Mumbai, May 8 (IANS): Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd on Friday reported marginal rise in its net profit for the quarter ended March at Rs 91.1 crore.

It recorded a 1.09 per cent rise in its net profit during the third quarter of the financial year 2019-20 compared to Rs 90.11 crore reported during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

The company follows the July-June financial year cycle.

Sales of the company, however, rose by 6 per cent during the period under review at Rs 656 crore.

"The company was forecasting high single digit sales growth for the quarter before the lockdown. But following the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19, the business operations were severely disrupted across the country," the company said in a regulatory filing.

Madhusudan Gopalan, Managing Director, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care, said: "During this unprecedented crisis, our organisation has been focusing on protecting the health and safety of each other, serving the Indian consumers with our health and hygiene products which become critical now more than ever, and to support communities in need through our relief efforts."

He added that in the near-term, the company will focus on scaling up its operations to maximise the availability of its products to meet consumer needs, while following health and safety guidelines by the government authorities.

"We are also stepping up to be a force for good through our Covid-19 response and relief programme 'P&G Suraksha India' where we are supporting government and relief organizations through in-kind, product and critical supplies donations, and are creating awareness about preventive measures to combat the spread of Covid-19," Gopalan said.