Unilever Invests in Fast-Growing Emerging Markets

Unilever has used the visit of British Prime Minister David Cameron to its Hindustan Unilever business in Mumbai to announce that it is investing 50 million euros to set up its first Asian aerosol deodorant manufacturing facility in Khamgaon, Maharashtra.
 

Investment in this new factory in India complements the 70 million euros committed to building new homecare liquids and distribution facilities in Thailand announced last week and 75 million euros to building a new home care factory and expanding existing manufacturing plants in South Africa announced at the end of January.

 

Pier Luigi Sigismondi, chief supply chain officer Unilever, says, "Unilever’s supply chain is central to the company’s delivery of consistent, sustainable and profitable growth. This investment in India is part of our broader expansion plans to help us achieve our ambition of doubling our business, whilst halving our environmental impact. The Khamgaon plant is one of the thirty new factories being built by 2015 and we will utilize the latest technology to deliver the increased quality products our consumers demand whilst meeting the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan commitments."

 

Investment in Khamgaon will be phased over three years and production capacity will gradually be scaled up to generate direct employment for over 150 people and indirect employment for about 200 people. The plant will service demand from India and across South East Asia including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

 

The plant will utilize the latest technologies to maximize energy efficiency and reduce waste water to zero. This is in line with Unilever’s goal of reducing water use in manufacturing. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has reduced water usage in its manufacturing operations by 10.1 percent when compared with 2010 and by 21.5 percent compared to our 2008 baseline. More than 75 percent of HUL’s manufacturing sites are zero-discharge sites.

 

Unilever directly employs more than 16,000 people full time in India. The head office is in Mumbai with more than 40 manufacturing plants across the country.