
Nestle India flags potential price hikes as West Asia war impacts costs
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: Nestlé India flagged potential price increases if input costs remain elevated, even as it continues to prioritize volume-led growth.“We did see some commodity inflation like milk and wheat… The fuel part is a curveball,” chairman and managing director Manish Tiwary told Mint.“Of course, if it persists, while we do want more volume-led growth, we might have to make some price adjustments,” he added.Nestlé India, the maker of KitKat and Maggi, has leaned on volumes to drive growth, but Tiwary acknowledged that pricing could return to the mix depending on how commodity costs evolve. “So, from almost a complete volume-led growth, we could have some pricing (-led growth), depending on how the commodity and prices move,” he said.
For the March quarter, Nestlé India reported its strongest quarterly growth in nearly a decade, driven by double-digit volume growth. And Tiwary clearly knows the advantages of volume-led growth.
“When we grow on volumes, it leads to far better efficiency. The brands grow by volume, and you get all the leverage.”Nestlé India’s consolidated profit jumped 27% year-on-year to ₹1,110.9 crore in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 (FY26).
Its revenue from operations for the given period jumped 22.6% to ₹6,747.79 crore.Tiwary added that management is focusing on controllable factors, such as cost optimization, rather than on factors like the weather and fuel prices.“When you invest more behind the brands, the brands grow by volume, and you get all the cost leverage,” he said.So far, demand trends remain steady. “We are not seeing downtrading; consumers are cautious, but demand for our trusted brands remains resilient,” Tiwary said.Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL),
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