Central PSU HLL breaks into global hormonal contraceptive league
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 10
The Thiruvananthapuram-headquartered HLL has found a place alongside some of the world's leading pharmaceutical and women's healthcare companies in the rapidly expanding global hormonal contraceptive market, marking a significant international recognition for Kerala's Central PSU sector.
HLL Lifecare Limited (HLL), a Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has been listed among the leading players in the global hormonal contraceptive market in a new industry report by international market research and consulting firm Spherical Insights & Consulting.
The recognition comes as HLL completes 60 years, offering a significant milestone for a company that began with a relatively focused mandate in contraceptive manufacturing and has since evolved into a diversified healthcare enterprise with operations spanning pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, hospital products, retail pharmacies, and healthcare infrastructure.
The Spherical Insights report, covering the 2026-35 period, places HLL alongside major global pharmaceutical and women's healthcare companies.
It estimates that the global hormonal contraceptive market, valued at $20.84 billion in 2025, will expand to Rs 33.92 billion by 2035.
Growing awareness of reproductive health, wider adoption of family planning programmes, and increasing access to modern contraceptive methods are expected to drive the market's expansion.
For HLL, the global recognition underlines the transformation of a Kerala-headquartered public sector undertaking into a company with an international footprint.
With seven manufacturing facilities across India, HLL supplies contraceptive and family planning products not only to the Central and state governments but also to United Nations agencies, international procurement organisations and public health programmes in several countries.
The company has been in the contraceptive business for six decades.
Its product portfolio includes hormonal and non-hormonal oral contraceptive pills, male and female condoms, intrauterine contraceptive devices, and tubal rings.
Among its better-known products is Saheli, introduced in the early 1990s as India's first non-steroidal oral contraceptive pill. HLL also manufactures Emily, a 52-mg levonorgestrel-releasing hormonal intrauterine system that provides contraceptive protection for up to three years and is also used in the management of heavy menstrual bleeding.
HLL's manufacturing facilities have received WHO/UNFPA prequalification, strengthening its credentials in the international public-health procurement market.
The company also operates a dedicated Corporate Research and Development Centre (CRDC), through which it has developed products including a latex-based female condom and a graphene condom.
The company's evolution is significant in the context of India's public sector, where several traditional PSUs have struggled to adapt to changing markets.
HLL, by contrast, has steadily expanded beyond its original contraceptive mandate into multiple healthcare segments while retaining its public-health orientation.
HLL's emergence on the global hormonal contraceptive map gives Kerala another distinctive public-sector success story, one where a Central PSU is competing for recognition in a specialised global healthcare market.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's encouraging to see an Indian PSU competing globally in such a specialized market. The fact that they're WHO prequalified says a lot about their quality standards. Family planning is crucial for developing nations, and HLL is making it accessible.
This is exactly what Make in India should look like - innovative, globally recognized, and serving public health needs. HLL's journey from a small contraceptive manufacturer to a diversified healthcare giant is inspiring. But we need more such PSU success stories, not just one.
Saheli was revolutionary in the 90s - India's own contraceptive innovation! I remember my mother talking about it. Sixty years of service and still going strong. This recognition is well-deserved for a company that's actually improving women's lives across the world. 💪
Good to see PSUs evolving rather than becoming relics. HLL's expansion into diagnostics and hospital products while maintaining its core contraceptive mission shows smart strategic thinking. Though I do wonder about the market projections - $20B to nearly $34B is a big jump.
A Kerala PSU making waves globally! This is the kind of news that should dominate headlines, not just sports and film gossip. HLL's graphene condom and female condom are genuinely innovative. Hope the government gives them more support to expand further. 🙌
K