FMCG Giants Cut Jobs While Others Expand Workforce

India's fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector reported contrasting employment trends during the 2025-26 financial year. Hindustan Unilever (HUL), the country's largest FMCG company, reduced its permanent workforce by around 700 employees, while Dabur cut 573 jobs. HUL also adopted a conservative approach to salary revisions, increasing average salaries of middle-level employees by only 6.08%, lower than the previous financial year.

However, the picture was different for several other leading FMCG companies. HUL increased salaries of employees below the managerial level by an average of 6.85%, while Dabur offered an average salary hike of 7.7% to middle-level staff. Meanwhile, companies such as Nestlé India, Marico, and Tata Consumer Products expanded their workforce and implemented stronger salary increments, indicating varied growth and cost-management strategies across the FMCG industry.