General Disclosures
Section A

General Disclosures

We are a Company of brands and people driven by our purpose of making sustainable living commonplace. Our business strategy integrates sustainability across business operations, enabling us to deliver consistent competitive performance and create long term value for our stakeholders. In a rapidly evolving world where digitisation and sustainability have taken centre stage, we are steadfastly progressing on our purpose-led and future-fit journey.

Message from Our
Leadership

“We have always believed in ‘Doing well by Doing good’. We aim to deliver competitive performance by being the leader in sustainable business through our purpose-led and future-fit business model.”

Ritesh Tiwari Executive Director, Finance & IT and Chief Financial Officer

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Employees1

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Workers1

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Differently abled Employees and Workers

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Women on Shopfloor

1Includes permanent and other than permanent

I Details of the listed entity

S. No Particulars Response
1. Corporate Identity Number (CIN) of the listed entity L15140MH1933PLC002030
2. Name of the listed entity Hindustan Unilever Limited
3. Year of incorporation 1933
4. Registered office address Unilever House, B. D. Sawant Marg, Chakala, Andheri (East), Mumbai–400099
5. Corporate address
6. E-mail levercare.shareholder@unilever.com; comsec.hul@unilever.com
7. Telephone + 91 (0) 022 – 5043 2790/32516/32754
8. Website www.hul.co.in
9. Financial year for which reporting is being done 1st April, 2023 to 31st March, 2024
10. Name of the Stock Exchange(s) where shares are listed BSE Limited; National Stock Exchange of India Limited
11. Paid-up Capital ₹235 crores
12. Name and contact details (telephone, email address) of the person who may be contacted in case of any queries on the BRSR report. Name: Dev Bajpai - Executive Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs, and Company Secretary.
Contact: + 91 (0) 022 – 5043 2790/32516/32754
Email: levercare.shareholder@unilever.com
13. Reporting boundary – Are the disclosures under this report made on a standalone basis (i.e., only for the entity) or on a consolidated basis (i.e., for the entity and all the entities that form part of its consolidated financial statements taken together)? Disclosures under this Report are made on a consolidated basis covering wholly-owned subsidiaries (Refer table V-23. (a) for list of wholly-owned subsidiaries)
14. Name of assurance provider M/s B S R & Co. LLP, Chartered Accountants
15. Type of assurance obtained Reasonable assurance on BRSR Core parameters and Limited assurance on other parameters. Refer to the Independent Practitioners’ Reasonable and Limited Assurance Report for the list of identified sustainability indicators covered under the assurance.

Reporting boundary is consolidated basis
covering wholly owned subsidiaries

II Products/services

II-16. Details of business activities (accounting for 90% of turnover):

S. No Description of the main activity Description of business activity Entity turnover (%)
1. Manufacturing - FMCG Soaps, detergents, cosmetics & toiletries, and packaged foods 100.0%

II-17. Products/services sold by the entity (accounting for 90% of the entity’s turnover):

S. No Product/Service NIC Code Total Turnover contributed (%)
1. Beauty and Personal Care 20231 Soaps
20236 Shampoos
20235 Toothpastes
20234 Deodorants
20237 Cosmetics
96020 Hairdressing and other beauty treatment		 36.5%
2. Home Care 20233 Detergents
27501 Water purifiers
28195 Air purifiers
20239 Surface and Bathroom Cleaners		 35.7%
3. Foods and Refreshment 10791 Tea
10792 Coffee
10750 Packaged foods (including frozen desserts)
10794 Malt-based foods		 25.0%

III Operations

III-18. Number of locations where plants and/ or operations/offices of the entity are situated:

Location Number of Plants Number of Offices Total
National 28 10 38
International - - -

III-19. Markets served by the entity:

a. Number of locations

Locations Number
National 28 States and 8 Union Territories
International 58 countries

We have a pan-India presence and serve all States and Union Territories in India.

b. What is the contribution of exports as a percentage of the total turnover of the entity?
Exports contribute to 2.9% of our total turnover. We aim to expand global presence of our brands, such as Vaseline, Dove, Pears, Bru, Red Label, Lakmé, Horlicks, and Boost, and to effectively provide cross-border sourcing of FMCG products to other Unilever companies across the world.

c. A brief on the types of customers:
We have 90 years of presence in the country, and 9 out of 10 Indian households use one or more of our brands. Our brands are present in around 9 million retail outlets spread across the country through a network of 3,500+ distributors, the backbone of our retail reach. We also help our retail partners to grow sustainably. The longstanding relationships with our customers are based on trust and mutual understanding. We continue to work with all our partners including, small family-owned stores to large, organised retail and e-Commerce, to serve the evolving needs of our shoppers. Our endeavour has always been to ensure that our brands are readily available wherever consumers shop.

