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Hindustan Unilever (HUL) | The food and household goods giant that dominates India's FMCG market

2026.03.26

Article summary

Hindustan Unilever (HUL), established in 1933, is the Indian subsidiary of the UK's Unilever. In August 2025 Priya Nair became its first female CEO and MD. Revenue for FY2026 (fiscal year ended March 2026) was ₹64,468 crore (1 crore = 10 million rupees). It holds Brooke Bond, Horlicks, Kissan, and Knorr. In December 2025 it separated its ice cream business as Kwality Wall's (India).

This article is based on what we could verify As of September 19, 2026 This page is based on the disclosures and news reports from each company that we were able to confirm as of that date. Amounts in the text follow the notation commonly used in India, with ₹1 crore = 10 million rupees, and yen figures are approximations calculated at a little over 1.7 yen to the rupee. Store counts, funding raised, and results at Indian companies change over short periods, so when making a business decision, please check the latest information in primary sources such as each company's own announcements.

Hindustan Unilever (HUL), a subsidiary of the UK's Unilever, holds the top position in India's FMCG market. It runs more than 50 brands across some 15 categories, and the company says that 9 out of 10 households in India use its products.

Company profile

Item	Details
Year founded	1933
Headquarters	Mumbai (Maharashtra)
CEO	Priya Nair
Revenue	₹64,468 crore (FY2026 = fiscal year ended March 2026, approx. 1.12 trillion yen)
Employees	About 21,000 people
Listing	Listed on the BSE and NSE
Main brands	Brooke Bond, Horlicks, Boost, Kissan, Knorr, Bru, Hellmanns

Business and strengths

HUL's food division runs Brooke Bond (tea), Bru (coffee), Horlicks and Boost (nutrition drinks), Kissan (jams and sauces), and Knorr (instant foods), among others. The company positions itself as the leader in the tea category. Its strengths are a distribution network that covers retailers broadly from urban to rural areas, and access to the R&D of its parent company, Unilever.

Recent developments

In August 2025, Priya Nair became HUL's first female CEO and MD. Effective December 1, 2025, the ice cream business (Kwality Wall’s) was separated and became a separate listed company, Kwality Wall’s (India). Revenue for FY2026 (fiscal year ending March 2026) was ₹64,468 crore. Even as its parent company Unilever reviews its food business globally, HUL says it is not considering a sale of its food portfolio.

Points of contact and business opportunities for Japanese companies

HUL's large distribution network makes it an ideal partnership target for Japanese food companies aiming to roll out brands in India. In the instant food (Knorr) category in particular, there is potential for both competition and collaboration with companies such as Ajinomoto. Its reach into rural areas is a useful starting point for Japanese companies considering expansion into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.