Global fast-moving consumer goods major Unilever will invest an additional €35 million in its research and development capabilities in India to transform its two R&D hubs in Mumbai and Bengaluru into next-generation research and innovation centres, while also establishing a strategic Bio-Futures partnership in the country, the company said on Wednesday.
The investment is in addition to more than €20 million deployed over the past five years in its Liquids Lab of the Future, Unilever Fragrance House, Advanced Manufacturing Center for Bars, Packaging and Flexibles Design Lab, and artificial intelligence (AI) and digital modelling platforms.
“Both the India R&D hubs operate as an integral part of Unilever’s global R&D network and encompass a range of new science and technology research, innovation, product development and market-facing activities. This includes consumer understanding, product adaptation, testing, validation, scale-up and deployment with different activities undertaken across the India R&D ecosystem,” the company said.
Both hubs also draw on Unilever’s global science and technology platforms, scientific know-how and intellectual property.
India is one of Unilever’s largest global R&D hubs, with more than 800 scientists, researchers, digital specialists and designers.
The proposed transformation will turn the Mumbai hub into a new Product Innovation Centre.
It will bring together AI- and digital-powered foresight and insights, new measurement approaches, product and format science, product and packaging design, rapid prototyping, scale-up capabilities and market-facing deployment within a single integrated environment.
The centre will also create spaces to support partnerships with academia, experts, suppliers, start-ups and the wider design ecosystem.
Richard Slater, chief research and development officer, Unilever, said India was a critical global R&D centre for the company.
“This investment will enable a more connected way of innovating, bringing together science, insights, design, digital technology, AI, rapid prototyping and scale-up capabilities. By connecting Unilever with India’s world-class bioscience ecosystem, we can harness complementary science, capabilities and partnerships to accelerate the next generation of Bio-Futures innovation for India and the world,” Slater said.
Unilever will also invest €5 million over five years in a strategic Bio-Futures partnership in India.
The platform will connect Unilever’s global R&D capabilities with India’s growing bioscience ecosystem, bringing together scientific institutions, start-ups, advanced infrastructure and talent.
The partnership will focus on areas including human biology, microbiome science, biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and digital and AI-enabled biology.
The Bengaluru centre will continue to evolve as a global science, technology and partnership hub for foundational and application science platforms, digital and AI capabilities, India foods R&D, and collaborations with academia, start-ups and Unilever’s global innovation network.
Priya Nair, managing director and chief executive officer, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, said India’s emergence as an innovation hub presented a significant opportunity for the company.
“India’s emergence as a global innovation powerhouse presents an extraordinary opportunity. As one of the world’s fastest-growing large economies, we see significant potential to bring world-class, science-led innovation to Indian consumers. This investment reinforces Unilever R&D’s long-standing commitment to India and its confidence in the country’s scientific talent, capabilities, innovation ecosystem and India’s emerging position in bio sciences and bio manufacturing,” Nair said.
Across both sites, AI, automated and cobot-powered experimentation, predictive modelling and digital twins will be used to help scientists and product developers test more possibilities, accelerate learning and convert promising ideas into scalable innovations more quickly.