IV Employees

IV-20. Details as of the end of the financial year:

a. Employees and workers (including differently abled):
We are committed to drive equity, diversity, and inclusion across our workforce. As of March 2024, we have achieved 42% gender diversity across our managerial base. Through several programmes, such as ‘Samavesh’ and ‘Ahilya’, we strive to enhance women’s representation in our factories and salesforce. We have over 1,300 women as shopfloor employees across our manufacturing locations and have onboarded over 1,400 women in sales.

We are committed to include persons with disabilities (PwDs) in our employment ecosystem and workforce. Our experiential learning program ‘Saksham’ helps in hiring Persons with Disabilities. We allow voluntary self-disclosure and reasonable accommodation policy to enable employees to disclose their disability and avail support discreetly. Refer to our page for more details on Link

No. Particulars Total(A) Male Female
Nos. (B) % (B/A) No. (C) % (C/A)
Employees
1. Permanent (D) 8,245 5,945 72.1% 2,300 27.9%*
2. Other than permanent (E) 410 234 57.1% 176 42.9%
3. Total employees (D + E) 8,655 6,179 71.4% 2,476 28.6%
Workers
4. Permanent (F) 11,182 10,524 94.1% 658 5.9%
5. Other than permanent (G) 7,927 7,266 91.7% 661 8.3%
6. Total workers (F + G) 19,109 17,790 93.1% 1,319 6.9%

*As of March 2024, we have achieved a gender diversity of 42% at our managerial base.

42%

gender diversity across our managerial base

IV-20. Details as of the end of the financial year:

b. Differently abled employees and workers:

No. Particulars Total(A) Male Female
No. (B) % (B/A) No. (C) % (C/A)
Differently Abled Employees
1. Permanent (D) 19 15 78.9% 4 21.1%
2. Other than permanent (E) 1 - - 1 100%
3. Total differently abled employees (D + E) 20 15 75.0% 5 25.0%
Differently Abled Workers
4. Permanent (F) 78 71 91.0% 7 9.0%
5. Other than permanent (G) 2 2 100.0% - -
6. Total differently abled workers (F + G) 80 73 91.2% 7 8.8%

IV-21. Participation/Inclusion/Representation of women

Total(A) No. and percentage of females
No. (B) % (B/A)
Board of Directors (BoD) 12 3 25.0%
Key Management Personnel (KMP)* 3 - -

Above table represents HUL’s Board of Directors and Key Management Personnel

*All KMPs i.e. Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director – Finance, IT & Chief Financial Officer, and Executive Director – Legal and Corporate Affairs & Company Secretary are on our Board of Directors

IV-22. Turnover rate for permanent employees and workers

HUL, often referred to as the ‘leadership factory’, is known to attract and develop the best talent in the industry. Recognised as one of the best companies to work for, we continue to be the ‘No. 1 Employer of Choice’ across sectors, based on a brand perception study by InsideIIM at target B-Schools in 2023 and ‘One of the Best Organisations for Women in 2023’ by Economic Times.

‘No. 1 Employer
of Choice’

across sectors, based on a brand perception study by InsideIIM at target B-Schools in 2023

‘One of the Best Organisations
for Women in 2023’

by Economic Times

FY 2023-24
(Turnover rate %)		 FY 2022-23
(Turnover rate %)		 FY 2021-22
(Turnover rate %)
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Permanent Employees 15.9% 21.6% 17.4%* 17.7% 25.3% 19.6% 17.3% 21.9% 18.3%
Permanent workers 6.0% 13.1% 6.3%@ 7.9% 11.1% 8.0% 3.7% 2.0% 3.7%

