Hindustan Unilever (HUL), the Indian arm of Unilever, reported a smaller-than-expected increase in quarterly profit as demand in the country’s rural areas remained low, partly due to a delayed winter. The company’s profit for the quarter ended December 31 rose 0.6% to Rs 2,519 crore ($303.30 million), missing the average analysts’ estimate of Rs 2,680 crore. HUL’s quarterly sales of products slipped marginally to Rs 14,928 crore, with underlying sales growth in its home care business falling 1%.