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Tag: Saugata Gupta

  • Saugata Gupta stays at the crease as Marico extends CEO term to 2028

    Saugata Gupta stays at the crease as Marico extends CEO term to 2028

     MUMBAI: Still calling the shots, and how. Saugata Gupta is set for another two-year season at the helm of Marico Limited, with the FMCG major’s board approving his reappointment as managing director and CEO till March 2028.

    Having joined the company back in 2004 as head of marketing, Gupta’s rise has been nothing short of a masterclass in brand leadership. From captaining the India business in 2007 to taking the reins as CEO in 2013 and MD in 2014, he’s led the Parachute-to-Set Wet empire through market winds with a steady hand and sharp instincts.

    The boardroom decision, made on 2 May 2025, and filed with the stock exchanges the same day, means Gupta will notch up nearly 14 years as MD & CEO by the end of this renewed term, an impressive feat in an industry known for its churn.

    Outside of Marico, Gupta also wears several advisory hats, serving as an independent director on the boards of Delhivery, Ashok Leyland, and formerly JSW Paints. His career before Marico included stints with ICICI Prudential and Mondelēz, lending him a marketing pedigree as rich as the brands he’s built.

    With this extension, Marico’s leadership continuity seems sealed and set, as Gupta continues to script the brand’s next chapter in a fast-evolving consumer landscape.

  • ASCI Board appoints Partha Sinha as new chairman

    ASCI Board appoints Partha Sinha as new chairman

    Mumbai: Post the board meeting held today following the 38th Annual General Meeting, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) appointed Bennett Coleman & Company Ltd chief brand officer & president, Partha Sinha as the chairman of the ASCI Board of Governors for 2024-25. Pidilite Industries Ltd managing director Sudhanshu Vats, was appointed vice-chairman, and Lintas India Private Ltd Group CEO & chief strategy officer-APAC, S. Subramanyeswar was appointed hon. Treasurer.

    Sinha comes with a rich and vast experience with top organisations such as Bennet Coleman, Ogilvy, Publicis, BBH, McCann, and Citibank, along with his stronghold of brand marketing, media, and communications.

    Sinha expressed a compelling vision for ASCI. “Being the chairperson of ASCI is both an honour and a profound responsibility, especially as our industry is under greater scrutiny by our stakeholders. With rapid changes in the digital environment and the emergence of new challenges. ASCI is committed to not just keeping up but to staying ahead. Deploying technology and AI to monitor errant advertising as well as putting our might behind preventive measures will be our focus in the days to come. This will ensure that creativity and responsibility coexist, creating an ecosystem that values consumers and encourages innovation.”

    Reflecting on his term, outgoing chairman Saugata Gupta said, “Leading ASCI through a period that witnessed significant development and change has been a privilege. This year has been marked by historic milestones, including the formation of the ASCI Academy, which has become a cornerstone in promoting responsible and progressive advertising. Our commitment to training and capacity building, creating new direction via our thought leadership work, reflects a culture of responsibility from the ground up.”

    ASCI has made great progress in terms of its achievements and strategic initiatives during the year, reinforcing its commitment to the proactive work since the start of ASCI Academy. The Academy’s expansion is an important aspect of ASCI’s initiatives, and it is quickly becoming an active proponent of industry training and education. Since its inception, the Academy has expanded to encompass over 75 alliances and, through its training and education, successfully impacted 33,300 new and emerging professionals, firmly anchoring ethical principles deeply within the advertising community.

    ASCI has also actively engaged in research and thought leadership through collaborative projects. Notable among these were partnerships with Khaitan & Co. on a white paper on the influence of generative AI on advertising, with the UN Women- led Unstereotype Alliance and lead research agency Kantar on D&I in India, as well as with Lexplosion for an in-depth understanding of privacy and data protection.”

    In the past year, ASCI actively co-hosted and participated in several stakeholder and government consultations to address and discuss issues like dark patterns, green claims, and surrogate advertising.