Turnover rate includes voluntary and involuntary attrition
* Voluntary: 13.1%; Involuntary: 4.3%
@ Voluntary: 4.1%; Involuntary: 2.2%

V Holding, Subsidiary and Associate Companies (INCLUDING JOINT VENTURES)

V-23. (a) Names of holding, subsidiary, associate companies, and joint ventures

S. No. Name (A) Type of holding/subsidiary/ associate/joint venture % of shares held by the listed entity Does the entity in column A, participate in the business responsibility initiatives of the listed entity?
1. Unilever PLC Holding - No
2. Unilever Group Limited Holding - No
3. Unilever Overseas Holdings AG Holding - No
4. Unilever UK&CN Holdings Limited Holding - No
5. Unilever South India Estates Limited Holding - No
6. Unilever Assam Estates Limited Holding - No
7. Unilever Overseas Holdings B V Holding - No
8. Unilever India Exports Limited Wholly-owned subsidiary 100.0% Yes
9. Lakme Lever Private Limited Wholly-owned subsidiary 100.0% Yes
10. Daverashola Estates Private Limited Wholly-owned subsidiary 100.0% Yes
11. Levers Associated Trust Limited Wholly-owned subsidiary 100.0% Yes
12. Levindra Trust Limited Wholly-owned subsidiary 100.0% Yes
13. Hindlever Trust Limited Wholly-owned subsidiary 100.0% Yes
14. Hindustan Unilever Foundation Wholly-owned subsidiary 76.0% Yes
15. Unilever India Limited Wholly-owned subsidiary 100.0% Yes
16. Unilever Nepal Limited Subsidiary 80.0% No
17. Zywie Ventures Private Limited Subsidiary 51.0%* No
18. Nutritionalab Private Limited Joint Venture 19.8%* No

* On a fully diluted basis


The National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai Bench (Tribunal) vide its order dated 18th December, 2023, approved the voluntary liquidation of Bhavishya Alliance Child Nutrition Initiatives (BACNI) a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Company. BACNI was liquidated with effect from 27th December, 2023.

Further, vide its order dated 16th January, 2024, the Tribunal approved the Scheme for merger of Pond’s Exports Limited and Jamnagar Properties Private Limited into Unilever India Exports Limited. The amalgamation was effective from 13th February, 2024.

VI CSR Details

VI-24. (i). Is CSR applicable as per Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 (Yes/No)?
Yes, CSR provisions are applicable as per Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013. A belief that sustainable business drives superior performance lies at the heart of our business strategy. We have been undertaking CSR activities before it was made a regulation. We have a dedicated CSR Policy focused on People and Planet and lays down the approach towards community development in water conservation, health and hygiene, skill development, education, social advancement, gender equality, empowerment of women, ensuring environmental sustainability and rural development projects. The CSR Policy, as approved by the Board of Directors, is available on our website at: Link


VI-24. (ii) Turnover : ₹ 60,469 crores
VI-24. (iii) Net worth: : ₹ 50,973 crores

VII Transparency And Disclosure Compliance

VII-25. Complaints/grievances on any of the principles (one to nine) under the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct:

Stakeholder group from whom complaint was received Grievance redressal mechanism in place? (If yes, provide web-link for the grievance redressal policy) FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
No. of complaints filed during the year No. of complaints pending resolution at close of the year Remarks No. of complaints filed during the year No. of complaints pending resolution at close of the year Remarks
Communities Yes
Link and manual registers at factories		 - - - - - -
Investors (other than shareholders) Not applicable, as we do not have any investors other than the shareholders (e.g., preference shareholders or debenture holders)
Shareholders Yes
Link 		242 - - 186 6 -
Employees and workers Yes
Link and manual registers at factories		 89 21 - 79 12 -
Customers* Yes
Link 		3,583 225 - 3,411 100 -
Value chain partners* Yes
Link 		- - - 2 1 -

*Customers include distributors; Value chain partners include vendors/suppliers.

VII-26. Overview of the entity’s material responsible business conduct issues. Please indicate material responsible business conduct and sustainability issues pertaining to environmental and social matters that present a risk or an opportunity to the business, the rationale for identifying the same, and the approach to adapting or mitigating the risk along-with its financial implications, as per the following format.

