PRINCIPLE 9
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Businesses Should Engage with and Provide Value To Their Consumers In a Responsible Manner

Our relationship with our customers is built on mutual trust and mutual interest. We handle any personal data and digital information we hold about them responsibly. To reduce the impact of external cyberattacks impacting our business, we have firewalls and threat monitoring systems in place, complete with immediate response capabilities to mitigate identified threats. Through technology, we are addressing the needs of the new-age consumers who are looking for superior and sustainable products, making informed choices, and demanding brands with purpose. We continue to invest in and create distinctive data and technology-led capabilities that are helping us meet the complexities of the business and the evolving needs of consumers and customers.

Message from Our
Leadership

“We see a growing trend for consumers preferring brands that meet their functional needs and have an explicit social or environmental purpose. We are focused on faster-better innovation, leveraging next-generation media tools to reach consumers effectively and efficiently. At the same time, we’re continuously implementing review and monitoring frameworks for new-age technologies to assess and mitigate inherent risks effectively.”

Arun Neelakantan Chief Digital Officer

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Nil

Data breaches involving personal identifiable information

Nil

Consumer complaints on data privacy, cyber-security, delivery of essential services, restrictive trade practices, unfair trade practices

Nil

Product recalls on account of safety issues

0%

Products with labelling on environmental and social parameters

Essential Indicators

EI-1. Describe the mechanisms in place to receive and respond to consumer complaints and feedback.

Our procedures for addressing consumer complaints and feedback are meticulously structured and customer-centric, focusing on providing swift responses and timely resolutions to customer inquiries, feedback, and complaints. Customers can reach out to us through different channels as listed below:

We have a specialised team for managing customer complaints and concerns. Upon receipt of a customer concern through any communication channel, a unique complaint reference or ticket number is promptly provided to the customer, along with the details of the registered complaint. Subsequently, our Support team initiates detailed discussions with the customer within 24 hours of receiving the complaint. Each complaint is governed by a Service Level Agreement (SLA), ensuring the responsible party delivers an appropriate resolution within the specified timeframe. After the resolution, we ask our customers to indicate their level of satisfaction using three criteria: Satisfied, Neutral and Not Satisfied. This feedback mechanism enables us to validate the effectiveness of our customer service solutions while significantly contributing to the continuous improvement of our customer service processes.

EI-2. Turnover of products and services as a percentage of turnover from all products/services that carry information about:

Category As a percentage to total turnover*
Environmental and social parameters relevant to the product 100%*
Safe and responsible usage 100%*
Recycling and/or safe disposal 100%*

*As an FMCG company, we have a very large count of unique product base packs. We are in the process of creating a central repository of all product artworks with element level details. Above numbers are reported basis comprehensive review of base packs covering 60% of the total sales.

EI-3. Number of consumer complaints in respect of the following:

FY 2023-24 Remarks FY 2022-23 Remarks
Received during the year Pending resolution at end of year Received during the year Pending resolution at end of year
Data privacy - - - - - -
Advertising 18 - - 10 1 -
Cybersecurity - - - - - -
Delivery of essential services - - - - - -
Restrictive trade practices - - - - - -
Unfair trade practices - - - - - -
Other - - - - - -

We have a very robust mechanism to receive and address queries, feedback and complaints received from our consumers. We have reported above complaints in relation to ‘data privacy’, ‘advertising’, ‘cyber-security’, ‘delivery of essential services’, ‘restrictive trade practices’ and ‘unfair trade practices’.

EI-4. Details of instances of product recalls on account of safety issues

We have a stringent mandatory quality standard in place against which compliance is verified through regular audits and self-assessments. These standards ensure we design, manufacture, and supply safe, excellent quality products and conform to the relevant industry and regulatory standards in the countries in which we operate. Comprehensive management procedures are in place to mitigate risks and protect our consumers and markets. We take prompt and timely action wherever and whenever we encounter products which do not meet the standards and ensure the right quality product goes in the market.

Category Number Reasons for recall
Voluntary recalls Nil -
Forced recalls Nil -

EI-5. Does the entity have a framework/policy on cyber security and risks related to data privacy (yes/no)? If available, provide a weblink of the policy.

Yes, we have extensive cybersecurity and data privacy policies applicable to the entire organisation. We respect the privacy of all individuals, including employees, consumers and our partners and protect their personal data appropriately. We recognise and protect privacy as an essential human right under our Code of Business Principles, which is available on our website at Link.

We also have specific code policies governing the organisation and our employees when dealing with the Personal Data and Privacy of individuals. We have been proactive in preparing for being compliant with the DPDPA (Digital Personal Data Protection Act) 2023. We have focused learning modules on the Code Policy on Personal Data, which is mandatory for the entire organisation. We regularly train the workforce on the Personal Data Code Policy (general privacy principles, practices, processes, and behaviour). We also have training on handling sensitive personal data for HR functions handling such data.

In addition, we disclose a ‘Privacy Notice’ pertaining to our data processing practices to consumers before they consent to process their personal data. The Privacy Notice proactively discloses all the relevant information necessary to make an informed choice, including but not limited to types of data, purposes, security safeguards, principal data rights, contact details of the Data Privacy Officer and grievance redressal mechanisms, retention, and third-party disclosure policies. For more details refer to: Link.

We also have a designated Data Privacy Officer, whose key responsibility is to ensure data privacy guidelines are followed in the organisation and any privacy related grievances are being addressed. We have disclosed the details of the DPO externally on our website in the Privacy Section at: Link.

We have a central e-mail ID, i.e., grievance.officer-privacy@ unilever.com, which is disclosed in the privacy notices and on our website. There is also a “Contact Us form” for privacy issues that is directed to the Data Privacy Office. Our Responsible Partner Policy, which applies to all third parties, includes an obligation to protect and safeguard personal data involving our consumers and customers.

