Marico Limited, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, carries on business in branded consumer products. Marico manufactures and markets products with the brands such as Parachute, Parachute Advansed, Nihar, Nihar Naturals, Saffola, Hair & Care, Revive, Mediker, Livon, Set-wet, etc. The Company's products reach its consumers through retail outlets serviced by its distribution network comprising regional offices, carrying & forwarding agents, redistribution centers & distributors spread all over India.
Marico Limited (ML), a leading Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) player was incorporated on 13th October 1988 under the name of Marico Foods Limited. The name of the company was changed from Marico Foods Limited to Marico Industries Limited with effect from 31st October of the year 1989. During the same year 1989, in December, the company had entered into an agreement with M/s. Rasoi Industries Limited for purchase of its unit located at M.I.D.C. Industrial Estate, Jalgaon. After a year, in 1990, ML made a Registered Users Agreement with Bombay Oil Industries Ltd (BOIL) for the use of the brands Parachute and Saffola for an initial period of 3 years commenced from 1st April of the same year. The Company established a new plant at Kanjikode, Palghat District of Kerala to manufacture Parachute Coconut Oil with capacity of 24000 tonnes of coconut oil per annum, began commercial operation in May of the year 1993. During the year 1995, ML had acquired the Brand SIL' from KFL for the consideration of Rs 3 crores. Marico had extended its Sweekar oil brand during the year 1997, by the way of two new refined oils entry namely Sweekar cotton seed oil and Sweekar mustard oil. In the identical year of 1997, the company had set up a factory near Jalgaon to process the cotton seeds and another factory near Jaipur for the mustard oil.
The Company made the join venture between a Lever group company and Nissin of Japan in the year 1998, and its products were distributed through HLL's channels. During the year 2000, the company made a tie up with the International Association of Trichologists (IAT), a non-profit organisation based in Australia. In the identical year, ML had launched Parachute Dandruff Solution Coconut Hair Oil in Calcutta, the first oil to combine coconut oil with antidandruff properties in single hair oil. After a year, in 2001, the company had introduced the Revive Anti-Bacteria starch. Marico had acquired a controlling equity interest in Sundari LLC during the period of 2003. High Court of Judicature at Bombay approves the Scheme of Amalgamation of Anandita Arnav Trading & Investment Private Ltd, Madhav Nandini Trading & Investment Private Ltd, Rajvi Rishabh Trading & Investment Private Ltd and Rishabh Harsh Trading & Investment Private Ltd with the company on 12th February 2004. In the same year of 2004, the company had forayed into the beauty products segment with the launch of Silk-n-Shine, a post-wash hair care product. During the year 2006, Marico had acquired Hindustan Lever Limited's Nihar for the consideration of Rs 216 crores. In October of the year 2007, the company had entered into the South African ethnic hair care and health care market.
Marico acquired the consumer division of Enaleni Pharmaceuticals, through purchase of 100% shares in Enaleni Pharmaceuticals Consumer Division (EPCD), an Enaleni subsidiary. ML had divested of its processed foods business, Sil' to a Danish business house, Good Food Group in March of the year 2008. The transaction, for an undisclosed consideration envisages a sale of Mario's Sil business to the Indian subsidiary of Good Food Group A/S, Scandic Food India (Scandic).
In 2009, Marico made a public offering of equity in Bangladesh in a first for one its overseas subsidiaries.
In 2010, Marico began its South East Asia journey with the launch of Code 10, a male grooming brand, in Malaysia and Derma Rx skin care solutions in Singapore. In India, Saffola launched Masala oats as breakfast food during the year.
In 2011, Parachute Advanced entered the skin-care category with the launch of Parachute Advanced Body Lotion (PABL). During the year, Parachute Gold Hair Cream was launched in the Middle East market targeted to women.
