ALMOST every Indian owns toothpaste. However, only 20% urban Indians brush teeth at night and only 50% rural Indians do it once a day. For Prabha Narasimhan, MD & CEO, Colgate-Palmolive (India), this was an opportunity. When she took over the reins of the ₹5,644 crore company in 2022, Colgate was the largest oral care brand in India with availability in 6.5 million stores, but lacked the sparkle it deserved. “The brand, the first and last word in oral care, was not delivering to potential,” she says. Narasimhan re-launched three core brands, Colgate Strong Teeth, Colgate Max Fresh and Colgate Active Salt, with better product formulations. “In our largest brand, Colgate Strong Teeth, we have put arginine technology to re-mineralise teeth. It is expensive for a standard toothpaste but we did it as the company’s ethos is to improve oral health,” says Narasimhan. Unlike most brands, which focus on natural ingredients, Narasimhan has used science to win over consumers. It is also launching a teeth whitening gel and a gum protection toothpaste, PerioGard.
Net sales grew 8.8% in FY24 but profits jumped 26.4% to ₹1,324 crore. — Ajita Shashidhar