NEW DELHI: A fresh round of price hikes by FMCG companies is set to make everyday essentials costlier for consumers soon. The latest increases across categories, from soaps and detergents to toothpaste and edible oils, in the range of 4-11%, come weeks after the fuel price revision in mid-May, industry experts told TOI.Leading consumer goods companies, including HUL, Colgate-Palmolive, Emami, Dabur and Marico, are increasing prices, as higher crude prices, freight and commodity inflation triggered, amid the West Asia conflict, pushed up input costs.For instance, Hindustan Unilever has hiked prices of Dove and Pears soaps by 4–5% and of Rin and Wheel detergents by 5–11%. Colgate-Palmolive has raised toothpaste prices by 4–9%, with higher increases on premium variants, while Dabur has increased prices of its oral care brands, Red and Meswak, along with its personal care categories. Marico is raising prices of Saffola, its flagship brand, by 6-11%.
Essentials costlier
“Most FMCG companies will implement a fresh round of price increases ranging between 8-10%, while some will reduce pack sizes, to offset persistent cost pressures. Consumers are likely to see the revised prices on shelves by month-end or in July once new stocks flow through the distribution channel, Dhairyashil Patil,” president of All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation, said.Fuel price hikes over the past month have added to freight, distribution and input-cost pressures, squeezing margins of companies, which are already contending, with around 10% inflationary increases since the West Asia conflict began impacting supply chains and commodity markets.“Input cost pressures across categories, led by crude-linked raw materials and select agri-commodities, are prompting calibrated price hikes by most companies. Near-term raw material prices are expected to remain volatile, with companies undertaking calibrated price hikes to offset the same,’’ an analyst from Motilal Oswal said.This comes even as consumer demand had strengthened in the fourth quarter of FY26, with companies benefiting from robust rural consumption, a broad-based recovery in urban markets and affordability gains stemming from GST-related measures.
