Bangalore, India
Bangalore is the research and development centre for a number of our brands including Lifebuoy, Pond’s, Glow & Lovely, Vim, Radiant, Omo, Brooke Bond, Lipton, Wall’s and Knorr. Several breakthrough innovations, including the Glow & Lovely cream and anti-bacterial technology (Thymol and Terpeniol), are from this laboratory.
Main activities
In skin care, we work on advanced formulations for lotions and creams that deliver photo-protection, with exceptional sensory experiences. Through our understanding of the human microbiome, we provide superior technologies to improve human health and hygiene. Our programme in tea looks at aroma, taste, and nutrition benefits through understanding the biochemistry of the tea plant and tea processing to improve blends.
Our research on ‘naturals’ develops products with proven efficacy for the body and mind. In cleaning, for laundry and household care, we focus on areas such as minimising water usage while not compromising on cleanliness. An important aspect of our health and hygiene programme is to translate hygiene benefits across our products for personal and home care and ensure that clean, safe drinking water can be provided to the masses.
People
Around 250 employees work at the site including bio-scientists, chemical engineers, material scientists, physicists and chemists, specialising in Microbiology, Human and Plant Biology, Materials Chemistry and Process Science. While we have internal expertise in many areas, we also collaborate extensively with leading international experts, research groups and academic institutions.
History
In 1997, the Bangalore site was set up and evolved over the next few years and in 2006, it became a global Unilever R&D site.
A model of sustainability
The research campus was built to complement and enhance its surroundings, retaining as much green cover across the site as possible and working in harmony with the rare local flora and fauna. The Bangalore site has been awarded the most prestigious platinum rating by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) under the Existing Building Operations & Maintenance (O&M) category for 2018 and 2019.
The R&D campus is overall water positive since 2015 and a zero-discharge site. 85% of rainwater is harvested and with total green energy up to 60% (Energy from Solar rooftop + Green energy supply), the ambition for Bangalore R&D site is to be 100% green energy along with 100% water positive by 2024.