Inside Haleon's Indian Healthcare Supply Chain Expansion

As supply chains around the world continue to expand, Haleon has turned to India. 

The company is paying attention to one of its fastest-growing markets and investing into the country, building a new manufacturing site to accelerate distribution efforts.

Haleon is working to meet rising demand, gain supply chain resilience and support supply across Asia with a £175m (US$234.4m) investment. 

Meeting consumer demand

British multinational pharmaceuticals company, Haleon, is one of the largest consumer healthcare businesses in the world. With brands including Sensodyne, Panadol and Advil, the company aims to boost access to and the quality of better everyday healthcare. 

Now, it has announced its plans to expand its operations in India, a key country for Haleon to be able to reach its goals of one billion more consumers by 2030. To do so, Haleon is investing £175m (US$234.4m) in order to build a new oral health manufacturing site in Madhya Pradesh, central India.

This site will support the supply for the wider Asia continent and will increase distribution capabilities across India.

The new site is situated in a strategic area, close to some of India's technical colleges. This is part of Haleon's wider strategy of unlocking growth and transforming the company's culture through productivity gains – known as the Win as One strategy. 

Through this new development, Haleon will be strengthening its in-house supply chain capabilities, which will allow it to better react to shifting consumer needs and growing market trends. India's consumer health market is anticipated to reach more than £23bn (US$30.8bn) by 2030, meaning Haleon's investment demonstrates its awareness of consumer demands. 

"India is a key strategic market for Haleon and an important driver of our long-term growth," explains Brian McNamara, CEO of Haleon. 

"This investment strengthens our local manufacturing footprint and expands our reach in one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer health markets."

Increasing accessibility

Though India is one of Haleon's largest oral health markets, access to dental care remains limited – particularly in rural India, where approximately 65% of the country's population is situated.

As a result, many are living with untreated issues. In order to make its products more accessible, Haleon is aiming to roll out access to high-quality, science based oral health products.

These will be made with trusted ingredients, but lower-cost and small-format toothpaste packs. This will include the 20-rupee Sensodyne pack, which will be rolled out across towns and villages in India. 

Following the recruitment of more than 500 people to its sales team in the last 12 months, Haleon is aiming to transform how products can reach consumers.

Part of this includes the investment in last-mile capabilities, increasing the number of its frontline teams on motorbikes. These drivers are delivering testing kits, samples and diagnostic tools to rural areas, where communities are unable to reach retail and pharmacies. 

As a result of these kits, people will be able to recognise symptoms and gain access to science-backed treatment. Its mobile oral health literacy vans are in place to engage rural communities and educate them on oral health. Haleon is aiming to create community hubs for oral health awareness, health checks and immediate access to products. 

"By increasing access to our trusted brands and building our capabilities on the ground, we are well positioned to capture the significant opportunities ahead," Brian adds.

“We aim to expand access to better everyday health for more than 300 million additional consumers in India. This will be key to achieving our broader ambition to reach one billion more consumers globally by 2030.”

The new manufacturing facility will create a wealth of benefits for both India and Haleon. Up to 500 jobs are expected to be created, with local capabilities and long-term economic development supported by the projects. Moreover, it will make oral healthcare more accessible to more consumers, with plans to open in early 2028 and supply to commence in 2029.