Improving the quality of life worldwide

Hindustan Unilever in India is the country’s largest FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) company with a track record extending back more than 80 years. Philip Yorke reports on the mega-trends shaping the FMCG market and reports on a company that continues to expand and set world class standards for quality and environmental protection.

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) works to create a better future for the world’s population every day and helps people to feel good and get more out of life with brands and services that enhance the lives of consumers. With over 35 brands spanning 20 distinct product categories such as soaps, detergents, shampoos, skin care, toothpastes and tea and coffee, as well as many others, the company has become an integral part of the everyday life of millions of consumers across India. Its product portfolio includes leading brands such as Lux, Lifebuoy, Surf, Ponds, Dove, Sunsilk, Brooke Bond, Walls and Purit. Unilever has over 18,000 employees in India alone.

HUL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever, one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong local roots in more than 100 countries worldwide. With more than 400 brands focused on health and wellbeing, no other company touches so many people’s lives in so many different ways. In 2015 the Indian company recorded sales of more than €50 billion.

Advancing sustainable living

From the very beginning, Unilever has been a purpose-driven company and today its goal is clear: to make sustainable living commonplace. In a world where temperatures are rising, where water shortages are more frequent and where food supplies are increasingly scarce, the gap between the rich and the poor is growing. These changes pose new challenges for the company as commodity prices fluctuate, markets become unstable and raw materials are more difficult to source.

Unilever believes that business must be a part of the solution, but in doing so it must be able to change. The company told Industry Europe that it believes that it cannot continue to be ‘business as usual’, and that sustainable, equitable growth is the only acceptable business model moving forward. Its strategic vision is to double the size of its business while reducing its environmental footprint, and increasing its positive social impact.

In 2010 the company launched its living plan for the future, the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, which is a blueprint for creating sustainable business. Unilever will achieve its vision through this plan which is currently helping to decouple its growth from its environmental impact, while increasing its positive social impact and driving further profitable growth for its brands.

Defining moment

Mr Harish Manwani is the chairman of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and recently addressed the company’s 83rd Annual General Meeting held in Mumbai, India. Manwani spoke about three ‘megatrends’ – digitalisation, the imperative for sustainability and a changing world economic order – and how these trends have a profound impact on shaping the world we live in. In a speech entitled ‘Building

Leading HUL Supply Chain Partner

With Over 20 years of industry acknowledged credibility, Varuna Group is one of the leading service providers in the Logistics & Supply Chain (SC) Industry with its group companies Varuna Integrated Logistics – Specializing in transport & distribution, Athena Supply Chain Lab –focused on developing customised SC solutions and Contract Logistics Pvt ltd – specializing in the Warehousing domains respectively!

Varuna Integrated Logistics association with HUL dates back to 2004. HUL values and appreciates VIL’s Commitment and investment in this partnership to optimally address HUL business requirements proactively viz. developing effective distribution solutions, customising its fleet, improved transit times etc thereby contributing to enhancing HUL’s Transportation/ Distribution network efficiencies. HUL acknowledged the partnership by awarding VIL the much coveted `Partner to Win` award for Capacity & Capability Creation, South East Asia in the Year 2012.

The Varuna group companies continue to be intrinsically engaged with HUL in most of its trendsetting projects in India contributing to further strengthening of the long standing association.

a Global Enterprise’, Manwani said that India stands at a defining moment in its journey to take its rightful place in the world economic order. According to him, this new world order presents a momentous opportunity for Indian businesses to expand their footprint globally and to build truly world-class enterprises.

He explained, “A close examination of the characteristics that help global organisations such as Unilever and others to thrive, presents important learnings on how to build global enterprises which are both successful and relevant.” He spoke about how Indian businesses have built a formidable presence domestically and urged them to now strengthen their footprint globally in order to build world-class enterprises that are capable of competing with the very best.

Manwani also spoke about the paradox that defines this age of global connectedness: “While trends are gaining global scale and significance, consumers are becoming more rooted in their local cultures and identities,” he said.

New facility planned for Assam

Hindustan Unilever Limited has proposed to make an investment of more than Rs. 1000 crores into the establishment of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the vicinity of its existing factory premises in Assam. This significant investment is subject to the receipt of the usual requisite approvals and clearances. It is envisaged that the new plant will be commissioned in 2017 and will significantly increase the production capacity of personal care products for HUL.

The new facility is also designed to encourage suppliers to establish new units for packaging and material supplies and it is expected that the new facility will lead to the creation of ancillary logistics and warehousing opportunities in the region.

This proposal is consistent with HUL’s commitment to the ‘Make in India’ programme, and is a reflection of its priority to invest in sustainable growth, Given the attractive outlook that the company sees in the personal care sector, the additional capacity will support the company’s ambitious growth strategy will enable it to better serve its consumers. Unilever has a wide manufacturing footprint in India with more than 30 modern factories located strategically across the Indian sub-continent. n

For further details of Hindustan Unilever’s latest products and progress on sustainable growth visit: www.hul.co.in