HUL’s CEO and managing director, Rohit Jawa, stated, “Foods is a large business unit for HUL with strong growth potential. Rajneet brings extensive experience in managing large foods and beverages businesses and driving high performance.”
Moreover, Jawa expressed his confidence that Kohli will lead the foods business “to the next phase of growth and transformation.”
Kohli possesses a robust career spanning over 28 years in the consumer goods and retail industries. Most recently, he resigned from his role as CEO of Britannia Industries.
During his tenure at Britannia, he spearheaded the company through significant product innovations, robust brand-building initiatives, and enhanced digital capabilities, as noted by HUL.
Before joining Britannia, Kohli held leadership roles at esteemed organizations such as Jubilant Foodworks, The Coca-Cola Company, and Asian Paints.
HUL’s foods and refreshment segment includes renowned brands such as Brooke Bond, Lipton, Kissan, Knorr, Kwality Wall’s, Horlicks, and Magnum. In the financial year 2023-2024, this division reported an underlying sales growth of 4%, with revenues reaching Rs152.92bn ($1.78bn) and an EBIT of Rs28.51bn.
In November, HUL’s UK-based parent company Unilever confirmed plans to spin off its ice cream business in India, aligning with a similar strategy in Indonesia.
This restructuring is part of Unilever’s global strategy aimed at demerging its ice cream division. An official statement released on 25 November indicated that HUL’s ice cream business will be separated and listed independently in the local market, pending board and shareholder approval in early 2025.
