Wipro Consumer buys Philippines’ S Brands to deepen Southeast Asia bet

Mumbai: Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting is acquiring Philippine personal care company S Brands Consumer Care Inc., betting that consumers in Southeast Asia are trading up to premium personal care products and giving the Indian fast-moving consumer goods maker a bigger presence in one of its fastest-growing overseas markets.

The acquisition, Wipro Consumer’s 16th globally and second in the Philippines, will take the country past the Rs1,000-crore revenue mark, making it the company’s third international market after Malaysia and China to cross that milestone. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The transaction brings brands including KeratinPlus, AlcoPlus, DeoPlus, Empress and Fiona Cologne into Wipro’s portfolio, while significantly expanding its distribution across more than 500,000 “sari-sari” neighbourhood stores in the Philippines.


“This acquisition is an important milestone in our journey to become one of Southeast Asia’s leading personal care companies. S Brands brings a portfolio of trusted, category-leading brands that complement our existing presence across the region and strengthens our position in key growth markets. It reflects our long-term commitment to investing behind strong local brands and makes Philippines our 3rd market outside of India with revenues exceeding INR 1000 crore plus,” Kumar Chander, chief executive officer of Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting and managing director of Wipro Enterprises, said.

The acquisition also reflects changing consumer behaviour in the Philippines, where premium hair treatments are growing faster than conventional conditioners.

While Unilever dominates the country’s conditioner market through Cream Silk, S Brands’ flagship KeratinPlus has carved out the hair treatment category, capturing about 45% market share, according to Chander. Consumers are increasingly upgrading from regular conditioners to treatment products, a trend he described as another form of premiumisation.

The deal complements Wipro’s existing Splash business, whose Bitress brand is the market leader in leave-on conditioners with about 32% value share. Together, the businesses will give Wipro a presence across both leave-on and wash-off conditioning categories.

Beyond hair care, the acquisition strengthens Wipro’s position in the Philippines’ unusually large rubbing alcohol market, where alcohol-based hygiene products are a daily household staple rather than a pandemic-driven purchase. Combining S Brands’ AlcoPlus with Wipro’s Hygenics brand will give the company an estimated 18% market share, making it the third-largest player with ambitions to challenge the No. 2 position.

The acquisition also adds DeoPlus, a leading powder deodorant brand based on alum, and Fiona Cologne, giving Wipro an entry into the local fragrance market while leveraging its broader fragrance expertise across Southeast Asia.

“S Brands is a strong strategic fit for our portfolio, with leading market positions and attractive growth potential. This acquisition reflects our disciplined approach to capital allocation and our continued focus on investing in businesses that create long-term value and strengthen our presence in high-growth consumer markets,” Anita B. Zutshi, chief financial officer of Wipro Enterprises, said.

For Wipro, distribution was as important as brands. Unlike Splash, whose presence was concentrated in modern trade, S Brands has built a deep network across traditional retail, creating cross-selling opportunities for the combined portfolio and strengthening Wipro’s route to market.

“S Brands is growing and we’re ready to reach more people in more markets. Wipro has the track record and global reach to help make that happen. And with their proven R&D and innovation, we can give even more to our consumers. We found in Wipro a partner whose values match ours, a grounded leadership team and a culture of giving back to communities. We believe in the same thing,” said Dick Sy Ong, founder and president of S Brands.