HUL hikes prices 2-5% to counter rising input costs

Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) is raising prices by 2-5% to counter rising input costs linked to the West Asia conflict, setting up a near-term trade-off between volume growth and the need to protect margins.

- Neethi Lisa Rojan

Increased geopolitical tensions have turned currency and commodities volatile, chief executive officer and managing director Priya Nair said in a press statement on Wednesday following the company’s March quarter (Q4FY26) results. “Looking ahead, we are well-positioned to navigate this volatile operating environment, supported by our strong brands, robust financial position and operational agility.”

“We are taking calibrated pricing action in the range of 2 to 5% which we've already taken,” chief financial officer Niranjan Gupta said in a post-earnings briefing. “For consumers in the short term, we may see some rebalancing between volume and price growth. However our categories are relatively inelastic or face low elasticity given that we're talking about daily consumption essential categories.”