Dear Stakeholder Family,
India smiled brighter this year, and I am deeply proud that Colgate–Palmolive India was the force behind many of those stories.
In FY 2025-26, we remained focused on our long-term goals, working to evolve oral care from a repetitive morning chore into a cornerstone of national health and systemic well-being.
Democratizing Access:
Turning Awareness into
Active Intervention
In the previous year, we transitioned from building awareness to driving mass-scale action through the Colgate Oral Health Movement (OHM). By democratizing dental screening via mobile technology, we empowered over 4.5 million Indians across 700 districts to take charge of their oral health. Crucially, this went beyond digital engagement; one-sixth (As per IDA data) of those screened proactively visited a dentist. This reflects a positive shift in the Indian psyche, moving from passive awareness to proactive care.
This mission was further validated by the Hon'ble Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri JP Nadda, who recognized Colgate as a pivotal partner in making oral care a national priority. We see a massive opportunity here: transitioning a nation that simply uses toothpaste into a nation that prioritizes oral health as the gateway to overall wellness.
Resilient Growth in a
Dynamic Landscape
FY 2025-26 was not a year without its challenges. Persistent headwinds, shifting consumer preferences, ruralurban dynamics, geopolitical uncertainties, and macroeconomic pressures tested us at every turn. Our teams rose to meet each one. We succeeded by doubling down on three strategic pillars: leading category growth through science-backed superiority, maintaining uncompromising cost discipline, and driving microdistribution agility.
While we navigated market volatility in the first half, our business stabilized in the latter half of the year, driven by early positive signs in our core portfolio and improved momentum across both urban and rural trade channels. Our fundamentals remained strong and we closed the year with 9% topline growth in Q4.
These healthy margins, supported by our 'Funding-the-Growth' program, allowed us to increase advertising investments by 10%, fueling innovation, strengthening brand health, and expanding household penetration. With an improving demand environment and our intense focus on superior, on-the-ground execution, we expect this momentum to accelerate as we move forward.
Leading the Shift:
Performance, Beauty,
and Science
Innovation at Colgate is about making oral care practical and delivering on its promise. By onboarding Rahul Dravid, popularly known as 'The Wall', for Colgate Total, we are reframing peak oral health as the 'hidden edge' in performance, positioning it as a disciplined ritual that is as vital to stamina and recovery as nutrition or sleep. This narrative is further institutionalized through our partnership with Mumbai Indians and the introduction of the PLOT (Performance Linked Oral Test).
We are also expanding into high-science adjacencies with Visible White Purple Serum, catering to the modern consumer who views their smile as an essential beauty regimen. Simultaneously, we reinforced our core by relaunching Colgate Strong Teeth with an upgraded flavour, ensuring our scientific edge remains accessible to the masses. Our new launches, from Colgate Total Plaque and Colgate Kids Squeeze to the expansion of Palmolive with a new range, reflect our commitment to delivering perceivable, science-backed superiority.
Omni-Channel Momentum:
Delivering Excellence Everywhere
Our strong double-digit growth in E-Commerce and competitive excellence in Quick Commerce are powered by a best-in-class tech and a team whose resilience is unmatched. By combining sharpened execution with digital precision, we ensure Colgate remains an essential constant for every Indian consumer, across every touchpoint. We are not only keeping up with changing shopping habits; we are also shaping them.
Empowered to Excel:
Our People & Culture
Our commitment to an inclusive culture is delivering measurable results. We have surpassed our 2025 gender diversity goals, with women now representing over 25% of our management. We are breaking barriers where they are toughest; nearly doubling the representation of women in our field sales force to 17% through targeted interventions.
Through Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures®, we reached over 11 million children, across 35,000 schools this year. We are encouraging healthy habits from an early age. This effort is bolstered by our Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Keralam, Haryana and Maharashtra, and our collaboration with the Trained Nurses Association of India, bringing oral health awareness to the most trusted frontline healthcare providers in rural India. We are grateful to all our partners in this exceedingly important journey of improving the oral health of every Indian.
Progress with Purpose:
A Sustainable Future
Our growth is inseparable from our responsibility. This year, we hit a major milestone by introducing over 2 billion recyclable tubes. We now source 50.38% of our factory energy from renewables and continue to maintain 100% plastic neutrality. Across all our owned sites, we achieved a Zero Lost Time Accident (LTA) rate and Zero Days Away From Work (DAFW) rate, underscoring our focus on employee safety.
Charting Our
Course Ahead
As we move towards 2030, our approach is to strengthen our leadership while improving our operational efficiency. We are focused on reaching more households in rural markets and continuing to introduce scienceled innovations in urban areas.
Digital agility remains a key part of our strategy. We are using Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence to improve our value chain, from forecasting to consumer engagement. By refining our presence across traditional and digital retail, we aim to be available whenever our consumers need us.
We remain committed to operational excellence and simplifying our processes to reinvest in our brands and our people. Our goal is to drive sustainable growth while contributing to a healthier future for all our stakeholders.
India is a country of a billion smiles; diverse, vibrant, and full of possibility. We approach the opportunities ahead with energy, humility, and absolute confidence.
Best Wishes,
Prabha Narasimhan
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer