Latest news with #Kissan
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
HUL confident of growth in FY26 amid improving demand, lower prices
New Delhi: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) expects demand conditions to improve over this financial year aided by broad monetary stimulus, lower food and crude inflation, and higher agricultural output, helping India's largest consumer goods company drive up its sales volume. For fiscal year 2024-25, turnover surpassed ₹ 60,000 crore for the maker of Dove soaps and Kissan sauces and jams. The company reported a 2% increase in sales, a similar rise in volume growth, and a 5% growth in earnings per share (EPS). Profit for the fiscal year improved 5% to ₹ 10,644 crore. 'Looking ahead, we expect demand conditions to improve gradually over the next fiscal year,' Hindustan Unilever said in its annual report for 2024-25. 'Macro conditions will benefit from monetary stimulus, lower food and crude inflation and higher agricultural output. In this context, our focus remains on driving competitive volume led growth across our business.' HUL said it had a 'strong conviction' in the significant mid- to long-term potential of India's fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, fueled by increasing affluence, substantial headroom for growth in per capita consumption, and rapidly developing digital infrastructure that enhances market access and consumer engagement. HUL boasts a portfolio of more than 50 brands spanning 15 categories, including packaged foods, home care, and personal care, and reaching nine out of every 10 Indian households. At 11.26am on Friday, the stock was down 0.22% at ₹ 2,362.55 on BSE, while the Sensex was down 0.24%. In FY25, India's FMCG industry witnessed subdued demand in urban markets, although rural areas saw a gradual improvement in consumption. Commodity prices increased significantly, particularly in palm oil, tea and coffee, whereas crude oil, soda ash and skimmed milk powder were deflationary. 'Despite this, we maintained a healthy gross margin at 50.3%,' HUL said in its annual report. 'During the year, we continued to generate fuel for growth with our end-to-end net productivity programme across all the lines of the P&L leveraging buying efficiencies, smart formulations, driving logistics and manufacturing cost efficiencies, marketing efficiencies, net revenue management and accelerating simplicity through digital transformation,' the company said. 'We deployed the generated savings to build our brands and strategic capabilities, in line with our capital deployment strategy.' In FY25, HUL segmented its portfolio into core, future core, and market makers portfolios to attract more customers. The company has revamped core brands like Lifebuoy, Vim, and Lakmé, and launched more premium brands such as Liquid I.V. and Hellmann's Mayonnaise. It also acquired new-age personal care brand Minimalist for ₹ 2,955 crore, divested its water purifier business Pureit, and announced the demerger of its ice cream business. 'This year marked a significant transformation towards excelling in demand drivers for our affluent and aspiring consumers. Consumers now navigate across platforms creating a complex web of touchpoints and we aim to go where our consumers are,' Rohit Jawa, chief executive officer and managing director, HUL, said in the report. 'For instance, we have significantly boosted our investments in digital marketing—today 40% of our spends are on digital media. We have over 12,000 influencers whom we collaborate with for our brands,' Jawa added. The company added that its core portfolio will focus on brands 'that are at the sweet spot of premiumisation'. 'We have continued to unlock access to these brands to a larger number of consumers by democratising trends, and as a result, grew faster than the market. We are building segments of the future through our market makers portfolio. While it is currently a smaller part of our business, it will continue to grow rapidly in the years to come. This Rs7,000 crore segment has delivered double-digit growth during the year, as we focus on expanding business,' the company said. HUL also announced the acquisition of the palm undertakings of Vishwatej Oil Industries Pvt. Ltd and an investment in Lucro Plastecycle Pvt. Ltd, a maker of recycled plastics.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Political offshoot of Hafiz Saeed's banned JuD holds anti-India rally in Lahore
Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), the political offshoot of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed , held an anti-India rally in Lahore and demanded his immediate release from jail. The PMML became active across the country and launched several protest rallies against India following the Pahalgam terror attack . #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Pakistan's economy has much more to lose than India's due to the ongoing tensions, warns Moody's Ratings The day Pakistan got the power to poke India India demands ADB to stop funds to Pakistan as fallout of Pahalgam terror attack deepens Ties between India and Pakistan plummeted following the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir 's Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. India has announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty , shutting down of the only operation land border crossing at Attari and downgrading of diplomatic ties following the terror attack. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Highly Prestigious OMEA Award for Indian Manufacturers ansoim Learn More On Sunday, the PMML held a rally -- 'Kissan march' -- in Lahore to protest against India's decisions. The PMML supporters started the rally on tractors and motorcycles on Lahore's Mall Road, where the government has placed a ban on public gatherings. However, the Maryam Nawaz government of Punjab facilitated the PMML rally, which was led by PMML Vice President and Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed. Live Events The protesters held placards and banners with slogans denouncing Indian actions and expressing unwavering support for the Pakistan Army. "We will not remain silent in the face of violation of the Indus Waters Treaty," PMML President Khalid Masood Sindhu said while addressing the crowd. He called Kashmir the "jugular vein" of Pakistan and pledged to support efforts to "liberate" the region. The PMML leaders also demanded the release of Hafiz Saeed. Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, has been sentenced for multiple years by Pakistan's anti-terrorism courts in several cases of financing terrorism and has been imprisoned in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019. However, some reports suggest that he has been in a "safe house".