    ASCI updated and introduced new guidelines on an array of categories this year, including deceptive patterns, charitable cause marketing, and green claims ads, among others. These changes keep the ASCI Code current in the face of the changing industry dynamics and consumer expectations.

    ASCI’s rigorous complaint redressal and monitoring operations this year included processing over 10,000 complaints and reviewing over 8,200 advertisements, affirming its role as a vigilant guardian of the advertising industry.

    ASCI remains dedicated to advancing ethical, inclusive, and transparent advertising.

  • Saffola emerges as India’s number one oats brand

    Saffola emerges as India’s number one oats brand

    Mumbai: In a remarkable achievement, Saffola Oats, one of the leading brands of Marico Ltd, has emerged as the number one oats* brand in India, according to Kantar Household Panel Data. Since its inception in 2011, the brand has crafted a legacy of trust, consumer understanding and innovation to meet the diverse taste preferences of the Indian consumer and offer “better for you” food products.

    Saffola Oats has risen to prominence, experiencing remarkable growth within the category while seamlessly becoming a staple in the daily breakfast choices of consumers. The brand has witnessed an astonishing tenfold increase in offtake volumes since inception. According to the Kantar Household Panel Data, Saffola Oats now commands an impressive 43 per cent share of the market in value terms, surpassing all competitors. The data also underscores that 1 out of every 11 households in the country actively includes oats into their daily consumption.  

    Commenting on the development, Marico Ltd MD and CEO  Saugata Gupta, said, “We are proud to have achieved this significant milestone and emerge as leaders in the oats category. It’s a testament to our dedication to excellence, innovation and consumer satisfaction. Indians are uncompromising when it comes to taste. With this basic learning, we set out to Indianise oats by addressing the quintessential Indian taste preferences, while seamlessly integrating the health benefits that it offers. Supporting the government’s vision of promoting millets as a sustainable and nutritious food source, we have embraced millets in our product portfolio and blended the goodness of two superfoods – oats and millets in our Saffola oats range. Our unwavering commitment to delight our consumers has helped us revolutionise oats as a category and played a pivotal role in propelling Saffola Oats to the coveted position of India’s Number 1 Oats* Brand. Our journey continues, fuelled by the trust of our customers and our commitment to provide ‘better for you’ products.”

    Saffola Oats attributes its success to an unwavering commitment to quality and taste. Consumers have played an instrumental role in this journey, extending their tremendous support to the brand, especially in thriving markets like Maharashtra, Kerala, and West Bengal, making it a staple in households across these regions.

    In an ever-changing consumer landscape, Saffola Oats has been quick to adapt. As the 21st entrant in the competitive plain oats market, Saffola Oats embarked on a journey to understand the unique preferences of Indian consumers. Recognizing their love for masaaledaar (spicy) flavours, often found in chatpata street food in every corner across the country, the brand strategically pivoted to meet this demand by introducing the world’s first ‘Savoury Oats’.

    The brand’s journey began by educating consumers on the health benefits of oats, particularly in weight management, and then effectively transitioned from being perceived as a mere weight loss product to a staple for weight watchers. Moreover, to keep consumers engaged the brand has offered limited edition choices with international flavours, regional recipes and even catered to sweet variants for those who crave a sweet treat.

    Aligning with the government’s vision of promoting millets, Saffola expanded its oats portfolio with the launch of Saffola Oats Gold that offers a perfect blend of two wholesome grains – Millet (Jowar) and Oats.

    Saffola Oats offers a super-creamy texture as it is made from specially sourced soft & 100 per cent natural wholegrain oats. The oats are a powerhouse of nutrients, offering protein, iron, and fiber, ensuring long-lasting energy for your day. Its savoury variant, Saffola Masala Oats, offers a wide array of flavours, including Classic Masala, Peppy Tomato, Veggie Twist, Masala Coriander, and Curry Pepper.

