HUL's new unit in Assam starts commercial production

TINSUKIA: The Rs 1000 crore personal care products unit of Hindustan Uniliver Ltd at Doomdooma in Assam today began Commercial production.

Assam Chief Minister Arbananda Sonowal and Global CEO of Uniliver Paul Polman jointly inaugurated the new unit, the fourth in the state.

Polman said that Uniliver is committed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ' Make in India' plan.

The unit, he said, was brought into production within 300 days from the day the idea was conceived.

The chief minister requested Polman to consider opening of units of HUL in Lower Assam and Cachar and particularly in Karimganj.

The new personal care products unit would augment the production capacity making the factory a strategic sourcing site for the company along with its partners, HUL India CEO Sanjeev Mehta said.

The new unit at Doomdooma would provide direct employment to 1750 youths in the region, he said.

HUL is also working with NGOs and local authorities to set up necessary infrastructure which would help impart skills to the local youth, he said.

Mehta said that HUL had a long standing presence in Doomdooma ever since 2001 with three manufacturing units producing personal care products like shampoos, skin creams, lotions and toothpaste.

Sonowal said that his government would set up more skill development centres in association with private players to provide quality manpower to the industrial units.

Highlighting close ties that Assam shares with South East Asian nations and the access that the state could provide to the markets there, Sonowal said the state government was working to make Assam as the gateway to South East Asia by implementing the Act East Policy of the Centre.

He also sought the company's support in drawing investors for the proposed Global Business Summit in Guwahati in February 2018.
Sonowal also drew Polman's attention of the possibility of Jogigopa in Goalpara district becoming the hub of trade and commerce between India and Bangladesh with which India signed 23 MoUs to promote trade and other issues of multilateral interests, including central government's UDAN to improve regional connectivity.

Polman contributed Rs one crore on behalf of the company to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and announced to donate Rs one crore more in the near future in the wake of the floods.