HUL to reimagine core brands, focus on premiumisation and rural growth: Priya Nair

Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Priya Nair said the company is reimagining its core brands to make them more modern and youthful, while driving premiumisation and deeper rural engagement to sustain volume-led profitable growth.

Speaking at the company’s Q2 FY26 earnings call, Nair outlined HUL’s strategic roadmap built around key priorities aimed at strengthening its brand portfolio and market competitiveness.

“We need to boldly transform our brands as India transforms,” she said, adding that brand strength today depends not only on equity but also on modernity, relevance, and innovation. The company plans to undertake renovations across packaging, product formulations, and propositions, supported by a mix of core and premium innovations.

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Nair emphasised that HUL’s growth strategy will span both urban and rural markets, with the latter emerging as a significant driver of future consumption. “What’s exciting in India today is the rural transformation—through improved roads, electrification, access to tap water, and digital connectivity—which is changing how consumers discover and engage with brands,” she said.

Outlining the company’s four strategic pillars, Nair said HUL will first sharpen consumer segmentation, refining its portfolio to serve distinct cohorts of power spenders, premiums, and democratizers through tailored brand, channel, and media approaches.

The second pillar focuses on elevating brand equity by modernising core brands and scaling premium portfolios. “We will make our brands more contemporary and aspirational with strong premium innovation,” she noted.

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Under the third pillar, HUL will futureproof its marketing and sales engine, driving more social-first, digital-led brand discovery and expanding its footprint in e-commerce and quick commerce, while evolving general trade through specialist formats like cosmetic stores and chemists.

The fourth pillar will focus on reshaping the portfolio by accelerating in high-growth demand spaces and scaling select opportunities based on market readiness.

Nair said these initiatives are designed to ensure HUL remains agile and consumer-focused as it navigates changing market dynamics. “We will continue to innovate, renovate, and premiumise our brands to stay ahead of evolving consumer expectations,” she said.