Colgate-Palmolive India has partnered with Bombay Shaving Company to manage the direct-to-consumer (D2C) and e-commerce operations of its Palmolive personal care brand.

The move comes as the FMCG major looks to improve Palmolive’s digital performance and strengthen its presence in India’s rapidly growing online personal care market.

Under the partnership, Bombay Shaving Company will handle consumer-facing advertising and customer relationships for Palmolive across D2C and e-commerce channels. Colgate-Palmolive will continue to manage product innovation, manufacturing, quality, supply chain and Palmolive’s modern and general trade operations.

The partnership comes after Colgate-Palmolive acknowledged that Palmolive has been a weak spot in its personal care portfolio. The company’s MD and CEO, Prabha Narasimhan, said the company had not performed as well as it wanted with Palmolive and that the D2C model required capabilities that were different from its traditional FMCG approach.

Bombay Shaving Company brings experience from India’s digital-first consumer market. Colgate-Palmolive already has a relationship with the company, having acquired a 14% minority stake for around Rs 18 crore in 2018. This existing relationship gives both companies a degree of familiarity as they work together to expand Palmolive’s online business.

Palmolive remains a leading brand in India’s premium handwash segment, but Colgate sees considerable room for expansion in personal care. The company is increasingly focusing on e-commerce and quick commerce, which have become important channels for product discovery, particularly for premium consumer products.

Colgate-Palmolive has also increased its focus on digital advertising, with around 50% to 60% of its advertising and promotional spending now directed towards digital channels. The company has indicated that it is willing to accept some near-term margin pressure as it prioritises growth and invests more heavily in advertising and expansion.

For Bombay Shaving Company, the partnership provides an opportunity to apply its D2C expertise to a large established FMCG brand. Its parent company, Visage Lines Personal Care, reported Rs 634.7 crore in operating revenue in FY26, up 139% year-on-year, while its net loss narrowed significantly.

The development highlights a broader shift in India’s FMCG industry, where traditional consumer companies are increasingly looking towards digital-first businesses to improve their e-commerce capabilities. For Palmolive, the key challenge will be converting stronger online execution into sustained sales growth and market share gains.

The partnership is still at an early stage, with Colgate management describing the initial results as encouraging. Investors will therefore watch Palmolive’s online sales growth, customer acquisition, advertising efficiency and the impact of higher digital spending on margins in the coming quarters.

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