FMCG firm Dabur India likely to undertake price hikes for some brands

Dabur expects high single-digit growth next year led by volume recovery on GST tailwinds, while continuing selective price hikes in inflation-hit categories

Homegrown fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) firm Dabur India hopes to pivot back to volume growth. However, the company will undertake price hikes for some brands.

 

“While this year it was a combination of price and volume, next year, it should be more volume, given the GST tailwinds. Having said that, price increases will not be absent because certain price increases which we took in the earlier part — pre-September — will also have a rollover impact,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mohit Malhotra, told investors during a post results interaction.

 

“Wherever there are inflation categories, we will definitely take more price increases,” Malhotra added.

 

With this, the company is eyeing a growth of high-single-digit revenue, and improvements in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) over this year.

 

The maker of Real fruit juice and Hajmola candy reported a 7.1 per cent growth in consolidated net profit to ₹559.9 crore in the third quarter of financial year 2026 (Q3FY26). This compares to profit of ₹522.3 crore in the same period last year.

 

Its consolidated net sales grew 6 per cent to ₹3,558.6 crore during the October-December period from ₹3,355.2 crore in the same period last year.

 

Overall volumes grew 3 per cent during the quarter and rural growth was 330 basis points (bps), ahead of urban.

 

During the December quarter, the company’s brands registered strong growth and made market share gains across the key portfolio, with a 193-bps improvement in the hair oils segment to about 20 per cent.

 

“The company’s hair oils business posted a 19.1 per cent surge during the quarter, while the toothpaste business, led by continued demand for its flagship Dabur Red Toothpaste and premium brand Meswak, ended the quarter with around 10 per cent growth. Its skin and salon business reported a growth of 6.6 per cent, while the flagship digestives brand Hajmola grew by 7 per cent,” the company said in a release.

 

The foods business reported a 14 per cent growth during the quarter.