Jyothy Labs to expand Exo into broader dishwash franchise after Henkel brands exit portfolio

Jyothy Labs is expanding its Exo dishwash brand into a broader franchise after Henkel exited the Pril and Fa licensing business in India. The company, listed as JYOTHYLAB on the NSE, said the move aims to capture market share created by Henkel's departure.

Henkel's exit frees up retail shelf space and trade marketing attention that Jyothy Labs plans to fill with new Exo variants. The company has already launched new formats, including liquid and bar variants, and is testing additional products. Management told analysts it is cautiously optimistic about FY27 growth, focusing on premium product positioning and wider distribution despite rising input costs.

Exo currently competes in the liquid dishwash segment against Hindustan Unilever's Vim and Reckitt Benckiser's Finish. By expanding the brand into bars and other formats, Jyothy Labs can target new households and price points, the company said. The dishwash bar segment is larger by volume than liquids and is dominated by Vim.

New Exo variants have already shown promising consumer response, the company said, without disclosing specific sales figures. The company plans to continue investing in distribution and new product development, it added.