Packaged consumer goods company Colgate-Palmolive (India) is looking to expand into the personal care segment and is open to inorganic opportunities in the sector, the company mentioned in an analyst meeting. In the first analyst meeting under new leader Prabha Narasimhan, the company said it would launch a platform called DentistFirst and venture into the kids’ toothpaste category.

Prabha Narasimhan took over as managing director and chief executive officer of the oral care company on September 1. Narasimhan told CNBC-TV18 that the key goal for the company is to drive performance and keep up with the environmental changes. She said Colgate-Palmolive (India) is the highest-penetrated brand in the country.

Key takes away from the analyst meet

In her first analyst meeting, Narasimhan spelled out the roadmap for growth.

The key focus areas for the company are per capita consumption which needs to be increased. Data shows that in India, the per capita consumption of toothpaste is 1X, in the Philippines, it is 1.8X, and in Brazil, it is 3.1X.

Data suggests that 55 percent of rural Indians do not brush their teeth even once a day — which is what Colgate-Palmolive (India) wants to focus on.

The key focus area for the company is toothbrush replacement. According to data by Colgate-Palmolive (India), in Urban India, the toothbrush replacement duration is six months, while in rural India, it is 15 months. The company recommended replacement is three months, and Colgate-Palmolive will keep that in focus to increase sales.

The four strategies the company said it would abide by:

Other than that, on expansion, the company is planning to set up a business-to-business platform called DentistFirst and is also keen on entering the kids’ toothpaste category.

In February, the company announced launching a range of Palmolive face care products, including face foams, gels, scrubs and masques for capturing consumer demand at the premium end of the skincare market in India.

Meanwhile, global brokerage firm Jefferies expects the management to prioritize market share. According to Jefferies, with the strategies of Colgate-Palmolive (India) to expand in personal care, the company is eyeing growth opportunities in the non-oral care business.

On December 9, Prakash Gaba of prakashgaba.com said Colgate is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 1,640 and a target of Rs 1,670. Before that, on December 1, technical analyst Sudarshan Sukhani had said Colgate-Palmolive is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 1,615 and a target of Rs 1,665.