    *Based on data reported by Kantar Household Panel data for the Oats Category, value for the 12-month ending 31 Dec 2022, for the All India (U) market. (Copyright © 2022, Kantar).

  • Asci names N. S. Rajan as new chairman

    Asci names N. S. Rajan as new chairman

    Mumbai: August One Partners director N. S. Rajan was unanimously elected as chairman of the board of governors of the Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci) on Thursday. The decision was taken at the board meeting following the 36th annual general meeting of the industry’s self-regulator.

    N. S. Rajan is a public relations (PR) veteran with a demonstrated history of setting up and managing firms in the PR industry. He was previously the founder and managing director of Ketchum Sampark, an Omnicom Group.

    Marico managing director & CEO Saugata Gupta was elected vice-chairman, while Shashidhar Sinha, chief executive officer at IPG Mediabrands India, was appointed honorary treasurer.

    Subhash Kamath, the outgoing chairman, will now be a part of the consultative committee of the board, which, among other activities, mentors the new initiatives of the organisation.

    Lintas India Group CEO Virat Tandon and GMS India (Meta) director Arun Srinivas were newly inducted onto the board at the same meeting.

    Talking about his new role as the Asci chairman, N. S. Rajan said, “It is indeed a privilege to take up the role of Asci chairman. Our thought leadership initiatives, industry reports, and Asci academy are important pillars of taking Asci ahead into the future. I am looking forward to advancing the agenda of the Council to rapidly increase Asci awareness among consumers so that they engage more readily and in greater numbers, voicing their concerns, anxieties, and questions about what they experience in the form of thousands of ads per day. That number, on average, in India is anywhere between 7,000-10,000 ads per day!”

    “I would also focus on Asci’s efforts more towards prevention, in addition to the robust corrective mechanisms we have built over the decades. This we would do by using the several initiatives already in play – whether advice, guidance, training, or self-regulation. The third pillar would be to keep ahead of the fast-expanding and fractionalising digital domain to ensure that responsible advertising principles are followed equally across all media and consumer engagements by advertising in every form. A lot has been done by Asci over the last several years, and I am committed to seeing that the momentum generated by all past efforts is kept alive or even pushed forward with greater speed,” he added.

    A key initiative announced at the AGM by the outgoing chairman, Subhash Kamath was the soon-to-be-launched Asci Academy. Asci Academy is set to move industry’s self-regulator in the direction of training and awareness creation, and deep engagement with various stakeholders in the prevention of objectionable ads. This underlines Asci’s move to create impact at the point of creation, and not merely the point of publication. A more detailed agenda for Asci Academy will be unveiled over the next few weeks and months.

    Speaking about his two-term tenure as Asci chairman, Subhash Kamath said, “The past two years have been truly transformational for Asci. Our vision of making Asci more future-ready by taking on the challenges of a digital world and a fast-changing communication landscape, and by adding value to the industry through more agility, responsiveness, services, and thought leadership, has started showing results. I’m sure Asci will continue to grow from strength to strength in the coming years. It’s been a privilege to serve as its chairman and I thank the board, the CCC members and the wonderful secretariat team for making it possible.”

  • Marico India appoints Koshy George as CMO

    Marico India appoints Koshy George as CMO

    MUMBAI: Marico Ltd has appointed Koshy George as chief marketing officer, Marico India. In his new role, George will be responsible for leading the brand marketing initiatives of the company. He will report to Saugata Gupta, MD and CEO and will be a part of Marico’s executive committee.

    Commenting on the appointment, Gupta said, “I am very happy to welcome back Koshy to the Marico family. He brings in a good mix of deep understanding of consumers and markets in categories similar to ours.  I am confident that he will be a great fit to Marico’s empowering and collaborative work culture. He has a very exciting and challenging agenda in driving premiumisation of our portfolio over the next few years.”