Express Tribune
23-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PM takes a dig at Imran as he courts South Punjab
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the federal government was committed to uniform progress and prosperity of all areas with uplift of backward areas like south Punjab by spreading a vast network of development projects. Addressing a huge public gathering in Dera Ghazi Khan, the prime minister took a swipe at his predecessor, Imran Khan, questioning whether the former leader "gave away money" during his foreign visits. Shehbaz responded to past allegations that he sought financial assistance from other countries. "A politician used to say that Shehbaz Sharif goes abroad to ask for money. I ask, did you go abroad to distribute money?" he remarked. The prime minister also announced the establishment of a cancer hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan and a university in Rajanpur, calling them steps towards equitable development in Punjab. He said the government remained committed to improving education, healthcare, and industry across all provinces. The prime minister said when they came to power, the inflation had reached over 40 per cent, but his leader Nawaz Sharif decided to sacrifice politics for the sake of the country. With hard work and pro-development policies of the incumbent government, the inflation was capped below 2.4 per cent while the interest rate had been reduced to 12 per cent benefiting the investors, business people and farmers, he added. The prime minister, expressing his views in local Saraiki dialect, said that Nawaz Sharif and he had a strong relation with this region. During the year 2010, when the flood water and destruction was witnessed everywhere in these areas, he as a servant of the area, worked day and night to alleviate sufferings of the masses. "I have come to convey that Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif are working day and night for the uplift of entire province, particularly for south Punjab," he added. The prime minister said during his previous tenures, he had worked for the establishment of Danish schools, hospitals, provision of free medicines and livestock, award of scholarships, besides allocating extra quota for the youth of the area in different sectors. The prime minister said the Punjab chief minister was spreading a network of hospitals and roads in the province, inaugurated facility of Kissan cards, different health and education centers, besides working for the establishment of Nawaz Sharif cancer hospital in Lahore. Earlier, the prime minister unveiled plaque of upgradation project of Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari International Airport and performed ground breaking of dualization of 331km Indus Highway (N-55), Tranche-III of Rajanpur-DGKhan-DIKhan. The prime minister was briefed by the relevant authorities about the salient features of these projects. The completion of the project would enhance connectivity between the southern parts of Punjab with southern districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa via DI Khan. The prime minister said that an era of progress and prosperity had dawned upon the area in which the youth would get jobs opportunities. Federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanvir Hussain, Attaullah Tarar and PM's advisor Rana Sanaullah also accompanied the prime minister. The prime minister also reiterated that seeking foreign loans was no solution to their economic issues and the country's future. Without loans, they would change fate of the country by striving day and night and shedding sweat and blood, he said, adding that he did not believe in hollow slogans, and promised to ensure progress and prosperity of the backward areas. He maintained that the country's economy had stabilized. The prime minister also praised all the leaders of the region for working hard for the uplift of their respective areas and mentioned minister for power who was working hard to provide relief over power tariff by bringing reforms. The prime minister further said for progress and development, peace was requisite. The enemies of Pakistan including Khwarij were carrying out terrorist activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces and the security forces were giving sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, he said and urged the people to remember these sacrifices. "Without elimination of terrorism, the country cannot move on the path of progress," he opined and without naming a political party, said mounting attacks on Islamabad in the past had caused immense losses as one-day strike caused billion of losses to the national kitty. The prime minister also expressed the resolve that together, they would defeat enemies of Pakistan.
