Unilever is making India a central pillar of its global premium beauty and wellness strategy, with CEO Fernando Fernandez declaring at the 2026 dbAccess Global Consumer Conference that the company will not repeat its delayed entry into China. India currently accounts for 16 percent of Unilever’s global revenue, and the company holds dominant market positions across haircare, skincare, and personal care categories through its Indian unit Hindustan Unilever.
At the heart of Unilever’s India ambitions is a growing portfolio of digitally native, super-premium brands being scaled internationally. These include hair growth supplement brand Nutrafol, premium haircare brand K18, colour cosmetics brand Hourglass, vitamin gummy brand Olly, and hydration brand Liquid I.V., introduced in India in April 2025. Fernandez noted that these brands are already generating close to 80 million euros in China and are being positioned for strategic entry into India as the premium market continues to mature.
Significant emphasis is also being placed on Minimalist, the skincare and haircare brand acquired by Hindustan Unilever for nearly INR 3,000 crore in April 2025. Global CFO Srinivas Phatak described Minimalist as a strong platform to capture India’s premium opportunity across face and hair segments, with potential for further expansion into other Asian markets.
Reinforcing India’s growing strategic importance, Hindustan Unilever inaugurated the new Unilever Fragrance Hub in Mumbai, marking a significant milestone in the company’s global innovation journey and cementing India’s role as a key research and development centre.
Unilever holds a 55 percent share of India’s haircare market, 80 percent in face and moisture, and 70 percent in dishwash, underscoring the scale of its existing presence. With premium beauty identified as the next major growth lever, India is clearly emerging as one of Unilever’s most strategically critical markets for the decade ahead.
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