Who is Ruling the Toothpaste Industry in India?

In ancient and mediaeval India, oral hygiene was taken care of using homemade and ayurvedic products. The toothpaste industry of India, on the other hand, has grown rapidly in recent decades. The latter has been pounded to a pulp by the toothpaste market.

As of 2022, the toothpaste market is currently valued at Rs. 10000 – 12000 crores, and comprises 70% of the total oral care segment.

Top Toothpaste Companies And Their Highest-Selling Brands In India

Colgate Palmolive, Hindustan Lever Limited, and Dabur India are the top toothpaste brands in India. In India, toothpaste is used by 48.6% of the population. However, India’s leading toothpaste manufacturers are working hard to improve penetration in the country’s rural areas, which are still mostly untouched.

Colgate toothpaste’s market share in India is 77.21 per cent, while HUL has a 23 per cent share. Pepsodent, Babool, Sensoform, Cibaca, Neem, Vicco, and other brands account for 14.5 per cent of the market.

Colgate is synonymous with toothpaste for many of us. For many years, the brand commanded the Indian toothpaste industry, and it was the world’s number one toothpaste in 1999 when it became the world’s most popular brand. They provide a wide choice of toothpaste for the young, old, and children’s markets.

Colgate has the largest market share and the largest number of customers in the toothpaste industry. It’s no surprise that it’s been the world’s number one toothpaste manufacturer for decades. The company has released numerous variations throughout the years, each one better than the last and providing us with whiter, healthier teeth and gums as well as brighter grins.

Close-up is a Hindustan Unilever product that was India’s first gel-based toothpaste. Although it has children’s kinds of toothpaste, the brand promotes itself as a youth-oriented enterprise. Close-up comes in a variety of flavours, including Deep Action, whitening gel, active gel, zinc-menthol gel, and more. It has been ranked second in terms of market share and is known for providing long-lasting fresh breath as well as strong teeth and gums.

Sensodyne toothpaste is the best sensitive toothpaste for people who have tooth sensitivity. It can effectively combat the problem. Sensodyne is also the most popular toothpaste for sensitive teeth in India, with many dentists recommending it. Sensodyne, a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline, has been available in India since 1961 and is widely used by those with sensitive teeth.

Pepsodent is another Hindustan Unilever brand that debuted in the early 2000s.

Pepsodent’s aggressive marketing allowed it to acquire a large piece of the market and make better promises of curing Indians’ oral health problems at a lower cost than its competitors.

Herbs, zinc, inactive triclosan, and a micro-granular composition are used in the toothpaste to provide fresher breath and germ-free gums.

Who Is Ruling the Toothpaste Industry In India?

The global toothpaste market trajectory has constantly been changing due to the availability of new brands and an increase in competition. Colgate Palmolive India Limited (CPIL) is the market leader in terms of value at 48.3 per cent as of March 2020. HUL is in second place with a distant 16 per cent. Dabur is gaining up to HUL, with a market share of 13.4 per cent. Patanjali now has a 9.2 per cent share of the Indian toothpaste market, compared to GSK’s 7.9 per cent.

Before Patanjali’s debut, the family category was the most popular in the toothpaste segment, accounting for 35 per cent or more of the market. Patanjali, on the other hand, entered the market and completely transformed the category mix. The herbal or natural category now accounts for more than 35% of the total revenue, up from less than 10% in FY2015.

Patanjali and Dabur, on the other hand, have a larger share of the natural sector, with a combined market share of 75%. This category has been rising at a 30 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR). MNCs like CPIL and HUL were the only ones to lose market share to domestic players in this category. CPIL has released various items in this area under the Ved Shakti Portfolio to combat this.

HUL is leading the freshness segment with Closeup. CPIL attempted to compete in this segment with the Colgate Max Fresh, but HUL continued to maintain its lead. GSK’s Sensodyne is the market leader in the sensitive area, followed by CPIL’s Colgate Sensitive.

Conclusion

The toothpaste category currently dominates India’s oral hygiene market, followed by toothbrushes, which include both manual and electric toothbrushes. Due to shifting consumer preferences, toothpowder sales have decreased. In India, advanced oral care products, including mouthwashes, dental floss, and teeth whitening products, are still in their infancy, catering primarily to urban consumers. The largest market participants are Colgate-Palmolive Gmbh, Johnson & Johnson Gmbh, and Unilever PLC, with convenience stores dominating other distribution channels.