    Koshy George brings with him more than 17 years of sales and marketing experience across diverse categories such as personal care, home care, and foods. He started his career with Marico India in 2001 as a management trainee and was an area sales manager before moving to Hindustan Unilever. His most recent role was global marketing director – skin cleansing. During his tenure with Unilever, Koshy has worked across building and transforming various brands and categories.

  • Anuradha Aggarwal quits as Marico CMO

    Anuradha Aggarwal quits as Marico CMO

    MUMBAI: Marico CMO Anuradha Aggarwal has decided to move out of the company. While there is no replacement yet for Aggarwal, in the interim, managing director and CEO Saugata Gupta, will oversee marketing initiatives at Marico. 

    Before joining Marico, Aggarwal was the marketing director of biscuits category for Asia Pacific at Mondelez. 

    She joined Marico in 2015 and has an experience of over 20 years in the industry, Aggarwal has had stints with industry majors like HUL, Vodafone India and Mondelez International

    Aggarwal specialises in leading cross functional teams, brand activation, marketing operations, brand communication development and media planning.

  • Marico buys S. Africa’s ethnic hair-styling leader Isoplus

    MUMBAI: Marico South Africa Pty. Limited (MSA), a wholly owned step-down subsidiary of Marico Limited, has announced the acquisition of business including related intellectual property rights of Isoplus, a leading hair styling brand in South Africa from JM Products SA Pty. Limited (JM Products) and Mary L Harris, its owner, for a consideration of 75 million South African Rand (around Rs 360 million) at a revenue multiple of 1.2. This strategic buyout will enable MSA to become a full spectrum ethnic hair care company in South Africa.

    The acquisition comprises purchase of manufacturing facilities, working capital and all intellectual property rights owned by JM Products and Ms. Mary L Harris. The acquisition is expected to be fully consummated by mid-Q3 FY18.

    Founded in 1995, JM Products is one of the largest African-American owned companies that manufactures hair care products in South Africa. The business operates in styling products, the second fastest growing segment within ethnic hair care. With a value market share of 27%, Isoplus is the leader in the styling segment, with oil sheens and styling gels being the main contributors to the brand’s top line. In 2016, J M Products clocked a sales turnover of 62 million South African Rand (circa Rs 300 million).

    Marico is currently present in South Africa through brands like Caivil, Black Chic, Just for Kids, Hercules and Medi-Pac and is amongst the key players in the aftercare maintenance, chemical treatments and hair colour segments. This acquisition of the styling business of JM Products makes Marico’s portfolio in ethnic hair care complete.

    Commenting on the acquisition, Saugata Gupta, MD and CEO, Marico Limited, said “This bolt-on acquisition plugs a critical gap in Marico’s portfolio in the ethnic hair care space in South Africa. Isoplus has a strong consumer franchise and I am confident that the team will leverage its strengths and expertise to further grow the business.”

    John Mason, Managing Director and Business Head, MSA commented, “I am excited with this acquisition. The strength of the brand Isoplus coupled with years of sales and marketing expertise developed within will enable us to grow both, the category and our presence in the category in the long run.”

  • Marico q-o-q marketing costs down 10.4% in Q4-2015, but up 15.8% in FY-2015

    Marico q-o-q marketing costs down 10.4% in Q4-2015, but up 15.8% in FY-2015

    BENGALURU: Indian consumer products in beauty and wellness space company Marico Limited spent 10.4 per cent less towards advertisement and sales promotion (ASP, marketing) in the fourth quarter ended 31 March, 2015 (Q4-2015, current quarter) at Rs 137.15 crore (11.2 per cent of net Total Income from Operations or TIO) as compared to the Rs 153.02 crore (10.5 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter, but 12.5 per cent more as compared to the Rs 121.91 crore (11.4 per cent of TIO) corresponding year ago quarter (Q4-2014). During FY-2015, the company’s ASP at Rs 649.82 crore(11.3 per cent of TIO) was 15.8 per cent more than the Rs 561.17 crore (12 per cent of TIO) in FY-2014.

