Unilever on Thursday reported higher-than-expected underlying sales growth for the first quarter, buoyed by double-digit increases in India and China.

Underlying sales rose 5.7% in the three months ended March, beating the 3.9% analysts had expected, according to a company supplied consensus.

The Dove soap maker also said that it expects to deliver underlying sales growth of 3-5% in fiscal 2021, with the first half at around the top of this range. Underlying operating margin is expected to increase slightly in the full year, it said in a statement.