We live in an uncertain and constantly changing world. A formal process to identify material sustainability issues helps us report on those that matter most to our business and stakeholders. A sustainability issue is material to us if it meets two conditions. First, if it is considered a principal risk or an element of a principal risk, which could impact our business or performance. And secondly, if it is deemed to be important to our key stakeholders, including our people, consumers, customers (retailers), suppliers and business partners, planet and society (citizens, NGOs, governments) and our employees. We use our sustainability materiality assessment to identify priority sustainability issues across our value chain so that we can report on the issues of most interest to our stakeholders. The following table captures the key material issues identified by us.

S. No. Material issue identified Indicate whether risk or opportunity (R/O) Rationale for identifying the risk / opportunity In case of risk, approach to adapt or mitigate Financial implications of the risk or opportunity (Indicate positive or negative implications)
1 Climate change Risk Climate change is a principal risk to us, which has the potential to impact our business in the short, medium, and long term. We face impending physical environment risks from the effects of climate change on our business, including extreme weather and water scarcity. Responsible business practices are critical to generating long-term value. As the world shifts to a low carbon economy, the probable regulatory and transition market risks which could take centre stage include changing consumer preferences, increased product cost, and future government policy and regulation. We are committed to taking steps to collectively and positively address climate change. To reduce our carbon footprint, we are investing in new technologies, switching to renewable sources, and innovating to transform factory operations. As a result, the total energy consumption per tonne of production from our factories has reduced by 45% over 2008 baseline. At the same time, we have increased our renewable energy footprint by installing additional solar plants at our factory and office locations. Programmes to mitigate risk emanating from climate change can lead to incremental costs in the short to medium term, which can be partly compensated by increased efficiency in the long-term. Importantly , these programmes would strengthen business resilience and protect long term value.
2 Packaging and waste Risk We use a significant amount of plastic to package our products. A reduction in the amount of virgin plastic utilized via use of recycled plastic and an increase in the recyclability of our packaging are critical to our future success. We want to change the way we use plastic by treating waste as a valuable resource. We are transforming our packaging and calling for action to create a circular economy for waste.

  • Collection and Recovery: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is applicable to HUL and we are fully compliant with the prevailing EPR rules and regulations. Our EPR credit purchase plan is fully aligned with the EPR guidelines and the plan submitted to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). W.e.f. FY 2023-24, we have registered on the CPCB online portal dedicated to EPR Credit exchange and ensure timely submissions of our plastic footprint and corresponding EPR credits purchased.

    We are driving end to end waste management programmes through tie-ups with various companies/NGOs driving collection, segregation, and processing including behaviour change among consumers.

  • Design and development of alternative packaging: We are working on innovative solutions for the accelerated development of alternative packaging and strengthen the associated Supply Chain capabilities in order to reduce the usage of virgin plastic. We will also continue to maximise the usage of recyclable plastic in packaging.

