Kolkata, Jan 19 (IANS): India's leading consumer goods major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), a unit of the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever Plc Monday said its domestic business grew 8 percent ahead of the market with 3 percent underlying volume growth.

The company's net sales grew by 7.7 percent during the third quarter of this fiscal with its Indian consumer business growing by 7.6 percent.

"Given the fast changing external environment, we are managing our business dynamically for sustained volume led growth and margin improvement," company chairman Harish Manwani said in a statement.

According to India's largest FMCG company, input costs were benign with a fall in crude oil prices and this has started to reflect in the lower cost of goods sold.

"Brand investments were sustained at competitive levels across all segments even as competitive intensity stepped up in the commodity linked categories. Profit before interest and tax grew by 8 percent. This was after absorbing the impact of a one-time provision in employee costs for select contested matters, additional depreciation charge and phasing out of excise duty benefits," the company said.

The company's profit after tax before exceptional items stood at Rs.955 crore while net profit was registered at Rs.1,252 crore, up by 18 percent.

"We continue to strengthen the core of our business and drive the competitiveness of our brands in the market. At the same time, we are leading market development in relatively nascent categories such as packaged foods and premium personal care with strong results," Manwani said.