Dettol rides hygiene wave to expand business amid Covid-19 pandemic

The recent declaration from RB suggests Dettol now holds some 14% of the local soap market

Dettol has taken pole position in India’s soap market, riding on the renewed surge in consumption of hygiene and sanitary products. Better availability and rationalisation of shelf-keeping units (SKUs) has helped its business during the pandemic.

According to Laxman Narasimhan, group chief executive officer and ED of Reckitt Benck­iser (RB), the brand gained 430 basis points in market share during the first half of 2020, overtaking long-standing leaders Lifebuoy and Lux of Hindustan Unilever (HUL).

Nielsen data sourced from the industry shows that in the Rs 22,000-crore soap market, Lifebuoy has been the market leader for years. 

While it had a 15 per