HUL at a glance

Incorporation

Incorporated in 1933

Turnover

Rs.17,523 Cr Audited results for April 1, 2009 to March 3, 2010

People

More than 15000 direct employees including more than 1400 managers

Parentage

HUL is a part of the €40 billion Unilever Group

Reach

Reaches over 6.3 million retail outlets including direct reach to over 1 million

R&D

Two R&D centres in India in Mumbai and Bangalore

Introduction to HUL
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is India's largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods
Company, touching the lives of two out of three Indians with over 20 distinct categories
in Home & Personal Care Products and Foods & Beverages. The company’s Turnover is
Rs. 17,523 crores (for the financial year 2009 - 2010)

HUL is a subsidiary of Unilever, one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving
consumer goods with strong local roots in more than 100 countries across the globe with
annual sales of about €40 billion in 2009 Unilever has about 52% shareholding in HUL.

Hindustan Unilever was recently rated among the top four companies globally in the list
of “Global Top Companies for Leaders” by a study sponsored by Hewitt Associates, in
partnership with Fortune magazine and the RBL Group. The company was ranked
number one in the Asia-Pacific region and in India.

The mission that inspires HUL's more than 15,000 employees, including over 1,400
managers, is to help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and
services that are good for them and good for others. It is a mission HUL shares with its
parent company, Unilever, which holds about 52 % of the equity.

Our vision
Unilever products touch the lives of over 2 billion people every day – whether that's
through feeling great because they've got shiny hair and a brilliant smile, keeping their
homes fresh and clean, or by enjoying a great cup of tea, satisfying meal or healthy
snack.

A clear direction
The four pillars of our vision set out the long term direction for the company – where we
want to go and how we are going to get there:

• We work to create a better future every day

 • We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and
services that are good for them and good for others.
• We will inspire people to take small everyday actions that can add up to a big
difference for the world.
• We will develop new ways of doing business with the aim of doubling the size of
our company while reducing our environmental impact.

We've always believed in the power of our brands to improve the quality of people’s lives
and in doing the right thing. As our business grows, so do our responsibilities. We
recognise that global challenges such as climate change concern us all. Considering the
wider impact of our actions is embedded in our values and is a fundamental part of who
we are.

Purpose & principles

Our corporate purpose states that to succeed requires "the highest standards of corporate
behaviour towards everyone we work with, the communities we touch, and the
environment on which we have an impact."

Always working with integrity

Conducting our operations with integrity and with respect for the many people,
organisations and environments our business touches has always been at the heart of our
corporate responsibility.

Positive impact

We aim to make a positive impact in many ways: through our brands, our commercial
operations and relationships, through voluntary contributions, and through the various
other ways in which we engage with society.

Continuous commitment

We're also committed to continuously improving the way we manage our environmental
impacts and are working towards our longer-term goal of developing a sustainable
business.

Setting out our aspirations

Our corporate purpose sets out our aspirations in running our business. It's underpinned
by our code of business Principles which describes the operational standards that
everyone at Unilever follows, wherever they are in the world. The code also supports our
approach to governance and corporate responsibility.
Working with others

We want to work with suppliers who have values similar to our own and work to the
same standards we do. Our Business partner code, aligned to our own Code of business
principles, comprises ten principles covering business integrity and responsibilities
relating to employees, consumers and the environment.

Our Principles
Our code of business principles describes the operational standards that everyone at
Unilever follows, wherever they are in the world. It also supports our approach to
governance and corporate responsibility.

Code of business principles

Introduction

Unilever has earned a reputation for conducting its business with integrity and with
respect for all those whom our activities affect. This reputation is an asset, just as
valuable as our people and our brands.

To maintain this reputation requires the highest standards of behaviour – consistently

observed by all of us. Unilever’s Code of Business Principles sets out these standards and
we expect all our employees to adhere to them.

Being a successful business does not just mean investing for growth and balancing short
and long term interests. It also means caring about our consumers, employees and
shareholders, our business partners and the world in which we live.

We therefore want this Code to be more than a collection of high sounding statements. It
must have practical value in our day-to-day business lives and each of us must follow
these principles both in the spirit and the letter.

If we do so, Unilever’s reputation will be enhanced, our business will perform better and
our professional lives will be all the more fulfilling.

Standard of Conduct

We conduct our operations with honesty, integrity and openness, and with respect for the
human rights and interests of our employees.

