Is India warming up to liquid detergents?

Let’s start with a development that should make anyone in the FMCG business sit up: Washing liquids or liquid detergents have grown 2.7X in volume and added nearly 24 million households since FY ’23.

This insight is straight from the just-released Kantar India FMCG Pulse Q2 2025 report. Now just think about that. In a low-involvement category like laundry, a format growing at this speed isn’t just a marketing success—it’s a consumer behaviour shift.

At current household penetration, it is slightly above 20%, and washing liquids still have a long race. But the trajectory is unmistakable. Washing liquids are no longer the preserve of premium metro homes owning front-load machines. They’re mainstreaming fast—across metros, Tier 1 towns, and even semi-urban clusters.

So, what’s really driving this increase?

First, let’s talk machines. Urban India's penetration of washing machines has crossed 30%, and more importantly, they're no longer aspirational—they're accessible. Liquids are a fitting in naturally.

They don’t clog, they dissolve better, and they don’t leave that stubborn white residue powders sometimes do. Switching to liquids isn’t a choice; it’s a default for even new machine buyers.

Second, there’s the less messy experience. Households in India, especially where domestic help is limited or unavailable, are opting for products that make chores less of a chore.

Detergent soaps, once indispensable in our utility rooms, are quietly being phased out. Nobody wants the mess, the scrubbing, or the sticky trays anymore.

Then there’s the small but mighty sachet. Liquid detergents today come in Rs 10 trial packs, lowering the entry barrier and letting people dip their toes (or shirts) into the new format without committing their entire monthly budgets.

Larger SKUs now start at under Rs 100 for a litre, offering quality formulations at a much lower cost than established players. What used to be considered premium is now democratised—crafted for the bucket-wash loyalist and the new machine owner alike.

And of course, creative brand communication has played its part. Over the past year or so, more and more campaigns have been demystifying liquids, showing how to measure them and even highlighting the fragrance or fabric care benefits.

Influencers in regional languages are simplifying it further for the masses. It’s not just advertising; it’s education.

During a recent consumer visit to Indore, I watched a young mother carefully pour a large pouch of liquid detergent into a clean plastic bottle and mark it with a black pen: only this much per wash. "This works better", she told me,

“And I can control how much I use. Powder ka andaza galat pad jaata hai.” That one moment made it clear: this transition isn’t just about product; it was about precision, control, and a quiet pride in doing things the right way.

It reminded me that format shifts in fast-moving categories often stem from something deeply human. The pattern is clear that as Indian households evolve, they will upgrade format first and then brand.

There are some global examples too for this trend. China, over the last ten years, has seen a dramatic shift from powders and soaps to liquids, particularly in urban households where front-load washing machine adoption and lifestyle upgrades accelerated the transition.

Similarly in Brazil, the journey is led by small, affordable packs of liquids that made it easier for middle-income homes to trade up from powders. These markets are live examples of when better-performing, easy-to-use formats become accessible; consumers don’t look back.

So where’s the catch? Honestly, there isn’t a major one. The biggest challenge for liquid detergents now is not awareness—it’s habit inertia.

Washing powders are still considered as ‘value for money’ by many, especially in price-sensitive households. But that perception is slowly shifting as people realise that with liquids, less is more—a capful can do the job of a scoop, with less water and less effort.

In the end, this is more than a format story. It’s about India’s changing middle class. As homes get smaller, lifestyles get busier, and aspirations grow taller, products that make life a little simpler—without compromising on effectiveness—will win.

(Our guest author, Krishna Khatwani, is the Head of Sales (India) at Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. He possesses over 18 years of experience in sales and marketing within the FMCG sector.)