-February.

HUL's Knorr unveils Kajol as brand ambassador

PRYANKA CHOPRA LUX KAJOL KNORR. SOHA ALI KHAN BROOK BOND. SHRUTI HASHAN KWALITY WALLS. Karan johar BRU. ASIN FAIR & LOVELY JOHN ABRAHAM- CLINIC.

PREITY ZINTA REXONA.