Brands
Colgate-Palmolive (India) Q3 brushes off rivals with Rs 1,452 crore sales
MUMBAI: Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd has reported a steady yet somewhat subdued financial performance for the third quarter and nine months ending 31 December 2024. In a world where Pepsodent, Sensodyne, and a slew of herbal toothpaste brands are fighting tooth and nail (quite literally) for consumer preference, Colgate remains the unshaken champion of oral care.
While macroeconomic headwinds and intensifying competition have made the landscape tougher than biting into a frozen chocolate bar, the company has managed to keep its shine by leveraging premiumisation and technology-driven consumer engagement strategies.
Can Colgate continue to outshine its rivals, or will Sensodyne’s sensitivity play and Pepsodent’s cavity-fighting pitch take a bite out of its market share? For now, Colgate is brushing aside the competition and keeping its growth streak minty fresh.
Headline figures
In Q3 FY25, net sales stood at Rs 1,45,221 lakh (Rs 1,452.21 crore), reflecting a 4.7 per cent year-on-year growth. Not the kind of jaw-dropping leap that makes investors do a double take, but hey, steady growth is better than a cavity-inducing decline! The domestic business, a key driver of performance, saw a 3.2 per cent growth in Q3 and an 8.8 per cent increase over the nine-month period—a testament to India’s undying love for minty-fresh breath and cavity-free smiles.
For the nine-month period, net sales reached Rs 4,54,718 lakh (Rs 4,547.18 crore), an increase of 9.2 per cent compared to Rs 4,16,352 lakh (Rs 4,163.52 crore) during the same period last year. That’s a growth curve any dentist would approve of! It also suggests Colgate still holds its ground in an ever-growing battlefield of oral care brands trying to take a bite out of its market share.
Gross margin and EBITDA margin improved sequentially compared to the last quarter, though they remain under pressure when measured against last year’s higher base. Net profit after tax (PAT) for Q3 FY25 stood at Rs 32,278 lakh (Rs 322.78 crore), a slight decline from Rs 33,011 lakh (Rs 330.11 crore) reported in Q3 FY24. Perhaps inflation took a bite out of those numbers?
However, the nine-month period gave Colgate something to grin about, with PAT increasing 14.6 per cent YoY to Rs 1,08,181 lakh (Rs 1,081.81 crore), up from Rs 94,384 lakh (Rs 943.84 crore) in the previous fiscal period. Looks like strategic premiumisation and efficiency initiatives are keeping things sparkling.
Profit before tax (PBT) for Q3 stood at Rs 39,505 lakh (Rs 395.05 crore), showing that operational efficiencies are still paying off. Meanwhile, basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS) stood at Rs 11.87 for Q3 and Rs 39.77 for the nine-month period—numbers solid enough to keep shareholders smiling all the way to the bank!
Colgate-Palmolive’s MD & CEO Prabha Narasimhan acknowledged that the quarter was marked by soft urban demand and heightened competition. Despite these challenges, the company exhibited resilience, with mid-single-digit volume growth in its core toothpaste category and competitive gains in the toothbrush segment.
“While the near-term macro environment remains challenging, we are committed to driving growth through a strategy that works,” remarked Narasimhan, reiterating Colgate’s focus on premiumisation, digital engagement, and category expansion.
A highlight of the quarter was the launch of India’s largest oral health movement, a digital-first, AI-driven initiative that offers personalised AI-generated dental screening reports and free dental check-ups in partnership with the Indian Dental Association (IDA). Available in nine regional languages, this initiative aims to enhance oral health awareness at scale.
Furthermore, Colgate expanded its product portfolio with the “MaxFresh Sensorial” range, building on the success of the “Visible White Purple” series.
But let’s be honest—can even the best toothpaste keep everyone grinning when inflation is chomping away at disposable incomes? While the recent numbers show resilience, the question remains: can Colgate continue to take a big bite out of market share, or will rival brands leave it with a mere nibble?
For now, Colgate is holding its ground, refusing to be rinsed away by competition. With strong brand equity, a tech-savvy approach, and a strategy sharper than the bristles on a new toothbrush, Colgate is setting itself up to flash an even brighter smile in the quarters to come. Stick around—the next quarter’s numbers will tell the real story!
Brands
Hemlata Sharma joins ONEOTT Broadband as chief business officer
Former Zee Media distribution head to steer growth, partnerships and strategy
MUMBAI: Hemlata Sharma has joined ONEOTT Broadband as chief business officer, bringing with her more than three decades of experience across television, telecom and media distribution.
Sharma most recently served as head distribution, research & CRM at Zee Media Corporation Limited, where she worked closely with editorial and senior management while overseeing distribution, consumer research and customer relationships for 14 news channels including Zee News, WION, Zee Hindustan and Zee Business, along with ten regional state channels.
In that role, she led nationwide distribution across platforms such as DTH, Hits, IPTV, cable networks and DD Free Dish. She also drove consumer research and strategic insights on a pan India scale, analysing content performance, anchor impact, programme slots and audience behaviour to guide editorial decisions and programming strategy.
Her portfolio also included managing one of the largest alliances with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited and overseeing the global distribution monitoring of Wion across North America, Mena, Europe, Africa, APAC and Australia.
Earlier, Sharma briefly served as head sales and distribution at Triplecom Media Pvt Ltd, an engagement driven OTT platform bringing together content, gaming, music and advertising for the entertainment distribution ecosystem.
Her earlier career includes a senior vice president stint at Ten Sports Network, where she played a key role in relaunching the sports broadcaster as an independent bouquet comprising Ten Sports, Ten Cricket, Ten Action and Ten Golf following the Zee takeover. During this period, she moved from vp west to head strategy for cable and dth and later national head retail distribution, helping build the network’s retail distribution vertical across India and launching dedicated golf and football channels.
Before that, Sharma spent over six years at Bharti Airtel as general manager operations for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. She initially led marketing and corporate communications before moving into sales leadership, where voice sales grew by 86 per cent and revenues by 96 per cent. She later headed business operations, expanding annual business volumes to Rs 100 crore while significantly reducing operational costs.
Sharma began her long association with the media distribution ecosystem at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited as regional head sales and distribution for central India. During that period, she played a role in the early rollout of pay television channels including Zee Cinema, HBO, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, while also contributing to the launch of Siti Cable in key central Indian cities.
With her new role at ONEOTT Broadband, Sharma is expected to focus on strengthening business strategy, expanding partnerships and driving growth across the company’s broadband and digital distribution ecosystem.