We shall similarly respect the legitimate interests of those with whom we have
relationships.
Obeying the Law

Unilever companies and our employees are required to comply with the laws and
regulations of the countries in which we operate.

Employees

Unilever is committed to diversity in a working environment where there is mutual trust

and respect and where everyone feels responsible for the performance and reputation of
our company.

We will recruit, employ and promote employees on the sole basis of the qualifications
and abilities needed for the work to be performed.

We are committed to safe and healthy working conditions for all employees. We will not
use any form of forced, compulsory or child labour.

We are committed to working with employees to develop and enhance each individual's
skills and capabilities.

We respect the dignity of the individual and the right of employees to freedom of
association.

We will maintain good communications with employees through company based

information and consultation procedures.

Consumers

Unilever is committed to providing branded products and services which consistently

offer value in terms of price and quality, and which are safe for their intended use.

Products and services will be accurately and properly labelled, advertised and
communicated.

Shareholders

Unilever will conduct its operations in accordance with internationally accepted

principles of good corporate governance. We will provide timely, regular and reliable
information on our activities, structure, financial situation and performance to all
shareholders.

Business Partners

Unilever is committed to establishing mutually beneficial relations with our suppliers,

customers and business partners. In our business dealings we expect our business partners
to adhere to business principles consistent with our own.
Community Involvement

Unilever strives to be a trusted corporate citizen and, as an integral part of society, to

fulfil our responsibilities to the societies and communities in which we operate.

Public Activities

Unilever companies are encouraged to promote and defend their legitimate business
interests.

Unilever will co-operate with governments and other organisations, both directly and
through bodies such as trade associations, in the development of proposed legislation and
other regulations which may affect legitimate business interests.

Unilever neither supports political parties nor contributes to the funds of groups whose
activities are calculated to promote party interests.

The Environment

Unilever is committed to making continuous improvements in the management of our

environmental impact and to the longer-term goal of developing a sustainable business.

Unilever will work in partnership with others to promote environmental care, increase
understanding of environmental issues and disseminate good practice.

Innovation

In our scientific innovation to meet consumer needs we will respect the concerns of our
consumers and of society. We will work on the basis of sound science applying rigorous
standards of product safety.

Competition

Unilever believes in vigorous yet fair competition and supports the development of
appropriate competition laws. Unilever companies and employees will conduct their
operations in accordance with the principles of fair competition and all applicable
regulations.

Business Integrity

Unilever does not give or receive whether directly or indirectly bribes or other improper
advantages for business or financial gain. No employee may offer give or receive any gift
or payment which is, or may be construed as being, a bribe. Any demand for, or offer of,
a bribe must be rejected immediately and reported to management.
Unilever accounting records and supporting documents must accurately describe and
reflect the nature of the underlying transactions. No undisclosed or unrecorded account,
fund or asset will be established or maintained.

Conflicts of Interests

All Unilever employees are expected to avoid personal activities and financial interests
which could conflict with their responsibilities to the company.

Unilever employees must not seek gain for themselves or others through misuse of their
positions.

Compliance - Monitoring – Reporting

Compliance with these principles is an essential element in our business success. The
Unilever Board is responsible for ensuring these principles are applied throughout
Unilever.

The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for implementing these principles and is
supported in this by the Corporate Code Committee chaired by the Chief Legal Officer,
Members of the Committee are the Group Secretary, the Chief Auditor, the SVP HR and
the SVP Communications. The Global Code Officer is Secretary to the Committee. The
Committee presents quarterly updates to the Corporate Responsibility and Reputation and
the Audit Committee, half-yearly reports to the Unilever Executive and an annual report
to the Board.

Day to day responsibility is delegated to all senior management of the regions, categories,
functions and operating companies. They are responsible for implementing these
principles, if necessary through more detailed guidance tailored to local needs, and are
supported in this by Regional Code Committees comprising the Regional General
Counsel together with representatives from all relevant functions and categories.
Assurance of compliance is given and monitored each year. Compliance with the Code is
subject to review by the Board supported by the Corporate Responsibility and Reputation
Committee and for financial and accounting issues the Audit Committee.

