With only 58% of the country’s 263 million households having a toilet, a massive toilet building programme is underway as part of the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat (Clean India) campaign. Almost 100 million new homes will be adopting a toilet by 2019. Most of these will be for low-income families. And all of them will need a low-cost cleaning solution.
In India, branded toilet cleaners are both expensive and an underpenetrated category. The most common proxy product is detergent powder. This may be reasonably good at cleaning, but it isn’t effective at killing germs or tackling the biggest unaddressed problem: malodour.
… an entirely new format
Which is why we launched Domex Toilet Cleaning Powder at less than half the cost of other cleaning products. This was developed as a powder so the format would be familiar – to those who use detergent as a proxy – and designed especially for squat toilets, which are in 90% of homes. It is also the only cleaner on the market that delivers freshness as well as germ-killing power.
As Priya Nair our Executive Director, Home Care, explains: “Domex has first-mover advantage in a market where people still use proxies to clean their toilets. Hindustan Unilever has a history of bringing to market consumer-relevant and affordable innovations. With Swachh Bharat, we are seeing an increase in the number of toilets being built in India, but there is still a void when it comes to affordable cleaning solutions.”
Launched in the state of Andhra Pradesh, as a test market, in March 2017, the product has received an encouraging response from consumers. If the pilot is successful, the plan is to expand into other states.
At HUL, we believe that a clean and safe toilet is a basic right. Through our brands and products, we aim to improve health and hygiene of our consumers. This affordable innovation is a step in that direction.