Wipro Consumer Care Q2 revenues rise 20% to Rs 800 crore

BANGALORE: IT company Wipro’s consumer products division increased its second quarter revenues by 20% mostly on the back of its flagship brand Santoor. Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting reported Rs 800-crore revenues in the quarter ended September 30, helped by 26% growth in Santoor sales, the company said on Monday. The company had increased the prices by 13% to offset high input costs.

Company president Vineet Agrawal said the firm was not convinced by researcher Nielsen’s market share figures that showed that Dettol-maker Reckitt Benckiser had overtaken it to become the third-largest soap maker in India after Hindustan Unilever and Godrej Consumer. “We should not be losing market share unless the category has grown faster than 26%. AC Nielsen is not saying that the category has grown at 26%,” he said.

Agrawal refuted media reports that workers at Wipro Consumer Care’s Jalgaon factory plan to go on strike from November 4. He said the company had entered into long-term settlements in 2004 and 2007, and was presently in discussions with workers after the 2007 agreement expired on August 31.