The net profit of Colgate-Palmolive India increased 48 per cent during the quarter ended March 31, touching Rs 114.4 crore against Rs 77.07 crore a year ago. Net sales were modest in terms of growth, increasing 13 per cent, to touch Rs 516.6 crore against Rs 455.46 crore last year.
For the full year, Colgate's net profit increased 46 per cent to touch Rs 423.3 crore against Rs 290.2 crore a year before. Net sales, on the other hand, grew 16 per cent only to touch Rs 1,962.4 crore against Rs 1,694.8 crore last year. The increase in sales for the quarter, in particular, was led by strong volume growth of 11 per cent in the core toothpaste category, the company said. This pushed up Colgate's overall toothpaste share to 53.4 per cent in the fourth quarter against 51.7 per cent last year. Contributors to growth in the segment included flagship brands Colgate Dental Cream, Active Salt and Cibaca. Even new products such as Colgate Sensitivity contributed to growth, the company said.
In the toothbrush category, Colgate's share increase was even sharper, touching 41.2 per cent in the fourth quarter against 37.8 per cent a year ago.
