FMCG major Dabur India Ltd raised its advertising and publicity expenditure by 13.6% year-on-year to Rs 229.46 crore in Q1 FY27, up from Rs 201.96 crore a year earlier, as the company doubled down on brand investments despite inflationary pressures and volatile commodity prices.
Consolidated revenue grew 10.6% to Rs 3,764.39 crore for the April-June quarter, compared with Rs 3,404.58 crore in the year-ago period, while profit rose 15.3% to Rs 586.16 crore from Rs 508.29 crore. Total expenses increased 10.2% to Rs 3,180.80 crore.
CEO Mohit Malhotra said the quarter played out against persistent inflation, geopolitical uncertainty in the MENA region, and volatile commodity markets. Rural India remained a consumption bright spot, outpacing urban markets for the 18th straight quarter, though Malhotra noted the urban-rural growth gap has narrowed, aided by strong momentum in modern trade and quick commerce.
Dabur’s consumer care business grew 11% to Rs 3,000.74 crore, while food revenue rose 6.1% to Rs 659.33 crore and retail stood at Rs 28.02 crore. Among categories, home and personal care grew 12.3%, food and beverages 7.2%, and healthcare 5.5%. Shampoo led growth at 23%, followed by hair oil at 17.6% and oral care at 9%. In healthcare, Hajmola, Isabgol and Pudinhara all posted double-digit growth.
The food business expanded 29.2% overall, with Badshah up 13.2%. Internationally, Dabur grew 15.5%, led by Bangladesh (34.3%) and Egypt (28.4%), while MENA rose 8.6% despite regional conflict disruptions.
