REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui
Nitin Paranjpe, the chairman of FMCG major Hindustan Unilever (HUL) on June 23 outlined the company’s goals going forward in India and stressed on the need for equitable and inclusive growth in India that is both productivity and employment led.
“HUL has been an integral part of India’s growth story over the years and has always believed that what is good for India is good for the company,” he said addressing the shareholders at HUL 89th Annual General Meet (AGM).
This was Paranjpe’s first AGM after taking over as the chairman of the company. As its parent Unilever undergoes major restructuring, HUL in February separated the positions of chairman of the board and the CEO and managing director of the company and appointed Nitin Paranjpe as its non-executive chairman and non-executive director, effective March 31. The company’s erstwhile chairman Sanjiv Mehta continues to serve as the CEO and MD of the company.
Paranjpe’s speech titled ‘serving India today and tomorrow’ addressed the challenges of inequality of wealth, poverty and said the India growth story needs to be built by transforming rural India, accelerating growth of medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs), building strong infrastructure, creating a competitive edge in manufacturing, ensuring women’s participation in the workforce and deft management of the environment.