Innovation is at the heart of everything we do within Research and Development at Unilever.
With over 800 world-leading experts in India, including more than 450 Masters and PhDs, we lead trailblazing scientific research for more than 50 brands in the Hindustan Unilever portfolio. We also innovate for Unilever brands that are loved and trusted across the globe.
Every day in India, 9 out of 10 Indian households enjoy cleaner homes, tastier meals, superior hygiene, and more confidence from their beauty regimes. And our commitment goes beyond just improving lives; we’re dedicated to making our products good for the planet too.
Our experts are pushing the boundaries of science and shaping the future of innovation, by leading in cutting-edge fields such as the microbiome, biotechnology and next-generation packaging materials. Our R&D strategy for an Aspiring India is simple but focused. We believe in innovating boldly for people and planet, and for billion aspirations. Our business imperative is about landing big disruptive innovations with speed, driving unmissable brand superiority and leveraging differentiated science and technology.
Our R&D centres in India are an integral part of Unilever’s global R&D ecosystem spread across 6 R&D Innovation Centres globally. This close-knit, collaborative and digitally integrated ecosystem fosters deep knowledge sharing and access to an expansive product portfolio protected by over 20,000 patents.
As a team, we’re dedicated to sourcing ingredients sustainably and pioneering ways to advance science without testing on animals, setting new standards in the industry.
Key highlights of Unilever R&D centres in India
800+scientists and innovators
450+employees have masters & PhDs
400+women scientists
100%gender balanced workforce
500+patents and scientific publications in last 5 years
Our world-class R&D centres in India are home to a team of experts from diverse fields who love crafting superior and sustainable products. We are digitally savvy and passionate about solving some of the world’s most challenging problems through science and technology. We care deeply about fostering diversity and inclusion within our teams and are proudly gender-balanced across all R&D work levels in India. Additionally, our campuses are certified to be accessible to people with disabilities – many of whom work with us in our equal opportunities’ workplace.
Working with partners to accelerate scientific discovery.
“Our R&D teams in India are driving market-making Innovations powered by Pioneering People, Breakthrough Science, and Leading-Edge Digital Intelligence. As the most critical growth engine for Unilever, they’re advancing how we deliver innovations that not just meet real consumer needs but also drive Premium Wellness, Convenience and Experiences.”
Richard Slater, Chief R&D Officer, Unilever
“We are focused on creating Desire at Scale for over a Billion Indians through our SASSY brand framework and by leveraging AI and our Digital first approach to bring cutting edge Science and Technology to all our consumers every day to meet their aspirations and transform the business.”
Dr Vibhav Sanzgiri, Executive Director R&D, Hindustan Unilever Limited
