Unilever to invest €50 mn on deodorant plant in India

FMCG major Unilever will invest €50 million (more than Rs360 crore) to set up an aerosol deodorant manufacturing unit in Maharashtra.

The facility, to be set up in Khamgaon, would be the Anglo-Dutch company's first facility in Asia and follows hard on the heels of new factories announced in Thailand and South Africa. The investment follows British Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to Hindustan Unilever in Mumbai, the company said in a statement.

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

''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 30 new factories being built by 2015 and we will utilise the latest technology to deliver the increased quality products our consumers demand whilst meeting the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan commitments,'' said Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Chief Supply Chain Officer Unilever.

''Unilever is a shining example of how a business with British roots can succeed in India and beyond and I'm delighted to hear they're expanding further - investing over £40 million in a new manufacturing plant in Khamgaon to service the emerging Indian and South Asian markets,'' David Cameron said.

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.