Home-grown FMCG firm Jyothy Labs, which is "cautiously optimistic" about growth in FY27, is expanding Exo into a broader dishwash franchise, as German consumer goods major Henkel AG & Co. KGaA exited its licensing arrangement for Pril and Fa brands in India.
As part of the licence agreements, Jyothy Labs held the rights for manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and sale of products under the brands, Pril and Fa.
Jyothy Labs will continue to focus on premiumisation, innovation, brand investments, and distribution expansion despite persistent inflationary pressures and geopolitical uncertainties, Chairperson and Managing Director M R Jyothy said in an address to shareholders in its latest annual report.
Jyothy said Henkel has communicated its decision not to renew licence agreements related to the Pril and Fa brands beyond May 31, 2026. The company is building Exo into a broader dishwash franchise.
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"Exo has for many years been a trusted name in dishwash, with deep strength in the bar segment and an established presence in dishwash liquid. Building on this foundation, Exo will now be developed as an owned brand platform across formats," she said.
The company said the newly launched Exo variants in dishwash bar and liquid formats are receiving encouraging consumer response and are expected to support volume-led sales growth, premiumisation, and market share gains.
Jyothy Labs has major "power brands" such as Ujala, Exo, Maxo, Henko, and Margo.
Looking ahead, Jyothy said the company remains "cautiously optimistic" on growth, although crude-linked input costs and geopolitical uncertainties could keep inflation elevated and impact consumer spending.
"The external environment remains challenging and uncertain. Crude-linked input costs and geopolitical uncertainty may keep inflation elevated and affect overall consumer spending. Rural demand may also remain sensitive to farm incomes and monsoon outcomes," she said.
However, the company will continue executing its growth strategy centred on scaling up recent product launches, strengthening premium offerings and driving volume-led growth through innovation and distribution expansion.
Jyothy Labs reported a 3.5% growth in revenue in FY26, while volumes rose 6% despite a challenging macroeconomic environment marked by elevated input costs and uneven urban demand.
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The company also witnessed strong traction in e-commerce and quick commerce channels, which grew 26% during the year. It added around one lakh retail outlets, taking its direct reach to more than 1.4 million outlets across India.
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