Hindustan Unilever Limited- September Quarter 2008 Results

• Net sales grow by 20%; FMCG Sales growth at 22%, continues to be ahead of aggregated market growth and is well balanced across segments. Underlying volume growth at 7%.

• Profit before Interest, Tax and Exceptional Items grows 17%; PAT after exceptional items grows by 32%.

Mumbai, October 24^th 2008: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) announced its results for September Quarter 2008. Net Sales grew by 20% and FMCG by 22% with underlying volume growth of 7%.

HPC Business grew 22.5%, driven by strong volume and price growth. All categories grew well. Laundry category continued robust growth across all three brands - Surf, Rin and Wheel. Growth in Personal Wash was mostly price led with Lux and Lifebuoy leading category growth. Shampoo category maintained excellent growth performance, with newly introduced Dove improving market share. Skin category grew well with all brands growing and the new masstige Ponds range continuing to gain momentum. Oral category growth was led by Close up. Some of the innovation during this quarter were Lux almond and cream, Rin matic, Clinic All Clear –soft & shiny, Axe – dark temptations and Close Up was relaunched.

Foods business grew by 17.5% with a strong performance across Beverages, Processed foods and ice cream. In Beverages, both Tea and Coffee continued to deliver high growth; Processed foods growth was driven by strong volumes in Knorr and Kissan. Knorr soups and mixes expanded variants. Icecream delivered a well balanced growth between volume and price.

PureIt is national and has further expanded its footprint, with current coverage of over 600 towns. The water business continues to meet all action standards.

Input cost inflation, especially crude based, peaked during the quarter. Aggressive cost savings program and pricing actions helped fully offset the impact. Investment behind brands and new categories were sustained during the quarter, growing 14%. PBIT (bei) grew 16.9% and PBIT margin for the quarter at 12.9% of Sales, was 30 bps below September quarter2007, entirely from Soaps and Detergents, which suffered the maximum cost escalation. Profit after Tax (PAT) from ordinary activities grew by 32% and Net Profit grew by 34%, due to exceptional income from profit on sale of properties.

Mr. Harish Manwani, Chairman commented: “Consumer spending remains robust in FMCG and we continue to improve our turnover ahead of aggregated market growth. We have sustained volume growth in a high inflationary environment and offset the cost impact through aggressivecost management and judicious pricing. Softening of commodity prices, if sustained, will augur well both for consumers and the business. With strong leadership positions, market development will continue to be a major source of growth. We remain focussed on sustaining competitive growth in our core categories and selectively building new categories.”

About Hindustan Unilever Limited

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is India's largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods company, touching the lives of two out of three Indians. HUL’s mission is to “add vitality to life” through its presence in over 20 distinct categories in Home & Personal Care Products and Foods & Beverages.  The company meets everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene, and personal care, with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life.