Reuters reveals Unilever’s dominance in India helps it raise prices, pinching rural poor

Reuters revealed how Unilever racked up strong sales growth in India last year on the back of sharp price increases attributed to its dominant market position and pent-up demand among middle-class shoppers. But industry experts said the British multinational should take care not to alienate poorer rural consumers — which some analysts estimate account for nearly half its revenues in India — after some signs they reined in spending last year as higher inflation took its toll.