On 18 February 2011, Marico announced that it has acquired 85% equity stake in International Consumer Products Corporation (ICP), one of the most successful Vietnamese FMCG companies, for an undisclosed consideration. ICP was founded, in 2001, by Dr. Phan Quoc Cong and his partner. ICP achieved a turnover of a little over USD 25 million during the calendar year 2010. Its brands X-Men, L'Ovite, Thuan Phat and others have a significant presence across personal care, beauty cosmetics and sauces/condiments categories.
On 25 March 2011, Marico Group announced the divestment of its refined sunflower oil brand Sweekar' to Cargill India Private Limited (Cargill). The transaction, for an undisclosed consideration, envisages an assignment of the Sweekar trademark and copyrights from Marico to Cargill.
On 15 February 2012, Marico announced that it has executed documents to acquire Set Wet, Livon, Zatak and certain other personal care brands currently owned by Reckitt Benckiser (RB). RB had acquired these brands from Paras Pharmaceuticals in a deal completed during April 2011. The transaction envisages transfer of all key assets including intellectual property rights, supply agreements and third party manufacturing agreements (Paras PC business), for an undisclosed consideration. These assets are in the process of being transferred to a separate company in which Marico will acquire 100% shares. The Paras PC business is expected to achieve a turnover of over Rs 150 crore during FY 2012. Brands in the portfolio are amongst the top three positions in the hair gels, male deodorant and leave-on hair serum categories. This acquisition gives Marico an opportunity to participate in the rapidly growing deodorant and male grooming categories in India.
The Board of Directors of Marico at its meeting held on 6 April 2012 considered, approved and recommended a proposal to issue and allot 2.94 crore equity shares at issue price of Rs 170 per share aggregating Rs 500 crore on preferential basis to Indivest Pte Ltd, an affiliate of Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Pte Ltd (GIC), and Baring India Private Equity Fund III Listed Investments Limited.
The Board of Directors of Marico at its meeting held on 7 January 2013 approved demerger of the Kaya skin care solutions business into a separate company which will be named Marico Kaya Enterprises Limited (MaKE) or any such other name as may be approved by the Registrar of Companies. The business undertaking of Kaya housed in Marico Limited, comprising investment in equity of Kaya Limited, related IPRs, employee contracts and cash and bank balances will be demerged into MaKE through a High Court approved Scheme of Arrangement, subject to approvals by the shareholders and creditors and lenders in Marico Limited. As a consideration, the shareholders of Marico Limited as on the record date, shall be issued 1 share of MaKE with a face value of Rs 10 each to be issued at a premium of Rs 200 per share for every 50 shares of Marico with a face value of Re 1 each.
On 25 October 2013, Marcio announced that it has decided to stop production at its manufacturing plant at Ponda in Goa. This unit was set up in 1997 for manufacture and packaging of pure coconut oil. Due to input material supply and logistic dynamics that changed over the year, the operations at the plant became commercially unviable. The company has decided to close the plant in due course for which initial preparatory steps are being taken.
With effect from 21 November 2013, Marico stopped manufacturing activities at its Dehradun Camp Road plant and initiated for a closure of the plant. This plant was set up in 2003 for manufacture of cosmetics.
On 14 January 2014, credit rating agency CRISIL upgraded its ratings on the long-term debt instruments, and long-term bank facilities of Marico to 'CRISIL AA+/Stable' from 'CRISIL AA/Positive', and reaffirmed its rating on the short-term debt programme and short-term bank facilities at 'CRISIL A1+'. The rating upgrade reflects CRISIL's expectation of improvement in Marico's business risk profile over the medium term driven by increasing revenue diversity and dominant market position in branded coconut oil, value added hair oil, and premium refined edible oil segments. The Board of Directors of Marico at its meeting held on 4 November 2015 recommended the issue bonus shares in the ratio of 1:1 i.e. one fully paid-up equity share of Re. 1 each for every one existing fully paid-up equity share of Re. 1 each held in the company.
On 27 May 2016, Marico announced that the commercial production for manufacturing of value added hair oils has successfully commenced at its newly set up plant in Guwahati, Assam.