  • Advocacy: Our advocacy efforts in the area of plastic waste management have been ongoing for the last several years. Recently, there have been various amendments to the Plastic Waste Management Rules and the Central Pollution Control Board has also been active in creating a central portal for compliances. We are an active member of industry forums that engage with Government on any advocacy as and when required.
 Increased cost of developing sustainable packaging alternatives and risk of fines and penalties associated with non-compliance with statutory EPR regulations. In the long run, initiatives and innovation have the potential to yield positive financial outcomes in the form of reduction in the amount of virgin plastic used, use of recycled plastic and alternative packaging considering the evolving regulatory landscape.
3 Water Risk The 2030 Water Resources Group has estimated that India will have only half the water it needs by 2030 for farming, household and industrial use. Rising water scarcity could interrupt our production schedules, affecting our operations and at the same time impact the demand for products that require excessive water during consumer use or decreasing sales because of reduced product efficacy due to water shortages. Uncertainty in the timing and severity of summer, winter, and monsoon may also impact the business adversely. We have taken steps to reduce and conserve water across our manufacturing operations. We have delivered a 47% reduction in water usage (cubic metre per tonne of production) in our own manufacturing operations in FY 2023-24 as compared to the 2008 baseline. We could achieve this by focusing on reducing freshwater abstraction, implementing captive rainwater harvesting, and maximising the use of RO plants.
Considering the urgency and importance of water conservation in the communities, we set up the Hindustan Unilever Foundation (HUF) in 2010, a wholly-owned subsidiary, to create capacity to conserve water. HUF focuses on water conservation, building local community institutions to govern water resources and enhancing farm-based livelihoods by adopting judicious water practices. So far, HUF along with its partners, has created a cumulative and collective water potential of over 3.2 trillion litres* since its inception over the last decade. To underscore the importance of the water potential created by HUF, 3.2 trillion litres of water is more than the quantity required to meet the drinking water needs of India’s population for nearly two years. 		Water scarcity can have an adverse impact on our operations, agricultural sourcing and can potentially reduce demand for our products that require water during use.
Measures to reduce and conserve water would optimise resource requirement, not just in our operations, but also in the wider communities. This would secure water needs and create enabling environment for future demand of our products.
4 Sustainable sourcing Risk We use many different raw materials to make our products and these are subjected to various sustainability risks. Sustainable sourcing of these materials is fundamental to secure continuous supply and the future growth of the business. Our Responsible Partner Policy (Link) and Unilever Sustainable Agriculture Code (Link) are instrumental in ensuring we deliver on business objectives, reduce our environmental impact, and make a positive difference to the lives of millions of people in supply chains around the world. Unfavourable conditions can impact our operations and increase the cost of our products. In the longer term, sustainable sourcing of materials can de-risk the supply chain and secure continuous supply, thus enabling opportunities for growth and fulfilling future increase in demand of our products
5 Governance, ethics, and compliance Opportunity Our brands and reputation are invaluable assets, and how we operate, contribute to society, and engage with the world around is always under scrutiny. Acting ethically is essential to protect our reputation and brands. We have strong values, clear policies, guidelines and related learning materials, as well as robust procedures and controls to prevent, detect and respond to any inappropriate behaviour. Our Business Integrity framework ensures that how we do business is fully aligned with our values and applicable laws and regulations of the country. Our Code of Business Principles (CoBP) and Code Policies govern the behaviour of employees, suppliers, distributors and other third parties, who work with us. Processes for identifying and resolving breaches of CoBP and Code Policies are clearly defined and regularly communicated throughout the Company.

We, from the very inception, are known to conduct our business with integrity and highest level of governance, which form the bedrock of our operations.		 We are committed to doing business with integrity and play a positive role in building relationships with customers, suppliers and other third parties. Good governance and ethics not only help increase trust among consumers, investors, and other stakeholders, but also help avoid fines, penalties, and other legal implications.
6 Human rights Risk Potential instances of human rights violations or non-compliance with statutory norms can lead to adverse financial and reputational implications. Respect for human rights is a key priority for us. Our aim is to advance and promote respect for human rights in everything we do – the workplace, through our supply chain, distribution chain and through brands. With our suppliers, peers, industry bodies, trade unions and civil society, we are working to address human rights impact and ensuring that all those connected to our value chain are treated with respect, dignity and fairness. In addition to this, our Code of Business Principles (CoBP) upholds the principles of human rights and fair treatment. Our CoBP also conforms to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles. The principles of human rights are followed in the same spirit within and outside the organisation when engaging with business partners. Potential human rights violations and non-compliance can cause damage to corporate reputation and have financial repercussions.
7 Diversity, equity, and inclusion Opportunity We believe that driving equity, diversity, and inclusion strengthens our business. A diverse and inclusive workforce can boost performance, reputation, innovation, and motivation. This will help build a fairer world and strengthen the business. We continue to progress on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have been core elements of our culture and values. We strengthened our overall engagement in gender diversity. We have been investing in the capabilities of our business leaders and HR practitioners to support equity advocacy, diversity awareness, and psychological safety in their teams. We want to ensure a workplace where everyone feels they belong and are able to thrive. This means creating an inclusive culture free from the barriers that limit people in reaching their true potential. Diversity, equity and inclusion in our business can boost our performance, drive innovation, help us create balanced work culture and contribute to a fairer, more socially inclusive world.
All of the above will help us attract and retain top quality talent.

*Assured by external independent firm

The above table represents material topics with a very high priority. For a complete materiality matrix, please refer to our website Link The ‘HUL ESG Goals’ form a part of the Integrated Annual Report.