Journey of Hindustan Unilever (HUL)

UK-based Unilever established its initial Indian subsidiary, commonly referred to as Hindustan Vanaspati Manufacturing Company, in 1931. Subsequently, Lever Brothers India Limited (1933) and United Traders Limited (1935) were also introduced. The merger of these three entities formed Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) in November 1956. In 1956, HUL released its IPO. The company was first listed on the BSE on July 6, 1956. HUL is also listed on other stock exchanges like NSE, Delhi Stock Exchange, Calcutta Stock Exchange, Madras Stock Exchange etc. HUL is included in various benchmark indices like Nifty 500, Nifty 50, S&P BSE Sensex, etc. The company is the largest Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company in India. There are over 50 brands under 16 categories in HUL. It is said that 9 out of 10 households use one or more brands from HUL. The company has reached about 9 million retailers. The company has developed a B2B app for retailers commonly referred to as the Shikhar app. Through this app, retailers can connect with the sellers from HUL and place orders. About 1.2 million retail outlets use the app. Along with bringing forth their customers several products for their day-to-day lives, HUL also works towards social causes like climate change, protecting nature and reducing plastic waste. The company works with a main core priority on making sustainable living commonplace. HUL has been recognised with several awards such as the Best Company Award for exceptional ESG practices within the Consumer Products sector, excelling in all three dimensions: Environmental, Social, and Governance, as recognised at the KPMG India ESG Excellence Awards 2023, the top position in the FMCG category within Dun & Bradstreet's prestigious India’s Top 500 Companies list for 2022, the overall winner in the 'Best Supply Chain Solution' category at the esteemed Adam Smith Treasury Awards, standing out as the top performer across Asia and many more.

Business Segments of HUL

HUL is primarily into three business segments, such as,

• Home Care:As the name suggests, this segment by HUL is involved in the enterprise of Fabric and Household Care. They have well-known brands such as Wheel, Surf Excel, Rin, Vim, Domex and Comfort.

• Beauty and Personal Care:This division of the organization has given rise to several popular beauty and personal care products. It includes brands that offer oral care, skin care, hair care, talcum powder and cosmetics. The brands under the beauty and personal care from HUL include Lakme, Dove, Lifebuoy, Sunsilk, Lux, Pond’s, Clinic Plus and Closeup.
• Food and Refreshments:HUL delivers health drinks, refreshments, etc., products under this segment. They are India’s one of the largest food and refreshment businesses. The popular brands included are Horlicks, Brooke Bond, Boost, Lipton, Magnum, Bru, Kissan, Hellmann’s, Knorr and Kwality Wall’s.

Some of the subsidiary companies that come under HUL are:

• Unilever India Exports Limited - This wholly-owned subsidiary of HUL administers in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) export sector. The primary objectives of this company are to improve the global presence of well-known brands like Vaseline, Pears, Dove, Red Label, Bru, Horlicks, Boost, and Lakmé and also serve as a reliable source of FMCG products for other Unilever companies globally.
• Lakme Lever Private Limited - This wholly-owned subsidiary is involved in the Salon enterprise and in the operation of a manufacturing unit at Gandhidham that manufactures bathing bars, toilet soaps, and detergent bars. They have more than 450 owned or managed franchisee salons.
• Unilever India Limited - This is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HUL that came into existence as to leverage the growth opportunities in a fast-changing enterprise environment.
• Zywie Ventures Private Limited (ZVPL) - HUL has a stake of 53.34% in this organization. ZVPL is involved in the enterprise of well-being and health products through the brand Oziva.
• Unilever Nepal Limited - The manufacturing and marketing activities of personal products, detergent, laundry soaps, and toilet soaps in Nepal are managed by this organization.

Key Personalities of HUL

• Rohit Jawa, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director

The CEO and Managing Director of HUL is Rohit Jawa. He is also the President of Unilever, South Asia, and a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE). He joined HUL in 1988 as a management trainee. Rohit holds a bachelor’s degree from St Stephen’s College and did his MBA from the University of Delhi. In 2018, he also did a Breakthrough Program for Senior Executives from IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland and an Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School in 2022.

Corporate Actions

There are no records found about bonus shares and stock splits from HUL.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

• The brand visibility of HUL’s products is very high.
• The brand awareness created by the organization is very high by signing popular celebrities as their brand ambassadors.
• They offer a wide range of products, from home care and personal needs to pet foods, etc.

Weakness

• The market share of the organization is limited due to other FMCG players in the market.

Opportunities 

• Penetrate into the rural markets with customised products.

Threats

• The rise in the price of raw materials may lead to an increase in their product prices, which can impact sales adversely.
• With heavy competition in the market, finding loyal customers who stick to one brand can be difficult.