The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) has called off an agitation against oral hygiene products maker Colgate Palmolive. The distributors in Maharashtra had earlier announced the suspension of product purchases in Maharashtra starting May 12, in protest over its steep discounts on quick commerce platforms.

The agitation was called off after a meeting between AICPDF members and Colgate-Palmolive officials. During the meeting, the distributors presented data reflecting a 30 to 50 per cent drop in revenue attributed to margin compression, market disruption and shifting of the company’s policies.

“ It was discussed that the market operating rate disturbances have increased in the recent past, both from the alternative channels and the stockists, and hence, we need to find a way within legal guardrails to have a check on the same. In cases of violation of recommended retail selling prices by alternate channels, the company agreed to review and engage with concerned stakeholders as per their internal protocols and guardrails allowed under the law,” said a statement from AICPDF.

The organisation stated that the toothpaste maker has agreed to review the situation and will follow up on the commitments made in the meeting, “The company has agreed to review these issues with the help of commercial teams as per their internal protocols within the guardrails allowed under the law, and thereafter implement appropriate commercial actions. We agreed that we will assess the impact of the same over the next 30-60-90 days to see progress,” mentions the statement.

India-Pak tension

With the conflict of India-Pakistan, the distributor body stated that it does not want to impact the supply of products across the country.

“In the light of the situation and growing concerns over national security, AICPDF has decided to defer the planned agitation against Colgate-Palmolive to avoid any disruptions in the supply of essential products.

Our responsibility to the country comes first. We have received assurances from Colgate and will monitor implementation closely. However, if corrective measures are not executed within the committed timeline, AICPDF will reinitiate necessary actions post-quarter,” said Dhairyashil Patil, National President, AICPDF.

Published on May 12, 2025