Any breaches of the Code must be reported in accordance with the procedures specified
by the Chief Legal Officer. The Board of Unilever will not criticise management for any
loss of business resulting from adherence to these principles and other mandatory policies
and instructions. The Board of Unilever expects employees to bring to their attention, or
to that of senior management, any breach or suspected breach of these principles.
Provision has been made for employees to be able to report in confidence and no
employee will suffer as a consequence of doing so.
Our history
In the summer of 1888, visitors to the Kolkata harbour noticed crates full of Sunlight
soap bars, embossed with the words "Made in England by Lever Brothers". With it,
began an era of marketing branded Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

Soon after followed Lifebuoy in 1895 and other famous brands like
Pears, Lux and Vim. Vanaspati was launched in 1918 and the famous Dalda brand came
to the market in 1937.

In 1931, Unilever set up its first Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Vanaspati Manufacturing
Company, followed by Lever Brothers India Limited (1933) and United Traders Limited
(1935). These three companies merged to form HUL in November 1956; HUL offered
10% of its equity to the Indian public, being the first among the foreign subsidiaries to do
so. Unilever now holds 52.10% equity in the company. The rest of the shareholding is
distributed among about 360,675 individual shareholders and financial institutions.

The erstwhile Brooke Bond's presence in India dates back to 1900. By 1903, the
company had launched Red Label tea in the country. In 1912, Brooke Bond & Co. India
Limited was formed. Brooke Bond joined the Unilever fold in 1984 through an
international acquisition. The erstwhile Lipton's links with India were forged in 1898.
Unilever acquired Lipton in 1972, and in 1977 Lipton Tea (India) Limited was
incorporated.

Pond's (India) Limited had been present in India since 1947. It joined the Unilever fold
through an international acquisition of Chesebrough Pond's USA in 1986.

Since the very early years, HUL has vigorously responded to the stimulus of economic
growth. The growth process has been accompanied by judicious diversification, always in
line with Indian opinions and aspirations.

The liberalisation of the Indian economy, started in 1991, clearly marked an inflexion in
HUL's and the Group's growth curve. Removal of the regulatory framework allowed the
company to explore every single product and opportunity segment, without any
constraints on production capacity.

Simultaneously, deregulation permitted alliances, acquisitions and mergers. In one of the

most visible and talked about events of India's corporate history, the erstwhile Tata Oil
Mills Company (TOMCO) merged with HUL, effective from April 1, 1993. In 1996,
HUL and yet another Tata company, Lakme Limited, formed a 50:50 joint venture,
Lakme Unilever Limited, to market Lakme's market-leading cosmetics and other
appropriate products of both the companies. Subsequently in 1998, Lakme Limited sold
its brands to HUL and divested its 50% stake in the joint venture to the company.

HUL formed a 50:50 joint venture with the US-based Kimberly Clark Corporation in
1994, Kimberly-Clark Lever Ltd, which markets Huggies Diapers and Kotex Sanitary
Pads. HUL has also set up a subsidiary in Nepal, Unilever Nepal Limited (UNL), and its
factory represents the largest manufacturing investment in the Himalayan kingdom. The
UNL factory manufactures HUL's products like Soaps, Detergents and Personal Products
both for the domestic market and exports to India.

The 1990s also witnessed a string of crucial mergers, acquisitions and alliances on the
Foods and Beverages front. In 1992, the erstwhile Brooke Bond acquired Kothari General
Foods, with significant interests in Instant Coffee. In 1993, it acquired the Kissan
business from the UB Group and the Dollops Icecream business from Cadbury India.

As a measure of backward integration, Tea Estates and Doom Dooma, two plantation
companies of Unilever, were merged with Brooke Bond. Then in 1994, Brooke Bond
India and Lipton India merged to form Brooke Bond Lipton India Limited (BBLIL),
enabling greater focus and ensuring synergy in the traditional Beverages business. 1994
witnessed BBLIL launching the Wall's range of Frozen Desserts. By the end of the year,
the company entered into a strategic alliance with the Kwality Icecream Group families
and in 1995 the Milkfood 100% Icecream marketing and distribution rights too were
acquired.

Finally, BBLIL merged with HUL, with effect from January 1, 1996. The internal
restructuring culminated in the merger of Pond's (India) Limited (PIL) with HUL in
1998. The two companies had significant overlaps in Personal Products, Speciality
Chemicals and Exports businesses, besides a common distribution system since 1993 for
Personal Products. The two also had a common management pool and a technology base.
The amalgamation was done to ensure for the Group, benefits from scale economies both
in domestic and export markets and enable it to fund investments required for
aggressively building new categories.

