India units of Unilever, Nestle take hit from slow urban consumption

Hindustan Unilever sees lower margins, while Nestle's profit falls

20250425 nestle image in Mumbai

Nestle India’s consolidated profit, reported on April 24, dropped 6.5% to 8.7 billion rupees in the quarter ended March. (Photo by Keiichiro Asahara)

SOUMYAJIT SAHA

MUMBAI -- India's leading consumer goods makers continued to be pressured by sluggish urban demand and input cost burdens in the most recent quarter, with market leader Hindustan Unilever (HUL) cutting its margin forecast and Nestle India reporting a drop in profit. 

However, senior executives at HUL said they expect the first half of the fiscal year through March 2026 to be better than the second half of the previous fiscal year, helped by slowing inflation, interest rate cuts and recent federal tax breaks. 

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