Published on: August 19, 2026
Colgate-Palmolive India has partnered with Bombay Shaving Company to strengthen Palmolive’s consumer engagement, advertising and growth across e-commerce and direct-to-consumer (D2C) channels.
The partnership comes as Colgate-Palmolive India looks to accelerate the performance of its personal care portfolio, particularly Palmolive, which the company has identified as an area with significant room for improvement and growth.
Speaking during the company’s earnings call, Prabha Narasimhan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Colgate-Palmolive India, acknowledged that the personal care business has not performed at the level expected.
“Honestly, I don’t think we were best-in-class,” Narasimhan said, adding that the company is working towards achieving a best-in-class position across all its businesses.
Palmolive has, however, shown some positive momentum, with Narasimhan noting that the brand has become a leader in the premium handwash category. She also highlighted the growth potential within the segment, which remains relatively small.
Under the new partnership, Bombay Shaving Company will manage Palmolive’s consumer-facing advertising and customer engagement across e-commerce and D2C platforms. Its role will extend beyond media management, with the company bringing its expertise in digital commerce, customer acquisition and D2C engagement.
Colgate-Palmolive India will continue to oversee product innovation, quality and supply chain functions, while retaining responsibility for modern trade, traditional trade and conventional advertising.
The collaboration is based on Colgate-Palmolive India’s assessment that Bombay Shaving Company has specialised expertise in building and scaling D2C businesses.
“It’s not a flywheel that we understand as a company,” Narasimhan said, referring to the D2C model. She added that the partnership would also provide Colgate-Palmolive India with an opportunity to learn from Bombay Shaving Company’s experience in the segment.
Although the partnership is still in its initial stages, the company has already observed positive early indicators. Narasimhan described herself as “very, very optimistic” about Bombay Shaving Company’s contribution so far, citing the “early green shoots” emerging from the collaboration.
At the same time, she acknowledged that Palmolive has significant ground to cover, noting that the brand is starting from a performance level that the company is not satisfied with and that there are still “miles to go”.
Narasimhan indicated that while some initial gains may be relatively easier to achieve, the broader impact of the partnership is likely to become clearer over the next two to three years.
The collaboration gives Palmolive a stronger focus on digital commerce and D2C growth while allowing Colgate-Palmolive India to retain control over its products, supply chain and offline distribution network. Narasimhan said she expects the company to have “better and better news” to report on Palmolive as the partnership progresses.
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