Hindustan Lever has formally introduced a new corporate logo and has changed its name to Hindustan Unilever Ltd. The company has adapted its universal global logo comprising 25 different icons with the aim of leveraging the global scale of the company and at the same time keeping its Indian identity intact with its new name.

For its Indian operations alone Unilever has decided to use its name as a suffix for its Indian subsidiary unlike the rest of its subsidiaries where it prefixes its name with the name of the country.

HLL says, retaining the name "Hindustan" as the first word in its name reflects the company''s continued commitment to local economy, consumers, partners and employees. The new logo is symbolic of the company''s mission of `adding vitality to life''.

It comprises 25 different icons representing the organisation, its brands and the idea of vitality. Each of the icons, which make up the ''U'', represent broadly product categories the group is in - for example, a tiny spoon in the logo is a symbol of nutrition, taste and cooking, while a chilli indicates spice and flavours and lips represent beauty, looking good and great taste.

Doug Baillie, CEO, Hindustan Lever, said, "The identity symbolises the benefits we bring to our consumers and the communities we work in. Our mission is full of promise for the future, opening up exciting opportunities where we have competitive advantage for developing our business and our new identity will help us confidently position ourselves in every aspect of our business."

Unilever began operations as an entity in 1885 when its founder, William Hesketh Lever, launched Lever Brothers in England. Lever Brothers soaps were sold for the first time in India in 1888. The company started its first manufacturing subsidiary in India in 1931 under Hindustan Vanaspati Manufacturing Company and a second subsidiary Lever Brothers India Ltd was established in 1933.

Two years later, in 1935, a third subsidiary, United Traders Ltd, was floated.

In 1944, the three Unilever companies in India were put under a common management and in the year 1956 the merger of the three subsidiary companies led to the formation of Hindustan Lever.