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Procter & Gamble (P&G) has increased the weight of its detergent, Tide Naturals, by as much as 25 per cent.

This has been done by the FMCG giant to answer back to its rival, HUL, which came up with the controversial ad campaign showing Rin, its detergent brand and Tide Naturals.

The weight increase would mean that 200 gms of Tide Natural, that was available for Rs. 10 will now give 250 gms for the same price.

With the rise in the excise duty up to 10% from the present 8% by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the fast moving consumer goods space has received a blow in the Union Budget 2010-11. This predicted rise is expected to pass on to the consumers by the companies through small price increases. But the service tax remained unaltered to 10% against the expectation of its rise up to 12-14%.

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), India's largest fast moving consumer goods company (FMCG) has reported a decline of 22 percent in its net profit at Rs 429 crore in the second quarter ended September 30, as against a net profit of Rs 547 crore, the same period last fiscal.

Tata Tea Limited, India's largest tea making company, is undergoing a strategical reorganization of its businesses to come out as a worldwide beverages leader.

FMCG major Nestle India, a multinational packaged food company, on Thursday reported a 33.8% growth in its net profit at Rs 162 crore for the second quarter ended June 30, 2009, as compared to the corresponding period last fiscal.

According to Nestle India, the company registered a net profit of around Rs 121 crore in the same quarter ended June 30, 2008.

Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), India's largest fast-moving consumer goods company, reported a fall of 2.7% in net profit for the first quarter of the current fiscal. Higher exceptional income in the corresponding quarter last year accounted for decline in profit.

HUL's net profit fell to Rs 543 crore in the first quarter of the current year, as against Rs 558 crore in the similar period last year, even as net sales showed a growth 7.8% to Rs 4,475 crore.

FMCG major Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GPCL) has posted 78.20% rise in its net profit, which jumped to Rs 69.68 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2009 over the same period last year.

The company had reported a net profit of Rs 39.10 crore in the same period last year.

Oram care major Colgate Palmolive India has registered a growth of 43% to Rs 102.78 crore in the consolidated net profit for the first quarter of the current fiscal, as compared to Rs 72 crore in the same period last fiscal.

The company's net sales for the quarter ended June 30, grew by 19.08% to Rs 485.4 crore, while total earnings for the same corresponding period rose 12.58% to Rs
4,93.98 crore.

Fast-moving customer goods giant Procter and Gamble (P&G) have announced that it has decided to build a $100 million (Dh367m) manufacturing plant in Pakistan by mid-2010.

The firm is also searching options to set up a manufacturing plant at its Jebel Ali facility.
 
The Pakistani plant would produce detergents and other laundry products.

The merging of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) business of Zandu Pharmaceuticals with their counterpart in Emami has been decided by Emami Ltd., Kolkata. The company took control of Zandu Pharmaceuticals for Rs 750 crore in October 2008.