Early Signs of Consumption Revival in India to Pare Tariff Pain

Consumers companies are seeing early signs of demand pick up among the 400-million strong group of urban shoppers in India, providing a buffer to any volatility that might be unleashed by the country’s trade negotiations with the US.

Hindustan Unilever Ltd., the country’s no. 1 consumer goods maker that’s considered a bellwether for the sector, expects demand conditions to gradually improve boosted by macroeconomic tailwinds, with growth in April to September period exceeding the levels in the preceding six months.

The Indian unit of Unilever Plc also saw lesser “downtrading” this quarter — a practice when buyers start pivoting ...