1888
Sunlight arrives in India
90+ years of growing with India
For more than nine decades since incorporation, HUL’s story has unfolded alongside India’s own.
From the arrival of the first Sunlight soap bars at Kolkata harbour in 1888 to the brands, innovations, factories and technologies shaping everyday life today, our journey has been defined by understanding the nation's changing needs and growing alongside it.
Along the way, we have built brands that became part of everyday routines, created new ways to reach consumers, invested in science and technology, and grown a business that reflects the changing aspirations of the country.
Explore our journey
A nation, a company, and a shared journey
India has continually transformed, and HUL has kept in step with the nation’s journey, evolving to meet the needs of each generation.
Sometimes that meant bringing a new product to Indian consumers. Sometimes it meant building a factory, entering a new category or finding a new way to reach people. And sometimes it meant rethinking how a business could contribute to the communities around it.
Our history is, in many ways, a history of responding to needs of the nation.
The journey so far
(1888–1949)
Bringing everyday brands to India
The story began with cartons of Sunlight soap.
In the summer of 1888, crates of Sunlight soap bars embossed with “Made in England by Lever Brothers” arrived at the Kolkata harbour, introducing India to the idea of branded products that would make everyday life a little easier.
What followed was a growing portfolio of products that would become familiar names in Indian homes. Lifebuoy arrived in 1895. Pears followed in 1902, with Brooke Bond Red Label tea, LUX, Vim, Vinolia and Rinso joining the portfolio in the years that followed.
This was just the beginning. Manufacturing capabilities began taking shape in India, with the Hindustan Vanaspati Manufacturing Company established in 1931 and soap production beginning at Sewri in 1934.
In 1937, Dalda was officially introduced, beginning the journey of a brand that would become deeply embedded in Indian food culture.
The foundations of the company were being built, one product, factory and relationship at a time.
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Milestones
1895
Lifebuoy launched
1902
Pears introduced
1903
Brooke Bond Red Label introduced
1931
Hindustan Vanaspati Manufacturing Company established
1933
Lever Brothers India Limited was incorporated
1934
Soap production begins at Sewri
1935
United Traders Limited incorporated
1937
Dalda introduced
1941
Dedicated sales force established
1942
Unilever begins training Indians for management roles
1947
Pond’s Cold Cream launched in India
(1950s–1960s)
Indianisation and transformation
As the country changed, so did the company.
In 1951, Prakash Tandon became HUL’s first Indian Director. A decade later, he became its first Indian Chairman. By 1961, 191 of the company’s 205 managers were Indian.
This transition reflected a broader shift in the way HUL operated in India, with Indian leadership taking an increasingly central role in the business.
Research became another important part of that evolution. In 1957, HUL’s research activities received formal approval, followed by the establishment of a research unit in Mumbai and, in 1967, the Hindustan Unilever Research Centre.
The portfolio was evolving too. Surf was launched in 1959, followed by products across personal care, foods and home care in the decade that followed.
The company was becoming more Indian in its leadership, broader in its capabilities and increasingly focused on understanding the needs of the market it served.
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Milestones
1951
Prakash Tandon appointed first Indian Director
1956
Lever Brothers India Limited, Hindustan Vanaspati Manufacturing Company and United Traders Limited merged to form Hindustan Lever Limited, now Hindustan Unilever Limited
1956
HUL became the first foreign subsidiary in India to offer 10% of its equity to the Indian public
1957
HUL research activity formally approved
1958
A research unit started operating at the Mumbai (Sewri) factory
1959
Surf launched
1961
Prakash Tandon becomes first Indian Chairman
1967
Hindustan Unilever Research Centre opened
(1970s–1990s)
Expanding possibilities
The next two decades brought a period of expansion and transformation.
HUL modernised its soaps and detergents operations and expanded its manufacturing footprint. New brands entered the lives of Indian consumers.
Then came a bigger change.
India’s economic liberalisation in the 1990s opened new possibilities for businesses and consumers alike. HUL responded by expanding its portfolio and bringing together some of the country’s best-known businesses and brands.
The merger with Tata Oil Mills Company brought Kissan and other businesses into HUL. Brooke Bond Lipton India subsequently merged with HUL, while Pond’s and Lakmé became part of the company’s growing portfolio.
At the same time, investment in research continued, with an international research laboratory established in Bangalore in 1997.
HUL was growing with a more open, more competitive India.
