The Chairman of Dabur India notes that driving penetration is key to long-term growth.
Mohit Burman, Chairman of Dabur India, has stated that the company remains optimistic about a sequential recovery in consumption trends in 2025-26, supported by forecasts of a normal monsoon, improving macroeconomic indicators, sustained government investment in infrastructure, and easing inflation.
In the company’s annual report, Burman noted that driving penetration is key to long-term growth. The company expanded its retail footprint significantly last year, entering new villages and broadening its product range to meet the evolving needs of Indian households, he added.
“With a real GDP growth of 6.4 per cent in FY25, India remained close to its decadal average. This growth was underpinned by strong rural consumption, a favourable demographic dividend and an expanding middle class,” Burman highlighted.
The Chairman added that the persistent rise in food inflation, however, played truant, impacting fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) consumption, particularly in urban markets. Yet, rural India remained resilient, outpacing urban growth.
“We are deepening investments in our key brands, reshaping our portfolio through premiumisation and innovation, and doubling down on health and wellness as a strategic growth platform. Our go-to-market transformation, strategic M&A focus, and operating model reinvention are designed to unlock new engines of value creation,” he emphasised.
Burman noted that the company has set an ambitious target to expand its rural footprint while sharpening its focus on urban markets by enhancing its portfolio of premium offerings and exploring adjacent categories to meet evolving consumer aspirations.
“In 2024-25, we intensified our consumer engagement through interactive campaigns, community outreach, and digital initiatives that reinforced our commitment to health and wellbeing. These efforts enabled us to expand our market share across more than 90 per cent of our portfolio, even during a consumption slowdown,” he added.
Referring to the signing of a facilitation memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government, Burman said that with an initial investment of Rs 135 crore, scaling up to Rs 400 crore over five years, this facility will generate direct employment for 250 individuals and create thousands of indirect job opportunities.
