The coronavirus pandemic has now spread its fears to India, the government and the private sector are both taking steps to make personal care, hygiene and sanitation products more affordable as they up the ante to combat the rapidly spreading coronavirus. The novel coronavirus which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan has now transmitted to 160 countries infecting more than 200,000 people.
Recently, the government had declared sanitizers and masks as “essential commodities” in an attempt to prevent hoarding and price manipulation of such goods. The government also capped the prices of sanitizers. The price of a 200 ml hand sanitizer bottle is now fixed at ₹100. The government also released a statement notifying the prices of masks which will be in force till June 30.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also asked the public and corporations to help each other in these tough times. Through his message to the public, the Prime Minister also asked big businesses to not stop payments to the MSMEs which are already facing a cash crunch for the past year.
In support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to the nation to help tackle the COVID-19 outbreak, FMCG companies have come to support the government. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) alone has committed Rs 100 crores to help in the fight against coronavirus.
In the public interest, HUL is reducing the prices of Lifebuoy sanitizers, Lifebuoy Liquid hand wash and Domex floor cleaners by 15%. We are commencing the production of these reduced-priced products immediately and these will be available in the market in the next few weeks. HUL has also ramped up the production of Lifebuoy sanitizers, Lifebuoy Handwash liquid, and Domex Floor Cleaners and is committed to scaling it up even further in the coming weeks. HUL will donate two crore pieces of Lifebuoy soaps in the next few months to the sections of the society which need it the most.
HUL will partner with medical institutions that are providing testing and care facilities to the affected people and provide them free supplies of sanitation and hygiene products such as hand sanitizers, bar soaps, and floor cleaners. HUL will donate Rs 10 crores to upgrade the health care facilities in testing centers and hospitals. The Company has also committed to creating large-scale awareness about protective measures through mass communication to drive home the message of social distancing and hygiene which is critical for us as a nation to fight this virus.
HUL is taking all necessary measures to protect the interests of its employees, support staff, distributors and partners during these difficult times. Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman, and Managing Director, HUL said, “In a crisis like this Companies have a big role to play. We are working closely with the Governments and our partners to ensure that we overcome this global health crisis together.”
Haridwar-based Patanjali Ayurved said it has slashed prices of aloe vera and Haldi-Chandan soap variants by 12.5 percent. “In light of the common man’s problem, Swami Ramdev has decided to reduce the prices… to help the common people battle against the coronavirus,” Patanjali Spokesperson S K Tijarawla said.
Godrej has also said it has decided not to pass on raw material price hikes to consumers.
“Pricing in the soaps category has seen significant deflation in 2019. However, in recent months, we have seen a 30 percent increase in raw material inputs. We were planning for a price increase to partially cover for this spike in input costs. However, given the spread of Covid-19, we have decided to hold off this increase, currently. “It is our sincere endeavor to ensure that stocks are replenished across all channels so that our consumers can adopt better hygiene practices and stay safe,” Godrej Consumer Products CEO (India & SAARC) Sunil Kataria said.
Sandeep is a journalism and mass communication graduate with a keen interest in politics and business. He is a part of Research & Content team at HrNxt.com.