In January 2000, in a historic step, the government decided to award 74 per cent equity in
Modern Foods to HUL, thereby beginning the divestment of government equity in public
sector undertakings (PSU) to private sector partners. HUL's entry into Bread is a strategic
extension of the company's wheat business. In 2002, HUL acquired the government's
remaining stake in Modern Foods.

In 2003, HUL acquired the Cooked Shrimp and Pasteurised Crabmeat business of the
Amalgam Group of Companies, a leader in value added Marine Products exports.

HUL launched a slew of new business initiatives in the early part of 2000’s. Project
Shakti was started in 2001. It is a rural initiative that targets small villages populated by
less than 5000 individuals. It is a unique win-win initiative that catalyses rural affluence
even as it benefits business. Currently, there are over 45,000 Shakti entrepreneurs
covering over 100,000 villages across 15 states and reaching to over 3 million homes.

In 2002, HUL made its foray into Ayurvedic health & beauty centre category with the
Ayush product range and Ayush Therapy Centres. Hindustan Unilever Network, Direct to
home business was launched in 2003 and this was followed by the launch of ‘Pureit’
water purifier in 2004.

In 2007, the Company name was formally changed to Hindustan Unilever Limited after
receiving the approval of share holders during the 74th AGM on 18 May 2007. Brooke
Bond and Surf Excel breached the the Rs 1,000 crore sales mark the same year followed
by Wheel which crossed the Rs.2,000 crore sales milestone in 2008.

On 17th October 2008 , HUL completed 75 years of corporate existence in India.

Company structure
Hindustan Unilever Limited is India's largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
company. It is present in Home & Personal Care and Foods & Beverages categories.
HUL has about 15,000 employees, including over 1400 managers

The fundamental principle determining the organisation structure is to infuse speed and
flexibility in decision-making and implementation, with empowered managers across the
company’s nationwide operations.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors as repositories of the corporate powers act as a guardian to the
Company as also the protectors of shareholder’s interest.

This Apex body comprises of a Non- Executive Chairman, four whole time Directors and
five Independent Non – Executive Directors. The Board of the Company represents the
optimum mix of professionalism, knowledge and experience.

Mr. Harish Manwani - Chairman

Mr. Harish Manwani (55), assumed charge as the Non-Executive Chairman of the
Company with effect from 1st July, 2005.

Mr. Nitin Paranjpe - CEO and Managing Director

Mr. Nitin Paranjpe (46), after obtaining a degree in BE (Mechanical) and MBA in
Marketing (JBIMS) from Mumbai, joined the Company as a management trainee in 1987.

Mr. R. Sridhar - Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Sridhar Ramamurthy (45) is a Chartered Accountant (Gold Medallist) as well as a
Cost Accountant and Company Secretary.
Mr. Gopal Vittal - Executive Director, Home &
Personal Care
Mr. Gopal Vittal (42), an alumnus of Madras Christian College, completed his MBA
from IIM, Calcutta. Mr. Vittal has 18 years experience in Marketing & Sales in FMCG
market including Skin Care, Soaps and Laundry.

Mr Pradeep Banerjee - Executive Director, Supply

Chain
Mr Pradeep Banerjee (51) joined HUL as a Management Trainee in 1980.

Mr. D. S. Parekh - Independent Director

Mr. D. S. Parekh (64), is a B.Com graduate and holds a FCA degree from England and
Wales. Mr. Parekh has held senior positions in Grindlays and Chase Manhattan.
Mr. A. Narayan - Independent Director
Mr. A. Narayan (57), joined ICI India as a Management Trainee in 1973 and grew
through diverse functions and businesses before being appointed as the Managing
Director of ICI India in 1996.

Mr. S. Ramadorai - Independent Director

Mr. S. Ramadorai (64), is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata
Consultancy Services Limited; Chairman of Tata Technologies Limited and Chairman of
CMC Limited.

Dr. R. A. Mashelkar - Independent Director

Dr. R. A. Mashelkar (66), is presently the President of Global Research Alliance, a
network of publicly funded R&D institutes from Asia-Pacific Europe and USA.
Food Brands
HUL is one of India’s leading food companies. Our passion for understanding what
people want and need from their food - and what they love about it - makes our brands a
popular choice

Brooke Bond 3 Roses

Playful banter, a little mischief, serious conversation… there’s no time for young couples
like the time spent sharing a cup of 3 Roses.

