Hindustan Unilever Raises Prices of Washing Powders and Soap by Up to 10 Rupees
Key Facts
Hindustan Unilever raised prices on products from its detergent and soap brands in India, with cash increases of between 1 and 10 rupees per pack, according to pricing details published by Moneycontrol on November 9, 2026. The changes covered Surf Excel, Rin and Wheel products, as well as Moti Gulab soap. The price of a 1 kg pack of Surf Excel Quick Wash rose from 235 to 245 rupees, while the 500 gram pack increased from 123 to 128 rupees. The increases come as parent company Unilever says higher commodity costs are driving faster pricing. Hindustan Unilever said in its September results that its Home Care segment recorded double-digit volume growth, putting sustained demand alongside cost pass-through at the center of monitoring the impact of the new prices.
Among other Surf Excel products, the price of a 1 kg pack of Easy Wash rose from 167 to 172 rupees, and the 500 gram pack from 85 to 87 rupees. The price of a 250 gram Surf Excel bar also increased from 42 to 45 rupees. These prices show the adjustment extending across different pack sizes of the brand, with the cash increase varying from one product to another. The changes also covered Rin powder, with the price of a 1 kg pack rising from 120 to 123 rupees and the 500 gram pack from 61 to 63 rupees. The price of a 500 ml pack of Rin Ala liquid increased from 90 to 95 rupees.
The company raised the price of 1 kg of Wheel powder from 90 to 93 rupees, while the 500 gram pack increased from 46 to 47 rupees. The adjustment extended beyond Home Care products to a 150 gram bar of Moti Gulab soap, which rose from 74 to 82 rupees, an increase of more than 10%. That increase represents a higher percentage than the small cash increases recorded for several detergent packs. Chief Executive and Managing Director Priya Nair said in October that the company would continue to adjust prices as costs evolve during the quarter. She added that the company was also focusing on volumes and affordability, as well as procurement and supply-chain efficiency.
At global Unilever level, underlying sales in the Home Care segment grew 9.1% in the third quarter of 2026, including 5.4% volume growth and 3.6% from pricing, according to the company's official statement. Unilever said pricing growth accelerated in the quarter in response to higher commodity costs, and that those costs were expected to contribute to faster pricing through the rest of the year. The company's chief executive said on October 28 that pricing growth in 2027 would be higher than the 2026 average, adding: "As the cost environment becomes clearer, we are accelerating pricing." These remarks provide context for Hindustan Unilever's increases, while global segment performance data remain separate from the Indian company's results. Unilever shares fell 3.4% in the October 28 session after the company reported slower sales volume growth in the third quarter compared with the second quarter.
Unilever updated its 2026 guidance to underlying sales growth of between 4% and 6%, with volume growth of at least 3%, and also expects underlying sales growth of about 5% in the second half. This puts its volume growth target alongside the pricing trajectory the company said is accelerating because of commodity costs. In EL7 data, the stock with ticker ul closed at $66 on November 6, after $67.71 on November 5 and $66.92 on November 4; these figures are for Unilever, not Hindustan Unilever. Unilever is scheduled to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 results on February 11, 2027. The upcoming results will provide a chance to track sales, volume and pricing growth against the company's stated outlook.