NEW DELHI, Jan. 21 -- Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) today is in a far stronger position than it has been in the last three years. The threat from upstart Patanjali has faded and in the words of HUL chairman Sanjiv Mehta, the rise of Patanjali has only brought the best out of his company. Mehta said the acquisition of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd will not only give it ownership of brands such as Horlicks and Boost, but also strengthen its foods and refreshment segment, where HUL was lagging behind its nearest competitor ITC Ltd for a long-time. If the regulatory approvals are received on time, the combined businesses of HUL and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer will be Rs 45,000crore from next year. Edited excerpts from an interview:...