FMCG major Nestle India on Wednesday reported an 8.25 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 668.34 crore for the third quarter ended September, helped by a volume growth across categories.

The company, which follows January-December financial year, had posted a net profit of Rs 617.37 crore in the same period a year ago, it said in a BSE filing.

Net sales were up 18.24 per cent to Rs 4,591 crore against Rs 3,882.57 crore in the year-ago period, the company said.

The company has “witnessed the highest sales growth during a quarter in the last five years”, said an earnings statement from the company.

Nestle India chairman and managing director Suresh Narayanan said this achievement has been “on continued strong volume and mix evolution with broad-based double-digit growth” across all categories.

“Growth has been very strong in the large metros and mega cities and continued to be robust across smaller towns, including rural markets,” he said.

Total expenses were at Rs 3,715.40 crore against Rs 3,081.99 crore in the year-ago period.

Domestic sales were up 18.27 per cent at Rs 4,361.15 crore compared with Rs 3,687.37 crore in the year-ago period. Domestic sales growth is broad-based with a healthy balance of pricing and volume, said Nestle.

During the quarter, the e-commerce channel contributed 7.2 per cent of Nestle India’s sales. This was largely fuelled by new, emerging formats such as “quick commerce” and “click & mortar”, it added.

Exports were up 15.68 per cent at Rs 205.45 crore compared with the year-ago period. The increase in exports was led by the proliferation of Indian product portfolio in new markets and expanding new categories, especially wider offerings in Maggi, and confectionery remains a key focus, the statement said.

Commenting on commodity outlook in the short to medium term, Nestle India said: “We are witnessing early signs of stability in the prices of a few commodities such as edible oils and packaging materials.

“However, fresh milk, fuels, grains and green coffee costs are expected to remain firm with the continued increase in demand and volatility,” it added.

Meanwhile, in a separate filing, Nestle India informed that its board has declared a second interim dividend of Rs 120 per equity share of Rs 10 each for 2022.

Shares of Nestle India on Wednesday climbed over 2 per cent to settle at Rs 19,800 apiece on the BSE. During the day, it climbed 2.39 per cent to Rs 19,849.95.