Oral Care in India

PRE-COVID-19 PERFORMANCE

Leading industry players launch a myriad of extensions of their power brands during 2019

The leading players launched a plethora of extensions of their power brands during 2019. For instance, Hindustan Unilever relaunched Pepsodent Germicheck toothpaste and Pepsodent Clove and Salt toothpaste with natural clay activated formula using proprietary germ-fighting technology for long-lasting germ protection.

Industry players launch smaller pack sizes and engage in local initiatives to raise awareness and boost consumption

The penetration of toothbrushes and toothpaste remained low in rural areas of India in 2019 due to a lack of effective oral hygiene. Companies focused their resources on enhancing consumer awareness in these areas in order to stimulate a shift away from non-dentifrice products.

Colgate-Palmolive India retains outright lead in the oral care competitive landscape

Colgate-Palmolive India remained by far the leading player in oral care in 2019 due to its strong portfolio of brands across toothbrushes, mouthwashes/dental rinses and dental floss which enabled it to achieve widespread brand recognition. The company continued to focus on innovation across its portfolio, relaunching Colgate Strong Teeth and Colgate Total as well as natural and herbal toothpaste.

2020 AND BEYOND

COVID-19 impact

Sales of oral care are now expected to grow by 2% in 2020 in 2019 constant value terms in light of the impact of COVID-19. This compares to an expected 3% rise forecast for 2020 during research conducted at the end of 2019 before the spread of COVID-19.

Affected products within oral care

The category is India is mainly characterised by toothbrushes and toothpaste, therefore demand for other categories has traditionally been low and evolving. This situation is not expected to change in 2020 with mouthwashes/dental rinses growing from a much smaller base.

Recovery and opportunities

Sales are expected to remain constrained over much of the forecast period due to economic uncertainty with consumer spending concentrated on basic oral care products such as toothbrushes and toothpaste. Moreover, replacement purchases are likely to be less frequent.

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