EI-6. Provide details of any corrective actions taken or underway on issues relating to advertising, and delivery of essential services; cybersecurity and data privacy of customers; reoccurrence of instances of product recalls; penalty/action taken by regulatory authorities on safety of products/services.

No significant concerns/complaints/penalties/regulatory actions were identified during the year. However, in case of any concerns, consumers can reach out to us via multiple channels, i.e., phone, e-mail, social media, and WhatsApp. We have a pre-defined turnaround time and response mechanism for complaint closure.


For data privacy-related concerns, we have a Personal Data Incident Reporting process to report and investigate any suspected or potential threat to personal data. The Data Privacy Officer and Cyber Security Lead investigate incidents to identify lapses and gaps to continuously improve processes and controls to mitigate future breaches.

EI-7. Provide the following information relating to data breaches:

  1. Number of instances of data breaches along-with impact Nil, there were no instances of reportable data breaches in the current financial year.
  2. Percentage of data breaches involving personally identifiable information of customersNil, there were no instances of reportable data breaches involving personally identifiable information.
  3. Impact, if any, of the data breachesNot applicable as there were no reportable data breaches for the year.
Leadership Indicators

LI-1. Channels/platforms where information on products and services of the entity can be accessed (provide web link, if available)

Information regarding all products is available in the Brand section of our website: Link.

Consumers can also reach out to us via one of the following modes for any additional information:

  • Toll-free number for Levercare: 1800-102-2221
  • WhatsApp Number: +91 8291082913
  • Email ID: lever.care@unilever.com
  • address: PO Box 14760, Mumbai 400 099, Maharashtra, India
  • Contact Us form on the website: Link

LI-2. Steps taken to inform and educate consumers about safe and responsible usage of products and/or services.

We provide information on our product packaging, including ingredients, expiry date, and usage directions, as appropriate to inform our consumers about safe and responsible usage. Consumers can also contact us on our Levercare toll-free number (1800-102-2221) and via our e-mail ID (lever.care@unilever.com) printed on each product packaging. Our website has a dedicated section where consumers can reach us through the Contact Us form and a dedicated section on ‘What is in Our Products’ (Link) is hosted to inform consumers about our products and the ingredients.

LI-3. Mechanisms in place to inform consumers of any risk of disruption/discontinuation of essential services.

At HUL, we do not deal with any essential services. However, in case of any disruption, we can disseminate information through our website, various mass media platforms, social media platforms, distribution networks, sales representatives, and e-mails. In addition, consumers can contact us on our toll-free number for Levercare (1800-102-2221) and e-mail id (lever.care@unilever.com), printed on each product packaging.

LI- 4. Does the entity display product information on the product over and above what is mandated as per local laws (yes/no/ not applicable)? If yes, provide details in brief. Did your entity carry out any survey with regard to consumer satisfaction relating to the major products/services of the entity, significant locations of operation of the entity or the entity as a whole (yes/no)?

We are fully committed to not only ensuring compliance to mandatory labelling, but also to providing important information to consumers regarding safety, health, proper usage and appropriate precautions. These are embedded in the Trust & Transparency pillar of our ESG strategy. For example, on Foods and Refreshments products, we provide on-label nutritional information in a nutrition table in addition to the mandatory nutrients. We also use additional logos, such as the ‘Guideline Daily Amount (GDA)’, to provide additional information or reference to product quality (e.g., a trust seal or Darjeeling tea logo for tea). We also provide QR codes for extra information and sustainability-related logos (e.g., a recyclable logo). In the case of flavoured tea, we provide a table covering the registration numbers of flavours with their maximum percentages. For home care products, on our laundry pods, we provide safety precautions, symbols, and usage directions in text and pictures, an ingredient declaration and warnings (e.g., regarding keeping products out of the reach of children) to ensure complete safety for our consumers.

Similarly, we provide usage instructions and cautionary statements for personal care products. For example, on our hair serum label, we give the ideal usage directions for maximum benefit, precautions to be taken, and immediate action in case of an issue. In addition, all products contain information on the product benefits and any special ingredients delivering the benefits. This information helps consumers make an informed choice.

Consumer satisfaction survey: Our Levercare team (also known as Consumer Engagement Centre) provides a comprehensive omnichannel (Phone, e-mail, social media, WhatsApp and Web) system to help answer product-related queries and complaints to deliver best-in-class consumer experience. We monitor consumer sentiments (i.e., the digital voice of the consumer via social media and brand pages) to receive overall feedback on issue resolution and products/services and calculate the Net Promoter Score (0 to 10). We then evaluate consumer experiences on both product and service based on how likely they are to recommend the product and the service to family and friends on a scale of 0 to 10.

Additionally, to capture feedback from e-Commerce consumers, we use digitally enabled consumer-focused capability, which provides specific insights based on ratings and reviews at brand and product levels that help identify product improvements and feed into innovations. This also helps improve end-to-end consumer experience on e-Commerce and social media.

Furthermore, we conduct a ‘Customer Voice Survey’ annually to assess overall performance and sentiment among distributors and customers. The survey covers Overall Experience, Customer Service, Finance, Supply Chain and IT Support. We also have a customer license activity, where each employee is responsible for working in the market, visiting the re-stockist point, collecting customer feedback, and understanding their concerns.

We also have a ‘Customer Delight Officer’ based in branches with a pivotal role in addressing customer grievances and ensuring compliance. These executives diligently promote a customer-centric approach within the organisation. They engage with customers regularly, exchanging feedback to drive continuous improvement in satisfaction levels. This structured methodology, involving employees and dedicated teams, reflects a robust commitment to customer-centricity.