Philips to Boost India Presence: Grooming & Childcare

Mumbai, Oct 12 (PTI) Global health technology firm Philips has said it will continue strengthening its male grooming and mother and child care product range in India, besides introducing global categories into the domestic market.

Philips India, which rolled out a rechargeable intimate skin-protect grooming product, OneBlade, with an eye on the Gen Z consumers in the country, also said premiumization is fast catching up in the market, with the company seeing over 75 per cent growth in the premium segment category.

"We will continue strengthening mail grooming and mother and childcare with newer and newer innovations, and we continue to get our global categories, which are huge in other markets, into India," said Smit Shukla, Head of Philips Personal Health India Subcontinent.

He said that the company has a huge global portfolio in oral care and it has been thinking of bringing it to India, adding that at the moment Philips is figuring out what will help it drive the consumer demand for such products.

Excluding the manual razors segment, the market is expanding at mid-to-high single digit growth rate annually in the last five years, said Vidyut Kaul, Head of Personal Health, Philips Growth Region (JAPAC, ISC, META & LATAM).

In grooming, he claimed, Philips India enjoys a leadership position, depending upon the channel, with 50-60 per cent market share.

Philips has been bringing innovation to the world but in India, it was never bringing a premium innovation because it was considered a price-sensitive market, while it is a value conscious market, he said.

The company rolled out its most premium and innovative shaver in the market in April this year, adding premiumisation has seen over 75 per cent growth with the demand outpacing supply.

He said that the male grooming segment remains one of the top growth engines, followed by mother and child care, adding that both these portfolios have been doing very well for the last 2-3 years for the company in India.

"And they continue to boost more and more growth and give access to the consumers. In addition, the personal care and personal grooming segments will further accelerate the growth journey there," he stated.

He said that the company has increased localisation in the products that get manufactured and sold in the domestic market through local for local manufacturing and that has insulated it from the impact of the increased US tariffs.