Global consumer goods major Unilever has announced an additional investment of €35 million (around ₹373 crore) to strengthen its research and development capabilities in India. The investment will transform its Mumbai and Bengaluru R&D hubs into next-generation centres focused on science, technology and AI-led product innovation.
The announcement builds on more than €20 million invested by Unilever in its Indian R&D capabilities over the past five years. The company’s India research network includes more than 800 scientists, researchers, digital specialists and designers, making the country one of its largest global R&D hubs.
Mumbai to Become Product Innovation Centre
Unilever plans to transform its Mumbai facility into a Product Innovation Centre, bringing consumer insights, product and packaging design, scientific research, rapid prototyping and scale-up capabilities together under one roof.
The centre will use AI and digital technologies to support product development and testing. It will also create opportunities for collaboration with academic institutions, technology companies, suppliers, start-ups and design experts.
The Bengaluru centre will continue to function as a global science, technology and partnership hub. Its focus areas will include foundational and application science, digital and AI capabilities, India Foods R&D, and collaborations with universities and start-ups.
€5 Million for Bio-Futures Partnership
As part of the broader investment, Unilever will commit €5 million over five years to establish a strategic Bio-Futures partnership in India.
The initiative will connect the company’s global R&D network with India’s growing bioscience ecosystem, bringing together research institutions, start-ups, infrastructure and scientific talent.
The partnership will focus on human biology, microbiome science, biotechnology, biomanufacturing and digital and AI-enabled biology.
AI to Accelerate Product Development
Across its Mumbai and Bengaluru facilities, Unilever plans to deploy AI, automated and collaborative robot-assisted experiments, predictive modelling and digital twins. These technologies are expected to help researchers test more possibilities, accelerate experimentation and move promising products towards large-scale manufacturing.
Richard Slater, Unilever’s Chief Research and Development Officer, said India is a critical global R&D centre for the company.
Hindustan Unilever Managing Director and CEO Priya Nair said the investment reflects the company’s confidence in India’s scientific talent, innovation ecosystem and growing capabilities in bioscience and biomanufacturing.
The latest announcement strengthens India’s role in Unilever’s global research network, with the company seeking to connect scientific research, digital technologies and product development more closely.
