HDFC Bank vs Unilever: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
HDFC Bank reported ~$32.9B of revenue in FY2026 and ~$8.8B of net income. Unilever reported ~$57.1B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$10.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
HDFC Bank
For FY2025-26 HDFC Bank reported net revenues of ~$22.2 billion (INR 1,91,218.60 crore) (+13.6%) and standalone profit after tax of ~$8.66 billion (INR 74,671.30 crore) (+10.9%), with net interest margin of 3.34% and gross NPAs of 1.15%. The board recommended a final dividend of INR 13 per share. Q1 FY2026-27 standalone profit was ~$2.21 billion (INR 19,060 crore), up about 5% (around 9.8% excluding one-off items in the prior-year quarter), with net interest income up 7%, deposits of ~$368 billion (INR 31.71 lakh crore) (+14.7%), gross advances of ~$355 billion (INR 30.61 lakh crore) (+15.4%) and a capital adequacy ratio of 19.6%. Margin pressure was the main reason the shares fell after the results.
Unilever
Unilever's 2025 turnover from continuing operations was ~$57.1 billion (EUR 50.5 billion), down 3.8% in reported terms because of adverse currency moves and disposals, even as underlying sales grew 3.5% with 1.5% from volume. Free cash flow was ~$6.67 billion (EUR 5.9 billion), about $757 million (EUR 670 million) of productivity savings had been delivered by the end of 2025, and the company announced a new ~$1.69 billion (EUR 1.5 billion) share buyback. Momentum improved in 2026: first-half turnover was ~$28.9 billion (EUR 25.6 billion) (up 0.5%), underlying sales grew 4.8% with 4.2% volume, Q2 underlying growth reached 5.8%, and the underlying operating margin was 20.3%. Unilever raised its full-year outlook after the H1 2026 results.
Revenue and profit by year
HDFC Bank
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | ~$32.9B | ~$8.8B | 26.8% | +3.8% | Source |
| FY2025 | ~$31.7B | ~$8.2B | 25.9% | +19.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$26.5B | ~$7.4B | 28.0% | +102.5% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$13.1B | ~$5.3B | 40.7% | +24.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$10.6B | ~$4.4B | 41.7% | +16.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$9.1B | — | 0.0% | +16.1% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$7.8B | — | 0.0% | +13.2% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$6.9B | — | 0.0% | +17.1% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$5.9B | — | 0.0% | +19.8% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$4.9B | — | 0.0% | — | Source |
Unilever
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$57.1B | ~$10.7B | 18.7% | -3.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$59.3B | ~$6.5B | 10.9% | +1.5% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$58.4B | ~$7.3B | 12.6% | -14.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$67.9B | ~$8.6B | 12.7% | +14.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$59.3B | ~$6.8B | 11.5% | +3.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$57.3B | ~$6.3B | 11.0% | -2.4% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$58.7B | ~$6.4B | 10.8% | +2.0% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$57.6B | ~$10.6B | 18.4% | -5.1% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$60.7B | ~$6.8B | 11.2% | +1.9% | Source |
| FY2016 | ~$59.6B | ~$5.9B | 9.8% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
HDFC Bank
- Net Interest Income
67.3% of net revenues
Spread income from loans, investments, and funding after interest expense.
- Other Income
32.7% of net revenues
Fees, commissions, foreign exchange, derivatives, investment income, and other banking income.
- Digital, Cards, Payments, and Distribution
Embedded in fee income
Transaction, card, payment, wealth, and distribution income tied to customer relationships.
Unilever
- Power Brands
78% of 2025 turnover
Dove, Vaseline, Rexona, Sunsilk, OMO, Knorr and the other Power Brands made up 78% of turnover in 2025.
- Beauty & Wellbeing
Not formally reported
One of four business groups reported after the 2025 Ice Cream demerger; it includes prestige beauty and wellbeing supplements.
- Personal Care
Not formally reported
One of the four business groups reported after the 2025 Ice Cream demerger.
- Home Care
Not formally reported
One of the four business groups reported after the 2025 Ice Cream demerger.
- Foods
Not formally reported
Largely to be combined with McCormick in a pending transaction; it includes Unilever Food Solutions for foodservice.
Business model and strategy
HDFC Bank
How it makes money
HDFC Bank makes money mainly from the spread between what it earns on loans and investments and what it pays depositors. Net interest income was roughly two-thirds of FY2025-26 net revenues; the rest came from fees and commissions on cards, payments, third-party distribution and transaction banking, plus treasury and foreign-exchange income.
Growth strategy
Since the July 2023 merger with HDFC Ltd, the strategy has shifted from maximising loan growth to rebuilding the funding mix. Management deliberately let advances grow more slowly than deposits in FY2025 and FY2026 to bring the credit-to-deposit ratio down, then resumed faster lending: gross advances grew 15.4% and deposits 14.7% year on year in Q1 FY2026-27.
Competitive advantage
HDFC Bank's edge is a low-cost retail deposit base gathered through nearly 9,700 branches and DBUs, a long record of tight underwriting (gross NPA ratio of 1.15% at March 2026), and enough digital scale that 98% of financial transactions run online. Salary accounts, credit cards and home loans tie customers into multiple products, which lowers acquisition cost and raises switching friction.
Unilever
How it makes money
Unilever makes money by manufacturing and selling branded, repeat-purchase consumer products through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, small independent shops and e-commerce. After the 2025 Ice Cream demerger it reports four business groups: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care and Foods. Its Power Brands, such as Dove, Vaseline, Rexona, Sunsilk, OMO and Knorr, made up 78% of turnover in 2025.
Growth strategy
Under Fernando Fernandez, Unilever is concentrating investment behind about 30 Power Brands, increasing marketing spend through social and influencer channels, rotating the portfolio toward premium beauty and wellbeing (2025 deals included Dr. Squatch, Wild and Minimalist), and separating lower-growth food and ice cream assets.
Competitive advantage
Unilever's advantage is a mix of trusted brands, emerging-market distribution, local manufacturing, repeat-purchase categories, Power Brand marketing scale, and deep category knowledge in personal care, home care, beauty, and foods.
Questions about HDFC Bank vs Unilever
Which company has higher revenue — HDFC Bank Limited or Unilever PLC?
HDFC Bank Limited reported ~$32.9B (FY2026), while Unilever PLC reported ~$57.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Unilever PLC is the larger business, with HDFC Bank Limited reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of HDFC Bank Limited vs Unilever PLC?
HDFC Bank Limited's market capitalisation stands at $118.8B, while Unilever PLC's is $132.5B. Unilever PLC carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to HDFC Bank Limited.
Which is more financially efficient — HDFC Bank Limited or Unilever PLC?
HDFC Bank Limited generates $156k / employee in revenue per employee, while Unilever PLC generates $594k / employee. Unilever PLC shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do HDFC Bank Limited and Unilever PLC make money?
HDFC Bank Limited and Unilever PLC generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. HDFC Bank Limited: HDFC Bank makes money mainly from the spread between what it earns on loans and investments and what it pays depositors. Unilever PLC: Unilever makes money by manufacturing and selling branded, repeat-purchase consumer products through supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, small independent shops and e-commerce.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — HDFC Bank Limited or Unilever PLC?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, HDFC Bank Limited trades at 3.6x P/S and Unilever PLC at 2.3x P/S. HDFC Bank Limited commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Unilever PLC. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is HDFC Bank Limited bigger than Unilever PLC?
By last reported revenue, Unilever PLC (~$57.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to HDFC Bank Limited (~$32.9B (FY2026)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the HDFC Bank vs Unilever overview