Hindustan Lever's five-year annual return on equity of 46% puts it well ahead of Unilever's 35%.

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Verghese, who is Keralan, joined Hindustan Lever as a management trainee with an M.

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Simone Tata built one of the first indigenous cosmetic brands, Lakme, now a unit of Hindustan Lever, which is owned by Unilever .

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Indosuez reports that a recovering economy and renewed consumer confidence will help boost Hindustan Lever's revenues by 10% next year and earnings by 23%.

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Hindustan Lever, a subsidiary of Unilever, pioneered the idea years ago, marketing its shampoos and detergents in single-use sachets rather than larger (and more expensive) bottles.

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Hindustan Lever's revenues grew by only 7% in the first nine months of last year, because of the aftereffects of the 1997-99 slowdown of India's economy.

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Hindustan Lever supplies 2.3 million retail outlets throughout the country.

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Hindustan Lever, a 51%-owned subsidiary of Unilever Plc.

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Ashok Ganguly, former chairman of Hindustan Lever Ltd.

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