Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Limited (P&GHHCL) is engaged in manufacturing and selling of branded packaged fast moving consumer goods in the femcare and healthcare businesses. The Company's products are sold through retail operations
including mass merchandisers, grocery stores, membership club stores, drug stores, department stores and high frequency stores. The Company has its manufacturing locations at Goa and Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, apart from third party manufacturing locations spread across India..
The company was incorporated on 20th July 1964 at Mumbai. The Company's saga dates way back to the establishment of Richardson Hindustan Limited (RHL), which obtained an Industrial License to undertake manufacture of Menthol and de mentholised peppermint oil and VICKS range of products such as Vicks VapoRub, Vicks Cough Drops and Vicks Inhaler. The premier product of the company, Vicks Action 500 was launched in the year 1979 and in 1984; an Ayurvedic Research Laboratory was gone to live. In October of the year 1985, RHL became an affiliate of The Procter & Gamble Company, USA. In 1989, Procter & Gamble India (after change in name from RHL) launched Whisper, the breakthrough technology sanitary napkin at first time. In 1991, the company had launched Ariel detergent and also in the same year the Mandideep (Bhopal) Factory started its operations. During the year 1993, P&G had divested the Detergents business to Procter & Gamble Home Products. Goa Honda Factory of the company was started its operations in the year 1996 for manufacture the Vicks Vaporub. After two years, in 1998, Goa Kundiam Factory started its operations for manufacture the Whisper pads.
During the year 1999, the company changed its name from Procter & Gamble India Limited to Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Limited and also in the identical year, Mediker Shampoo business was divested to Marico Industries. In 2000, the company had introduced Whisper Ultra, Vicks Plus Medicated Lozenges and re launched Vicks Action 500+. To make Indian consumers affordable, the company had reduced its prices on Whisper in the year 2001. P&G had launched New Improved Vicks VapoRub in the year 2002, India's number one Cold Rub that provides multi-symptom relief from the six symptoms of a child's cold and also in the same year launched Vicks Action500+ Night tablets. Vicks Formula 44 Cough Syrup, which was introduced by the company in the year of 2003 to provide safe, effective and long lasting relief for up to eight hours from tough persistent coughs due to colds. P&G had commenced test marketing of economically priced and competitively superior performing, Whisper Choice pads in the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala during the year 2004. After a year, in 2005, the company had launched Whisper Choice National in Indian market and also acquired Gillette globally. Building the brand equity of Whisper and what's more, has won the Bronze Lion Award at the Cannes International Advertising Festival 2006.
During 2007-08, the company entered into a Public Private Partnership with the National Rural Health Mission, Rajasthan, to provide women in Rajasthan with a better option of sanitary protection and by consequence, a healthier, more productive life.
On 16 March 2016, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care announced that the Delhi High Court has granted interim injunction suspending Government notification prohibiting the manufacture for sale, sale and distribution for Fixed Dose Combination drugs (Paracetamol + Phenylephrine + Caffeine) till the next hearing. Accordingly, the company will resume manufacture and sale of Vicks Action 500 Extra.
On 1 April 2017, promoter shareholder of Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care, viz., Rosemount LLC transferred 10.88 lakh shares (3.35% of shareholding) held in the company to another promoter group company, Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., the Netherlands.
The Board of Directors of Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care at its meeting held on 5 May 2017 declared special interim dividend of Rs 362 per share from accumulated surplus from profits of earlier years and the current year. The dividend demonstrates the company's intent to reward shareholders for strong results in a competitive market environment.
During the Financial Year 2017-18, Company launched Vicks BabyRub, specially developed for babies and gentle on their skin.