COVID-19 disruption hits P&G, net profit up 1% at Rs 91 cr

Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd has delivered sales of Rs 656 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, down 6 per cent vis-a-vis a year ago. The company was forecasting high single digit sales growth for the quarter before the lockdown. But following the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, the business operations were severely disrupted across the country. The Profit After Tax (PAT) was Rs 91 crore, up 1 per cent compared to a year ago.

Madhusudan Gopalan, Managing Director, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd, commented, “During this unprecedented crisis, our organisation has been focusing on protecting the health and safety of each other, serving the Indian consumers with our health and hygiene products, which become critical now more than ever, and to support communities in need through our relief efforts.”

He further said that in the near-term, the company will focus on scaling up its operations to maximise the availability of its products to meet consumer needs, while following health and safety guidelines by the Government authorities.

“With the strength of our product portfolio, we are well positioned to serve the needs of our consumers by offering superior propositions and value across different price segments. We are also stepping up to be a force for good through our COVID-19 response and relief programme, ‘P&G Suraksha India’, where we are supporting government and relief organisations through in-kind, product and critical supplies donations, and are creating awareness about preventive measures to combat the spread of COVID-19,” Gopalan added.

As a part of the company’s COVID-19 relief efforts, its leading feminine care brand, Whisper, is supporting the Government and relief organisations with more than 15 lakh sanitary pads for female healthcare workers, women in underprivileged containment areas and migrant communities. Through its ‘Touch of Care’ programme, the company’s healthcare brand Vicks is donating more than 33,000 protective hygiene and ration kits to the elderly people in need.