    Notes: 100,00,000=100 Lakhs = 1 crore = 10 million

    During the 13 quarter period starting Q4-2014 until the current quarter, the highest amount spent by the company towards ASP was in Q1-2015 at Rs 192.18 crore (11.8 per cent of TIO). The company’s highest ASP spend in terms of per centage of TIO was in Q3-2013 at 14.1 per cent (Rs 152.82 crore). While in absolute rupees, ASP shows a linearly increasing trend during the 13 quarters under consideration, in terms of per centage TIO, the trend declines linearly during the same period. Please refer to Figs. A and A-1 below.

     

    Marico’s TIO in Q4-2015 at Rs 1226,25 crore was 15.6 per cent less than the Q3-2015 TIO of Rs 1452.23 crore but was 14.4 per cent higher than the Rs 1072.76 crore in the year ago quarter. The highest TIO reported by the company during the 13 quarters under consideration was in Q1-2015 at Rs 1623.13 crore. TIO shows an increasing linear trend during this period. Please refer to Fig B below.

    For FY-2015, Marico reported 22.3 per cent growth in TIO at Rs 5732.98 crore as compared to the Rs 4686.52 crore in the previous year – refer Fig A-1 above.

    PAT in FY-2015 at Rs 573.46 crore (10 per cent TIO) was 18.1 per cent more than the Rs 485.38 crore (10.4 per cent of TIO) in FY-2014.

    PAT in Q4-2014 at Rs 110.04 crore (nine per cent of TIO) was 31.2 per cent lower than the Rs 159.88 crore (11 per cent of TIO) and was 24 per cent more than the Rs 88.77 crore (8.3 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014. During the 13 quarters under consideration, PAT shows an increasing linear trend both in terms of absolute rupees and in terms of per centage of TIO. Please refer to Fig B below:

     

    Marico claims that it touches the lives of one out of every three Indians, through its portfolio of brands such as Parachute, Parachute Advansed, Saffola, Hair and Care, Nihar, Nina-r Naturals, Livon, Set Wet, Zatak, Mediker, Revive and Manjal. The company says that its international consumer products portfolio contributes to about 25 per cent of the group’s revenue, with brands like Parachute, HairCode, Fiancée, Caivil, Hercules, Black Chic, Code 10, Ingwe, X-Men, L‘Ovite and Thuan Phat.

    Marico MD and CEO Saugata Gupta said, “We continued our journey of delivering sustainable profitable growth this quarter. Simultaneously we are taking definitive long term steps in creating the organization of the future especially in our identified areas of transformation. We are confident of a gradual improvement of the sector growth in the coming quarters especially in the urban markets while the rural consumption trends will depend a bit on the performance of the monsoon.”

     

  • ISA elects Marico’s Saugata Gupta as chairman

    ISA elects Marico’s Saugata Gupta as chairman

    MUMBAI: The newly elected executive council of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) met on 11 September and elected Marico’s managing director Saugata Gupta as its new chairman.

     

    He takes over from Hemant Bakshi as he relocates to Unilever Indonesia as the CEO.

     

    Gupta has been lending his support to the ISA for a long time as his colleagues from senior levels in marketing and media have been active in different committees of the ISA.  An MBA from IIM Bangalore, Gupta has rich FMCG experience of over two decades having worked through ascending career rung in Cadbury (India & UK), ICICI Prudential & Marico. Currently, MD of Marico, he believes in an empowering work culture that would create ownership and make a difference in to the entire business ecosystem.

     

    Gupta said, “Our focus would be on making industry partnership stronger and in particular to extend all support that is needed to help BARC come up as soon as possible with industry wide accepted and accurate TV audience research data representing viewers across the country. I am looking forward to the exciting times ahead for Advertisers, industry partners and fraternity associations to work as a stronger team to harness overall growth of advertising which in turn will help grow businesses and the Indian economy.”

