No, Horlicks is not an Indian company. It is an iconic health and nutrition brand founded in the United Kingdom. Horlicks is owned by Hindustan Unilever Limited, which is a subsidiary of the British multinational consumer goods giant, Unilever. However, Horlicks in United Kingdom is under the ownership of Aimia Foods.
Horlicks has a legacy spanning over 150 years. The brand offers malted milk drinks and health food products loaded with vitamins, minerals, calcium, zinc and other essential nutrients. Horlicks comes in multiple flavours and variants like honey, vanilla, chocolate, Horlicks Classic, Horlicks Lite, Women’s Horlicks and more. The brand is particularly popular in India.
| Details | Info |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Founder | James and William Horlick |
| Headquarters | Haddock, United Kingdom
Gurugram, Haryana, India |
| CEO | Priya Nair |
| Sector | Health and Nutrition |
Company History
Horlicks was founded in the year 1873 by brothers James and William Horlick at Gloucestershire in the United Kingdom. They developed a malt-based drink brand, named Diastoid, to fulfil the nutritional requirements of infants and people with poor health. In the year 1883, the Horlicks brand was established under the ownership of J&W Horlicks when the Horlick brothers patented their creation, a first-of-its-kind malted mixable drink.
Horlicks expanded to the United States in the first decade of the 20th century. It was supplied as a health drink to the soldiers during both the world wars. Horlicks was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline in the year 1969. The brand became very popular in India and established a strong presence in the country during the 1980s. Subsequently, Horlicks expanded its product range in India to include variants like Junior Horlicks for children and Mother’s Horlicks for pregnant and lactating women.
In the year 2017, Horlicks in UK was acquired by Aimia Foods. Horlicks brand in India and other South Asian nations was acquired by Unilever through its Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Unilever Limited, in 2018.
Current Status
Horlicks currently holds 42-45% share in the Indian health drink market. On a global level, the brand operates in 13 countries, with a strong presence in UK, Bangladesh and certain Asian markets. Major Horlicks variants in the market include Horlicks Classic, Horlicks Strength Plus for senior citizens, Junior Horlicks, Mother’s Horlicks, low-sugar Horlicks Lite and flavoured Horlicks like elaichi, chocolate and honey.
Future Outlook
Horlick’s brand legacy and a distribution network of over 9 million retail outlets positions it well to capitalise on the growing demand for functional nutrition, particularly in India where the brand is very strong. The brand is likely to introduce more innovative variants to appeal to the growing segment of health-conscious consumers.