Hindustan Unilever Ltd is India's largest fast-moving consumer goods. The company operates in seven business segments.

Soaps and detergents includes soaps, detergent bars, detergent powders and scourers. Personal products include products in the categories of oral care, skin care (excluding soaps), hair care, talcum powder and color cosmetics. Beverages include tea and coffee. Foods include staples (atta, salt and bread) and culinary products (tomato-based products, fruit-based products and soups). Ice creams include ice creams and frozen desserts. Others include chemicals and water business. Hindustan Unilever Ltd was incorporated in the year 1933 as Lever Brothers India Ltd. In 1956, Hindustan Vanaspati Mfg. Co. Ltd. and United Traders Ltd merged with the company and the name was changed from Lever Brothers Ltd to Hindustan Lever Ltd. The company acquired Lipton in 1972, and in 1977 Lipton Tea (India) Ltd was incorporated. Brooke Bond joined the Unilever fold in 1984 through an international acquisition. Pond's (India) Ltd joined the Unilever fold through an international acquisition of Chesebrough Pond's USA in 1986. The liberalization of the Indian economy, started in 1991, clearly marked an inflexion in the company's and the Group's growth curve. The removal of the regulatory framework allowed the company to explore every single product and opportunity segment, without any constraints on production capacity. Simultaneously, deregulation permitted alliances, acquisitions and mergers. The erstwhile Tata Oil Mills Company (TOMCO) merged with the company with effect from April 1, 1993. In the year 1996, the company and Lakme Ltd formed a 50:50 joint venture company namely, Lakme Unilever Ltd, to market Lakme's market-leading cosmetics and other appropriate products of both the companies. Subsequently in 1998, Lakme Ltd sold its brands to the company and divested its 50% stake in the joint venture to the company. In the year 1994, the company and US-based Kimberly Clark Corporation formed a 50:50 joint venture company namely, Kimberly-Clark Lever Ltd, which markets Huggies Diapers and Kotex Sanitary Pads. The company also set up a subsidiary in Nepal, Unilever Nepal Limited (UNL), and its factory represents the largest manufacturing investment in the Himalayan kingdom. In the year 1992, the erstwhile Brooke Bond acquired Kothari General Foods, with significant interests in Instant Coffee. In the year 1993, it acquired the Kissan business from the UB Group and the Dollops Icecream business from Cadbury India. As a measure of backward integration, Tea Estates and Doom Dooma, two plantation companies of Unilever, were merged with Brooke Bond. Then in the year 1994, Brooke Bond India and Lipton India merged to form Brooke Bond Lipton India Ltd (BBLIL), enabling greater focus and ensuring synergy in the traditional Beverages business. Finally, BBLIL merged with the company with effect from January 1, 1996. The internal restructuring culminated in the merger of Pond's (India) Limited (PIL) with HUL in 1998. The two companies had significant overlaps in Personal Products, Speciality Chemicals and Exports businesses, besides a common distribution system since 1993 for Personal Products. The two also had a common management pool and a technology base. In January 2000, the government decided to award 74 per cent equity in Modern Foods to the company, thereby beginning the divestment of government equity in public sector undertakings (PSU) to private sector partners. The company's entry into bread is a strategic extension of the company's wheat business. In 2002, the company acquired the government's remaining stake in Modern Foods.. In the year 2002, the company made its foray into Ayurvedic health & beauty centre category with the

Ayush product range and Ayush Therapy Centres. In the year 2003, the company acquired the Cooked Shrimp and Pasteurised Crabmeat business of the Amalgam Group of Companies, a leader in value added Marine Products exports. Also, the company launched Hindustan Unilever Network, Direct to home business. In the year 2004, the company launched 'Pureit' water purifier. In the year 2005, Lever India Exports Ltd, Lipton India Exports Ltd, Merry weather Food Products Ltd, Toc Disinfectants Ltd and International Fisheries Ltd were amalgamated with the company. In February 2006, Vasishti Detergents Ltd (VDL) merged with the company. In September 2006, Modern Foods Industries (India) Ltd and Modern Foods & Nutrition Industries Ltd was merged with itself. In October 2006, the company divested its 51% controlling stake in Unilever India Shared Services Ltd, now known as Capgemini Business Services (India) Limited (CGSL) to Cap Gemini SA. In March 2007, Sangam Direct, a non-store home delivery retail business, operated by Unilever India Exports Ltd (UIEL), a fully owned subsidiary was transferred to Wadhavan Foods Retail Pvt Ltd (WFRPL) on a slump sale business. Also, the company carried out demerger of its operational facilities in Shamnagar, Jamnagar and Janmam and formed three independent companies, namely Shamnagar Estates Pvt. Ltd, Jamnagar Properties Pvt Ltd and Hindustan Kwality Walls Foods Pvt Ltd. In June 2007, the company changed its name from Hindustan Lever Ltd to Hindustan Unilever Ltd. In the year 2008, the company announced its collaboration with the Indian Dental Association (IDA) in conjunction with World Dental Federation (FDI) through its Pepsodent, leading oral care brand to help improve the oral health and hygiene standards in India. In April 2008, the company demergered and transferred certain immoveable properties to Brooke Bond Real Estates Pvt Ltd. In January 2010, the company inaugurated the new corporate office of the company. In April 2010, the company approved the scheme of amalgamation of Bon Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hindustan Unilever Ltd., with the company. The appointed date for the abovementioned scheme was April 01, 2009 and the scheme shall be effective from April 28, 2010. Consequent to the amalgamation, Bon Ltd ceased to be a subsidiary of the company. During the year 2010-11, Kissan forayed into new market segment in three big categories. It launched Kissan Fruit & Soya, a delicious blend fruit juice and soya milk, which enjoys a differentiated proposition in this market. The brand also entered into the Indian (non-sweet) spreads market with the launch of Kissan Creamy Spread across key towns. In Bakery division, the company launched two new products, namely Chapi and Cream Rolls. During the year, the company divested 43.31% stake in Hindustan Field Services Pvt Ltd in favor of Smollan Group (the jv partner). Thus, Hindustan Field Services Pvt. Ltd. ceased to be a subsidiary company. Lakme Lever Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of HUL, expanded the network of Lakme Beauty Salons during the year with the opening of 11 company owned and managed salons, along with 18 franchisee salons. As of March 31, 2011, the company had over 35 brands spanning 20 distinct categories. Its portfolio includes household brands, such as Lux, Lifebuoy, Surf Excel, Rin, Wheel, Fair & Lovely, Pond's, Vaseline, Lakme, Dove, Clinic Plus, Sunsilk, Pepsodent, Closeup, Axe, Brooke Bond, Bru, Knorr, Kissan, Kwality Wall's and Pureit. In December 2011, the company demerged the FMCG exports business including specific exports

related manufacturing units of the company into its wholly owned subsidiary Unilever India Exports Ltd (UIEL). The scheme became effective from January 1, 2012.