     

    The ISA has advertiser members from across industries who contribute to over two-thirds of the country’s national non-governmental ad spends.  ISA, which is member of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), continues to partner with other industry bodies that connect to the advertisers such as initiating the formation of BARC.

     

    Other members of the Executive Council are:

     

    Tata Services Group Corporate Communications Corporate Affairs VP Atul Agrawal

     

    Thomas Cook (India) Marketing and Service Quality head and chief innovation officer Abraham Alapatt

     

    Agro Tech Foods director Narendra Ambwani

     

    Bajaj Corp Business Development director Jimmy R Anklesaria

     

    Infogain India director JC Chopra

     

    Raymond strategic advisor Paulomi Dhawan

     

    Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care brand director Sonali Dhawan

     

    Aditya Birla Management Corporation Group Corporate Services and Strategy director Rajiv Dube

     

    Godrej Consumer Products chief operating officer – Sales, Marketing & SAARC Sunil Kataria

     

    Bajaj Electricals vice president & head advertising and brand development Beena Leji Koshy

     

    Tata Global Beverages managing director and CEO Ajoy K Misra

     

    Anisha Motwani, Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

     

    Mondelez India Foods Chocolate Category and Media director Siddhartha Mukherjee

     

    Birla Sun Life Asset Management independent director Bharat V Patel

     

    ITC divisional chief executive Sanjiv Puri

     

    Nestle India Communication head Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan

     

    Polycab Wires vice chairman, joint MD and group CEO R Ramakrishnan

     

    Hindustan Unilever Personal Care Products executive director Samir Singh

     

    Hawkins Cookers chairman Brahm Vasudeva

  • Marico Q4-2014 Ad spends down 9 per cent; 6 per cent down in FY-2014

    Marico Q4-2014 Ad spends down 9 per cent; 6 per cent down in FY-2014

    BENGALURU:  Indian consumer products in beauty and wellness space company Marico spent (-9.08) per cent less at Rs 121.91 crore (11.38 per cent of Operating Income or Op Inc) in Q4-2014 towards advertisement and sales promotion (Ad & SP Exp) as compared to the Rs 134.08 crore (11.17 per cent of Op Inc)  in Q3-2014. Further, Marico’s Ad & SP Exp in Q4-2014 was also lower by (-3.0) per cent as compared to the Rs 125.68 crore (12.59 per cent of Op Inc) in the year ago quarter Q4-2013.

    During FY-2014, the company’s Ad & SP Exp was down (-6.15) per cent at Rs 561.17 crore (11.97 per cent of Op Inc) as compared to the Rs 597.94 crore (13.01 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. The company’s average Ad & Sp Exp as percentage of Op Inc over nine quarters starting Q4-2012 until Q4-2014 is 12.48 per cent, and the current year’s Ad & SP Exp throughout the year as well in Q4-2014 are lower than that average.

    Notes: 100,00,000=100 Lakhs = 1 crore

    Marico’s Op Inc for Q4-2014 was (-10.71) per cent lower at Rs 1072.06 crore as compared to the Rs 1200.69 crore in Q3-2014. Y-o-y, Op Inc for Q4-2014 was 7.36 per cent more than the Rs 998.59 crore in Q4-2014.

    Please refer to Fig 1 and Fig 1A below:

    In line with the consumer goods industry trends, the company’s PAT in Q4-2014 has dropped by (-34.42) per cent to Rs 88.77 crore from Rs 135.37 crore in Q3-2014. However, y-o-y, Marico’s PAT in Q4-2014 was 5.85 per cent more than the Rs 83.86 crore in Q4-2013.

    Across the nine quarters in question, PAT trend is upwards, both in terms of absolute rupee value and as percentage of Op Inc.  PAT as per cent of Op Rev also trends upwards between three financial years staring FY-2012 to FY-2014. Please refer to Fig 2 and Fig 2A below.

    Marico says that its business has shown steady recovery in volume growths with sustained improvements in market shares. In India, due to the weak demand environment, the growth rates of various segments have come down. This has impacted the company’s growth rates as well.

