Unilever to Launch Global Capability Centre in Pune for Ice Cream Business
Unilever, the FMCG giant behind popular brands like Magnum, Cornetto, and Kwality Wall’s, is establishing a new Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Pune. The facility will serve as a strategic hub for the company’s ice cream division, aimed at boosting operational efficiency and innovation across global markets.
This marks the first global tech and data centre dedicated specifically to Unilever’s ice cream category. The new centre is expected to become fully operational by the end of 2024. It will support end-to-end ice cream operations, including digital marketing, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, and HR functions, signalling the company’s focus on technology-led scalability and agility.
Unilever’s leadership emphasized that the Pune GCC reflects the increasing global demand for ice cream and underscores India’s role as a strategic talent and innovation base. The facility will bring together cross-functional teams and data-driven technologies to unlock efficiencies across the ice cream value chain.
India, already home to over 3,000 Unilever employees across its various hubs, continues to gain prominence within the company’s global operations. In particular, Pune has emerged as a technology and services powerhouse within Unilever’s ecosystem. The new GCC will be co-located with the existing UniOps centre, further consolidating the company’s footprint in the region.
According to Willem Uijen, Head of Unilever South Asia, establishing a dedicated centre for the ice cream business in India is a strategic move that will allow for stronger business synergies, improved speed to market, and enhanced digital capabilities. The decision aligns with broader FMCG sector trends of leveraging offshore centres to optimise global supply chains and elevate customer experiences.
As demand for premium and indulgent ice cream products continues to grow worldwide, Unilever’s investment in a specialized capability centre demonstrates a sharpened focus on category-specific excellence and global integration.
With the Pune centre poised to play a pivotal role in supporting expansion and innovation, the move also reflects how leading FMCG players are increasingly relying on digital-first models and emerging markets expertise to drive future growth.