Why Fevicol maker Pidilite plans to raise prices again
What's the story
Pidilite Industries, the maker of popular brands like Fevicol and M-Seal, is considering another price hike in India. The move comes in response to the rising raw material costs due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. Sudhanshu Vats, the company's Managing Director, revealed this during a post-earnings briefing after announcing their Q4 FY26 results.
Cost increase
Raw material costs have surged by 40-50%
Vats revealed that Pidilite's raw material costs, closely tied to crude derivatives, have gone up by 40-50% due to the West Asia crisis. He said, "The West Asia crisis, like for many other businesses, has had an impact on our business as well." However, he added that the company was able to manage some of this impact and it didn't reflect in their numbers.
Pricing strategy
Price hike in Fevicol already implemented
Vats said Pidilite will look at the "weighted average increase" on its raw material, which is quite strong. He added, "So we are going to look at absolute rupee terms there, and we will continue to pass that on in a calibrated fashion to the market." The company has already raised Fevicol prices by 12-15% due to rising input costs, especially for Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM), a crude oil-derived key ingredient.
Crisis outlook
Prolonged conflict could impact consumer demand
Vats expressed hope that a temporary resolution or ceasefire in the West Asia crisis could happen this month. He said this would help ensure demand isn't significantly impacted. However, he warned that a prolonged geopolitical conflict and sustained inflation could eventually affect consumer demand.