Unilever CEO Polman in Nepal

Kathmandu, September 4

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Unilever Nepal Ltd, Chief Executive Officer of Unilever Paul Polman visited Nepal today. During his visit, he also intends to meet Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Polman is being accompanied by Executive Vice President of Unilever South Asia, Sanjiv Mehta, and Unilever Nepal Chairman Pradeep Banerjee.

As per the company, Polman’s visit demonstrates Unilever’s commitment to the local business and the people of Nepal. Polman reaffirmed that the company would continue to step up its capital investment in the country by enhancing its local manufacturing capacity. He said, “It is our endeavour to further strengthen our business in Nepal and continue to deliver consistent, competitive, profitable and responsible growth.”

During his visit, Polman launched the Fair & Lovely Foundation in partnership with Maiti Nepal to provide scholarships to 10 underprivileged girl students per year for a two-year full-time course for intermediate level. In addition to this, women from Maiti Nepal will be provided vocational training to take up job opportunities in UNL’s value chain. Polman emphasised that Unilever’s model for sustainable growth is to combine value with values — to do well by doing good. “We will keep striving to create a better and brighter tomorrow — not just for our shareholders but for every stakeholder across our value chain,” he added.

Unilever Nepal is today one of the largest local manufacturing companies in the country with one manufacturing unit and four co-packing units. The company provides direct employment to 243 people and indirectly to more than 20,000 people across the value chain.

The biggest impact Unilever Nepal has made is through its purpose-driven brands that aim to improve health and well-being and enhance livelihoods under the initiative called ‘Swastha and Saksham Nepal’.

Another initiative that Unilever Nepal has taken is Lifebuoy’s ‘Help a Child Reach 5’ programme that aims at improving health and well-being by inculcating habit of washing hands with soap and water on key occasions.

Meanwhile, the Pepsodent oral care school programme helps drive healthy oral care habits among school children in partnership with Nepal Dental Association and the Hamri Didi initiative helps in enhancing livelihoods of rural women by providing them with income generating opportunities. The project, launched in November 2014 in 10 rural districts of Nepal, today empowers 500 underprivileged rural women who sell the company’s products in rural areas.