Annapurna
Partnering with the mom in nurturing her dreams, Annapurna Atta is aimed at helping her
provide wholesome tasty nutrition to her family.

Red Label
Brooke Bond Red Label… 'Chuskiyaan Zindagi ki'
Brooke Bond Taaza
Brooke Bond Taaza lifts me and unshackles my mind, allowing me to see and realize
possibilities.

Taj Mahal
Brooke Bond Taj Mahal is an exclusive selection of teas for the discerning consumer.

Bru
Bru se hoti hain khushiyaan shuru…

Kissan
With Kissan, good food is loved not shoved!
Knorr
Knorr helps families make meal times special, nutritious, tasty and healthy.

Kwality Wall’s
A good honest scoop of daily pleasure.

Lipton
Lipton has a range of vitality teas that truly encompass the goodness of tea.

Modern
Modern – A Wholesome & Nourishing, Hygienically produced & Reliably Safe Bread
Home care brands
HUL has a diverse portfolio of brands offering home care solutions for millions of
consumers across India.

Active Wheel
Active Wheel de "Mehnat se Aazadi" Freedom from painful & tiring laundry

Cif
Cif- the best cleaner to let you shine.

Comfort
The world’s largest fabric conditioner brand.
Domex
The sheer power of Domex bleach gives you the confidence you need, eradicating all
known germs.

Rin
Rin provides ‘best in class whiteness’ which is demonstrable.

Sunlight
Sunlight is a color care brand

Surf Excel
Giving your kids the freedom to get dirty and experience life, safe in the knowledge that
Surf Excel will remove those stains
Vim
Created in 1885, the Vim brand is still innovating and using the magic of natural
ingredients to create unbeatable results over a hundred years later.

Personal care brands

Our personal care brands, including Axe, Dove, Lux, Pond's, Rexona and Sunsilk, are
recognised and love by consumers across India. They help consumers to look good and
feel good – and in turn get more out of life.

Aviance
Aviance enables women actualize their unique potential through expert customized
beauty solutions.

Axe
Axe with Best Quality Fragrance
LEVER Ayush Therapy
LEVER Ayush aims to help a new generation of Indians rediscover everyday health and
vitality through customized Ayurvedic solutions.

Breeze
Breeze, with the goodness of glycerine gives soft, fragrant and smooth skin.

Clear
New Clear with Essential Oils, guarantees Zero dandruff and leaves your hair feeling
fabulous.

Clinic Plus
Clinic Plus - makes hair inside strong, outside long!
Closeup
Freshness that brings you Closer

Dove
Dove stands for real beauty. All around the world, Dove is making real women feel more
beautiful!

Fair & Lovely

More than 30 years ago, a unique brand was born. Wrapped within a humble lavender
tube, it went on to become the World’s No.1 Fairness cream.

Hamam
Holistic skin care experiences perfected over the ages to deliver healthy, beautiful skin
Lakme
Lakme is an ally to the Indian Woman and inspires her to express her unique beauty and
sensuality. Thus, enabling her to realize the potency of her beauty.

Lifebuoy
Lifebuoy is available in multiple variants in soaps and specialist formats such as liquid
handwash, catering to the entire family.

Liril 2000
Presenting nature's best kept secret-Tea tree oil, known for protection from germs. Liril
2000 now with Tea tree oil, gives you touchably clean skin. Now, you can come close
and stay closer

Lux
Lux – For soft and smooth skin!

Pears
Pears – the purest and most gentle way to skincare!

Pepsodent
Pepsodent India is committed to improve the overall Oral health of Indians.

Pond’s
Get the expert to look after your skin

Rexona
Rexona gives you 24 hr protection from sweat and body odour and therefore the
confidence to handle whatever the day has in store.

Sunsilk
Sunsilk has had a re-style!

Vaseline
Your skin is amazing. It deserves to be treated as such.
Water

Pureit is the world’s most advanced in-home water purifier. Pureit, a breakthrough
offering of Hindustan Unilever (HUL), provides complete protection from all water-
borne diseases, unmatched convenience and affordability.

Pureit’s unique Germkill Battery technology kills all harmful viruses and bacteria and
removes parasites and pesticide impurities, giving you water that is "as safe as boiled
water". It assures your family 100% protection from all water-borne diseases like
jaundice, diarrhea, typhoid and cholera. What’s more, it doesn’t need gas, electricity or
continuous tap water supply.

