Thought leadership: As Hindustan Unilever delivers robust Q4 results - CEO and Managing Director Sanjiv Mehta walks us through the current and future plans

Sanjiv Mehta shared the following thoughts in his opening speech of the earnings concall held by HUL on 27th April 2022.

Sanjiv Mehta was absolutely delighted to report that HUL has crossed the Rs 50,000 crore turnover mark in this fiscal. He believes their robust performance is reflective of their strategic clarity, the strength of our brands, execution progress and our agility and adaptability. They have adapted the strategy of becoming more sustainable and are they are making significant progress in that area. In calendar year 2021 they have become plastic neutral. That is, they have collected and safely disposed of more plastic waste than what they used in packaging up finished products.

Mehta said that even in a difficult year they have made good progress in their strategic thrust area that has helped them deliver not only a solid performance pan India but also helped them grow has a stronger business which is much better prepared to win in this fast-changing world. He then spoke regarding each of the thrusts.

The primary being their resilient and wide portfolio consisting of more than 50 purposeful brands spanning 15 FMCG categories. He said that they are strong market players in more than 80% of their businesses. The strength of their brand caters to the needs of every household be it consumers who are willing to upgrade or the ones trying to manage their household budget in times of inflation.

Sanjiv Mehta added that to meet the growing consumer needs, they are creating superior products, bringing the best of their marketing insights and R&D together. Regarding the execution, he said that their operation has spread across the length and breadth of the country.

 Addressing the current inflation, he said that, despite this unprecedented level of inflation, they’ve been able to keep our margins almost flat versus last year and have grown significantly ahead of the market.

Regarding the expansion of the e-commerce business, Mehta believes that HUL have a significant presence and they are definitely planning to improvise more on that front.

Overall, HUL is on the path of exploring new options along with sticking to its values for a better business and value to shareholders.