Unilever today announced that it is investing €50 million to set up its first Asian aerosol deodorant manufacturing facility in Khamgaon, Maharashtra.

The company said that it has used the visit of British Prime Minister David Cameron to its Hindustan Unilever business in Mumbai to announce that it is investing €50 million to set up the unit.

This investment complements the €70 million committed to building new homecare liquids and distribution facilities in Thailand announced last week and €75 million to build a new home are factory and expanding the existing manufacturing plants in South Africa announced at the end of January.

Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Unilever, said: “Unilever’s supply chain is central to the company’s delivery of consistent, sustainable and profitable growth. This investment in India is part of our broader expansion plans to help us achieve our ambition of doubling our business, whilst halving our environmental impact.’’

The Khamgaon plant is one of the 30 new factories being built by the company by 2015. Investment in Khamgaon will be phased over three years and the production capacity will be gradually scaled up to generate direct employment for over 150 people and indirect employment for about 200 people.

The plant will service demand from India and across South East Asia including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

The plant will utilise the latest technologies to maximise energy efficiency and reduce waste water to zero. This is in line with Unilever’s goal of reducing water usage in manufacturing.

Its Indian unit, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), has reduced water usage in its manufacturing operations by 10 per cent in 2012 compared with 2010.

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