The hygiene business in India was impacted by some of the shutdowns and physical dislocations, thoughpenetration increase of its brands in the country was strong, UK healthcare and hygiene products maker Reckitt Benckiser (RB) global chief executive Laxman Narasimhan said at an investors call. “In the case of the hygiene business in India, we did see a single-digit decline again driven by some of the shutdowns and some of the physical dislocations,” the India-born chief executive said. The maker of Dettol and Lizol disinfectant reported best ever global sales growth for the March 2020 quarter as customers stocked up on hygiene products amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, with like for like growth up 13%, higher market share and strong growth in e-commerce. Narasimhan said the penetration increases with its hygiene brands over time in India have been “very strong”. “We’re good about the fundamentals of the business and we recognise we need to work through some of the physical dislocations in India that will help us get back to, I would say stronger performance over time,” he said.

(Economic Times)