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Milestones
1971
Diversification into chemicals begins
1975
Ten-year soaps and detergents modernisation plan launched
1977
Lipton Tea (India) Limited incorporated
1978
Fair & Lovely (now Glow & Lovely) introduced
1991
Liberalisation boosts HUL growth
1993
TOMCO merger
1994
Wall’s introduced and Brooke Bond Lipton India formed
1996
BBLIL merges with HUL
1997
International Research Laboratory established in Bangalore
1998
Pond’s India merges with HUL and Lakmé is fully acquired
(2000–2019)
Building for a new India
The new millennium brought a different kind of opportunity.
India was becoming more connected, more diverse and more aspirational. HUL responded by looking beyond products to new ways of serving consumers and creating wider impact.
In 2000s, Project Shakti was launched alongside the Hindustan Lever Network, creating new avenues to reach consumers while enabling entrepreneurship driven livelihoods in rural communities.
New needs also created new categories. Ayush was launched in 2002 as HUL’s Ayurveda-based wellness brand, later evolving into a range of Ayurvedic personal care products.
A gravity water purifier was developed to address Indian needs; Pureit water purifier was test-marketed in 2004 and launched nationwide in 2008.
The company’s understanding of India continued to evolve. In 2014, the Winning in Many Indias strategy was launched nationally, recognising the diversity of consumers and markets across the country.
Meanwhile, sustainability and community initiatives became increasingly embedded in the business. In 2010, the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan was introduced, followed by initiatives such as Hindustan Unilever Foundation, Prabhat and Suvidha.
By the end of the decade, HUL was looking at growth through a broader lens: reaching more consumers, understanding them better and creating value beyond the products themselves.
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Milestones
2001
Project Shakti launched
2002
Ayush launched
2004
Pureit test-marketed
2007
Hindustan Lever Limited renamed Hindustan Unilever Limited
2008
Pureit launched nationwide
2010
Unilever House, HUL’s Head Office opens in Mumbai
2010
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan introduced
2010
Hindustan Unilever Foundation set up to help contribute to India’s water security
2013
Prabhat community initiative launched
2014
Winning in Many Indias launched nationally
2016
First Suvidha hygiene and sanitation centre inaugurated
2015
Indulekha brand acquired
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Our flagship community initiatives
(2020–present)
Shaping what comes next
The pace of change has accelerated.
Consumer expectations are evolving rapidly, technology is reshaping how businesses operate, and consumers are increasingly seeking personalisation, quality and value.
HUL has continued to evolve with this new environment.
The acquisition of GSK Consumer Healthcare in 2020 brought brands such as Horlicks and Boost into the portfolio. The company crossed ₹50,000 crore in turnover in 2022, opened its zero-carbon factory at Sumerpur and expanded its presence in the World Economic Forum’s Lighthouse Network.
More recently, the portfolio has continued to change. Pureit was sold in 2024, while the acquisition of Minimalist and brand launches such as Liquid I.V. and Simple have strengthened HUL’s presence in new and emerging spaces.
At the same time, manufacturing and technology are opening new possibilities. HUL’s factories are increasingly using digital technologies and advanced capabilities, with sites recognised by the World Economic Forum as Lighthouses.
The journey continues. As India changes, Hindustan Unilever will continue to evolve to serve the nation.
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Milestones
2020
VWash and GSK Consumer Healthcare acquired
2022
Turnover crosses ₹50,000 crore
2023
HUL marks its 90th anniversary
2024
Pureit business sold
2025
Minimalist acquired
2025
Ice cream business demerged to Kwality Wall's India Limited
2025
Liquid I.V. brand launched
2025
Haircare brand Nexxus launched
2026
HUL has 6 World Economic Forum Lighthouse factories
The brands that grew with India
The people who built HUL
A company's history is a history of its people.
The managers who helped build India's early operations, the leaders who led the company's transition to Indian management, the scientists who established its research capabilities, and the teams who built factories, developed brands and found new ways to reach consumers.
From the first Indian Director, Prakash Lal Tandon, to the thousands of people who continue to shape HUL of today, progress has always depended on people willing to learn, build and adapt.
From Indianising leadership to building new capabilities, the people of HUL have shaped every chapter of the journey.
The pillars that hold up the future
India is evolving rapidly, creating opportunities across an increasingly diverse consumer landscape. HUL's strategy is focused on four growth pillars: driving category consumption, delivering benefits through premiumisation, building market-making categories, and expanding into new demand spaces.
We bring this strategy to life through deep consumer intimacy, desirable brands built through our SASSY framework, future-ready go-to-market capabilities, and AI-powered innovation.
Supported by our people, culture and commitment to responsible growth, we are well positioned to create long-term value for all our stakeholders.
Still growing with India
More than 90 years after the first crates of Sunlight arrived in Kolkata, the context has changed dramatically.
What remains unchanged is our values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility and Pioneering and our passion and our perseverance.
To listen closely to consumers, to understand where India is going, and to keep learning, building and adapting.