Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL) has added two more World Economic Forum (WEF) Lighthouse recognitions to its manufacturing network, with its Haridwar and Sonepat facilities being honoured for achievements in supply chain resilience and sustainability. The latest awards take the company’s total Lighthouse designations to eight across six manufacturing sites.
The WEF has recognised HUL’s Haridwar factory under the Supply Chain Resilience category and its Sonepat facility under the Sustainability category as part of the Global Lighthouse Network, a programme that highlights advanced manufacturing sites using digital technologies to improve operational performance and long-term competitiveness.
The Haridwar plant earned recognition following a large-scale digital transformation aimed at improving responsiveness to changing consumer demand and the growth of emerging sales channels. The facility shifted from primarily large-volume production to smaller, premium product batches by integrating advanced manufacturing technologies. According to HUL, the site introduced an AI-powered supply chain nerve centre capable of monitoring demand patterns, adjusting production schedules and anticipating material-related risks. The company said these changes helped cut response times by 72%, reduce inventory holdings by 24% and maintain a 99% on-time delivery rate.
Meanwhile, the Sonepat factory was recognised for its efforts to reduce environmental impact across operations. The site adopted AI-driven energy management systems, Internet of Things-enabled cleaning processes and increased its use of renewable energy. HUL reported that the measures improved energy efficiency by 29%, reduced Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 99%, achieved groundwater recharge at 100 times the volume consumed and lowered raw material waste by 58%.
The latest honour marks Sonepat’s second WEF Lighthouse distinction after receiving End-to-End Value Chain recognition in 2024.
HUL’s participation in the Global Lighthouse Network began in 2021 with its Dapada facility. Subsequent recognitions were awarded to sites in Sonepat, Doom Dooma, Gandhidham and Pondicherry. With the addition of Haridwar and a second distinction for Sonepat, the company now holds eight Lighthouse recognitions across six facilities, making it one of the few companies globally with multiple sites receiving more than one Lighthouse designation.
The Global Lighthouse Network is a World Economic Forum initiative that identifies manufacturing sites demonstrating measurable gains in areas such as productivity, sustainability, supply chain resilience and workforce development
Source: HUL’s WEF recognised Lighthouse Network sites grow to six | Unilever