Pureit not only renders water micro-biologically safe, but also makes the water clear,
odourless and good-tasting. Pureit does not leave any residual chlorine in the output
water.

The output water from Pureit meets stringent criteria for microbiologically safe drinking
water, from one of the toughest regulatory agencies in the USA, EPA (Environmental
Protection Agency).

The performance of Pureit has also been tested by leading scientific and medical
institutions in India and abroad.

This patented technological breakthrough has been developed by HUL. This state-of –
the-art engineering developed by a team of over 100 Indian and international experts
from HUL and Unilever Research Centres has made Pureit possible at the consumer price
of just Rs. 2000

Pureit runs with a unique ‘Germkill Battery Kit’™ that typically lasts for 1500 litres* of
water. The ‘Germkill Battery Kit’™is priced at Rs.365. This means consumers will get 4
litres of water that is ‘as safe as boiled water’ ™ for just one rupee, which works out to
an extremely affordable 24 paise per litre.

Pureit in-home purification system uses a 4 stage purification process to deliver “as safe
as boiled water” without the use of electricity and pressurized tap water. Pureit purifies
the input drinking water in four stages, namely;
1. Micro-fiber MeshTM - Removes visible dirt

2. Compact Carbon TrapTM - removes remaining dirt, harmful parasites & pesticide
impurities

3. Germkill ProcessorTM – uses 'programmed chlorine release chlorine technology' and

its stored germkill process targets and kills harmful virus and bacteria

4. PolisherTM – removes residual chlorine and all disinfectant by-products, giving clear
odourless and great tasting water

5. Battery Life Indicator - Ensures total safety because when the germkill power is
exhausted, the indicator turns red, warning you to replace the battery

Advanced Auto-Switch off - In case, the battery is not changed when it turns fully red, as
an additional assurance of safety, the advanced Auto-Switch off will automatically
switch-off the flow of water.

Protect your loved ones with a Pureit today!

You can ask for a free home demonstration of Pureit. A trained Pureit Water Expert will
visit your home and give you a detailed demonstration of how Pureit works.

For a free home demo, queries, or to purchase

Call Pureit Helpline : 09223 200 200

Health, hygiene & beauty
Unilever's vitality mission is a mandate to help people feel good, look good and get more
out of life. At the heart of this mission is hygiene and health through hygiene.

At the heart of our mission

What does 'vitality' really mean to billions of people in the world? How does it manifest
itself in their lives? What does it add to their lives when it is present? What are the
consequences when it is absent?

The desire to be clean, active, energetic and healthy is common to every person, whether
young or old, whether rich or poor. To billions in the developing world, health is simply
the absence of illness. For them, health is the ability to go to work, to provide a square
meal for their families. For their children, health is the ability to play, to go to school, to
work towards a better future. For the affluent, health is more than just physical well
being. For them the signs of good health – being active, energetic, feeling good, looking
good – allow them to get the most out of life. Yet for the millions of mothers who lose
their children to diarrhoea and upper respiratory infections, health is simply about staying
alive.

New risks

"The risks are likely to intensify," says Sally Bloomfield, a member of the International
Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene (IFH), which receives an educational grant from
Unilever. "As populations age and the incidence of immuno-deficient diseases such as
AIDS rises, more people will be vulnerable to the consequences of poor hygiene."

"Infectious diseases are also hopping around the world quicker than before due to
globalisation, as we saw with SARS and now with Swine Flu. In some cases, you can't
treat these with antibiotics as they're viral; others are bacterial but resistant to antibiotics,
such as the hospital superbug MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)."

New pathogens – agents that can cause disease – are also constantly appearing. Since the
1970s, at least one new pathogen has been recorded each year. Good hygiene is often the
only way to avoid many pathogens and their consequences.

A simple solution

One of the main stumbling blocks, says Dr Val Curtis at the London School of Tropical
Medicine and Hygiene, is that most people do not use one of the world's most basic and
widely available home hygiene products – the humble bar of soap.

"Hands are a superhighway for transmitting germs, but most people don't wash their
hands with soap and water at key times," she explains. "In the UK, for example, only
30% of people wash their hands after going to the toilet and only 43% after changing a
nappy." The statistics in developing countries are similar.

Health through hygiene

So what's Hindustan Unilever doing?

One of our oldest brands, Lifebuoy, exemplifies our commitment to champion health
through hygiene for everyone.