The company using education to help save lives in India

clock • 1 min read

Industry Voice: Schroders' Jonathan Fletcher explains how one consumer goods firm is helping to cut child mortality rates in India through water and sanitation programmes

As one the world's most populous countries, India faces some daunting challenges and companies operating there form part of the solution. At the heart of this story is Hindustan Unilever, the country's largest consumer goods business and a subsidiary of UK-listed Unilever.

Emerging markets fund manager Jonathan Fletcher says: "Each year 60,000 children under five die from diarrhoea caused by dirty water and poor sanitation, that's at least 166 children every day".

Armed with this information, Hindustan Unilever has launched an education programme to teach people about the importance of water and sanitation. Through this initiative, Hindustan Unilever is helping to save lives as well as providing much-needed hygiene products to households.

This article is sponsored by Schroders.

Read more sustainability insights from Schroders

More on Investment

Analysis: Oil and gas majors slashed low carbon spending by 65 per cent in 2025

Analysis: Oil and gas majors slashed low carbon spending by 65 per cent in 2025

Low carbon investment from seven leading oil and gas companies plummeted to lowest level since 2019 last year, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance analysis

Michael Holder
clock 08 May 2026 • 4 min read
Meatly to build Europe's largest cultivated meat facility in London

Meatly to build Europe's largest cultivated meat facility in London

Pet food producer to locate 20,000-litre bioreactor facility in the UK after securing £10.4m in Series A funding

Stuart Stone
clock 07 May 2026 • 3 min read
NatWest AGM interrupted by climate protestors

NatWest AGM interrupted by climate protestors

Re-elected NatWest chair agrees to meet investors concerned at bank’s climate policy, after AGM hit by protests

Stuart Stone
clock 28 April 2026 • 4 min read