Hindustan Lever has posted a 8.22 per cent rise in net profit before exceptional items to Rs 382.92 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2003. It posted a net profit of Rs 353.82 crore in the same period last year.
Net sales for the quarter increased 1.2 per cent to Rs 2,367.50 crore against Rs 2,338.46 crore in the first quarter of 2002 (January-March 2002).
The growth in net profit was aided by a 47 per cent jump in other income to Rs 141.27 crore from Rs 95.93 crore in the corresponding previous quarter. This includes a Rs 31.44 crore benefit arising out of early repayment of deferred sales tax liability, and gains from effective treasury management, director (finance) D Sundaram said.
The company