    The company entered the Hair Colour category by introducing Livon Conditioning Cream Colour. The initial retailer and consumer feedback across the board has been positive.

    To commemorate 25 years since incorporation, the company has declared a one-time Silver Jubilee Third Interim Dividend of 175 per cent (Rs 1.75 per share) on the equity share capital of Rs 64.48 crore at the meeting of its Board of Directors held in March 2014.

    Marico Managing Director & CEO Saugata Gupta said, “Despite the challenges in the environment during FY1-2014, it has been a satisfying year with Marico’s brands gaining shares across most of the portfolio. In Q4 we have been able to get back to healthy levels of growth in key categories and expect to see a gradual increase in momentum in the coming quarters.

    Here is what the company has to say about its various products and brands:

    Parachute coconut oil in rigid packs (the focus part of the Parachute portfolio) recorded a volume growth of about 10 per cent during the quarter. Q4FY14 has shown a recovery in volume growth from an abnormally low growth in Q3FY14. During the 12 month period ended March 2014, Parachute along with Nihar maintained its market share at 56 per cent.

    The Saffola refined edible oils franchise grew by about 11 per cent in volume terms during Q4FY14 as compared to Q4FY13, reporting a continuous improvement in performance. The brand has been able to reverse a softer performance in 2012-13 and accelerate in the second half of the year based on its effective equity building communication. The brand maintained its leadership position in the super premium refined edible oils segment with a market share of about 55 per cent during the 12 months ended March 2014.

    In the breakfast cereals, Saffola Oats has increased its market share by 24 bps to 14 per cent and has retained its no two position. Saffola Oats crossed Rs 50 crore ($ 8 million) landmark in top line during the year under review. The company expects to continue the robust growth in Oats.

    Marico’s hair oil brands (Parachute Advansed, Nihar Naturals and Hair & Care) grew by 5 per cent in volume terms during Q4FY14 over Q4-2013. Nihar Shanti Amla continues to gain market share and achieved a volume market share of about 30 per cent for the 12 months ended March 2014 in the Amla hair oils category (MAT FY13: 25 per cent). Niha Shanti Amla is now a Rs 250 crore ($ 40 million) brand.

    Due to the challenging environment, the body lotion category growth rate has fallen to single digit. Parachure Advansed Body Lotion has maintained its no three position with a market share of six per cent. The company expects the brand to be back on track next year.

    The Company says that it launched India’s first unique multi-dimensional ‘spray-on’ body lotion during the quarter. The variant has been launched in a 100ml SKU with an introductory price ofRs. 99.

    The acquired portfolio of youth brands grew by 16 per cent during the year over FY13. Due to inflationary trend and restricted spends on discretionary products, the category growth rates of Post Wash Serums, Hair Gels/Creams and Deodorants have come off considerably. This coupled with a high base in Q4FY13 (due to re-launch of Zatak) has led to a flat performance of the portfolio in Q4-2014.

    Set Wet and Zatak increased its market share marginally in the deodorants segment to five per cent for the 12 months ended March 2014, in this crowded category. In February, Set Wet launched a new variant Set Wet Infinity, a non-aerosol perfume spray with ‘no-gas’ formulation. The launch will be supported by an extensive media campaign during IPL7. Set Wet (Deodorants and Gels) is now a Rs 100 crore ($ 17 million) brand with a strong equity and growing consumer franchise.

    This youth portfolio will also witness a much higher interaction with overseas portfolio thereby leveraging scale and innovation synergies.

    Sales in Modern Trade (nine per cent of the domestic turnover) continued its good run and grew by 16 per cent in

    Q4-2014 led by Saffola and coconut oil.

    Marico’s rural sales continue to clock a faster pace of growth than its urban sales. The continued focus on distribution expansion in rural markets has pushed FY-2014 rural sales to more than 30 per cent of total Indian FMCG sales.