Marico's second plant in Guwahati, Assam set up to manufacture value added personal care products successfully commenced commercial production on 16 March 2017.
On 17 March 2017, Marico announced a strategic investment in Zed Lifestyle Private Limited with an acquisition of 45% equity stake for an undisclosed consideration. The equity stake shall be acquired over a period of two years, through primary infusion and secondary buy-outs. Zed Lifestyle owns Beardo, a fast growing male grooming brand founded by entrepreneurs Ashutosh Valani and Priyank Shah in June 2016 in Ahmedabad, India. Marico views this investment in Zed Lifestyle as a stepping stone towards its ambition of strengthening its presence and widening its portfolio in the male grooming market.
On 28 July 2017, Marico South Africa Pty. Limited (MSA), a wholly owned step-down subsidiary of Marico announced the acquisition of business including related intellectual property rights of ISOPLUS, a leading hair styling brand in South Africa from JM Products SA Pty. Limited and Ms. Mary L Harris, its owner for a consideration of 75 million South African Rand (about Rs 36 crore) at a revenue multiple of 1.2. The strategic buyout will enable MSA to become a full spectrum ethnic hair care company in South Africa. The acquisition comprises purchase of manufacturing facilities, working capital and all intellectual property rights owned by JM Products and Ms. Mary L Harris.
On 7 March 2018, Marico announced that it has exited Bellezimo Professionale Products Private Limited (Bellezimo) by selling back its entire 45% equity stake in the company to the promoters of Bellezimo for a total consideration of Rs 1.60 crore. Bellezimo is engaged in marketing skin care products to cater to Salons channel.
The capital expenditure in FY2018 was Rs 128 crore (USD20 million).
During the FY2019,the company entered into Shareholders' Agreement and share subscription agreement with Revolutionary Fitness Pvt Ltd(Revofit) and acquired 22.46% of its equity stake. Consequently Revofit became an associate company of Marico.
During the FY2020,the company spent Rs 194 crore towards capital expenditure(CAPEX) for capacity expansion and maintenance of existing manufacturing facilities.
The Ministry of Home Affairs vide order No.40-3/2020 dated 24.03.2020 notified first ever nationwide lockdown in India to contain the outbreak of COVID 19. As a result, the operations were temporarily disrupted at manufacturing, warehouse and distribution locations of Marico India. Further, International businesses were also temporarily disrupted with many of the territories experiencing partial or complete lockdown in the last week of March 2020.
On 30 June 2020, the Company has acquired the remaining 55% stake in ZED Lifestyle Private Limited (which was earlier a Joint Venture) and converted it into a wholly owned subsidiary.
During the quarter ended 30 September 2020, the Company has sold its entire stake in 'Revolutionary Fitness Private Limited' and 'Hello Green Private Limited' (Joint Ventures).
The National Company Law Tribunal at Mumbai Bench has, vide order dated December 2, 2020 sanctioned Scheme of Arrangement (the Scheme') of Marico Consumer Care Ltd (MCCL) (Subsidiary of Marico Ltd) with effective date as April 1, 2020 with the holding company.
On May 23, 2022, Company acquired 53.98% equity stake in HW Wellness Solutions Private Limited (True Elements) and True Elements became a subsidiary of the Company. During FY 2023, Beauty X Joint Stock Company, Vietnam, became a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Marico South-East Asia Corporation (MSEA), by acquiring MSEA on January 31, 2023. Consequently, Beauty X became a step-down wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. On July 4, 2022 and November 11, 2022, Company acquired additional equity stake of 4.14% and 3.48% respectively in Apcos Naturals Private Limited, thereby increasing the total equity stake from 52.38% to 60%.
In FY23, Company launched 14 New Products in Saffola Masala Oats, Saffola Munchiez, Saffola Soya, Saffola Honey, Saffola Mayonnaise, Saffola Fittify, Saffola Immuniveda and Prachute Advance Product Range.