HUL and Dabur cut permanent staff in FY26 while Nestle, Marico and TCPL added. Median pay rose 6-12% across the five majors, with Tata Consumer Products leading.
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India's top FMCG companies split on staff strategy in 2025-26. Hindustan Unilever and Dabur trimmed their permanent workforce. Nestle India, Marico and Tata Consumer Products added to theirs.
Median employee remuneration rose 6.08% to 12.1% across the five majors, according to annual report disclosures. Tata Consumer Products led the pay hike. HUL trailed.
HUL's permanent employee count fell to 5,898 as of March 31, 2026, from 6,604 a year earlier. That is a drop of more than 700. The median remuneration increase was 6.08%, lower than the 8.39% rise in FY25. The average salary hike for non-managerial staff was higher at 6.85% versus 4.62% in the prior year.
Dabur India's permanent workforce shrank to 4,770 from 5,343. The company gave a bigger median pay hike of 7.7%, up from 6% in FY25.
Experts said FMCG firms are investing in automation of manufacturing, warehousing, supply chain and back-office functions. Digital tools, AI-driven analytics, automated packaging lines and integrated ERP systems let companies produce and distribute more with fewer employees.
Nestle India's total employee strength edged up to 8,680 from 8,629. Permanent employees dipped slightly to 8,382 from 8,419. Median remuneration for the Maggi and KitKat maker rose 7.3%.
Marico and TCPL went the other way. Marico's permanent employee count, including workmen, rose to 1,983 from 1,908. Median remuneration increased to Rs 14,44,177 from Rs 13,58,244, a rise of 6.33%.
Tata Consumer Products saw the sharpest median pay jump at 12.1%. Its permanent staff climbed to 4,558 from 4,079. The 12.1% hike was lower than the 16.9% increase in FY25, which the company attributed to headcount additions from the merger of NourishCo Beverages, Tata SmartFoodz and Tata Consumer Soulfull.
Section 197 (12) of the Companies Act, 2013 requires every listed firm to report median employee pay, percentage increases and permanent headcount in the annual report each fiscal year.
For context on the parent company behind HUL, see the UL stock page.
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