Brands
Q1-2016: Dabur marketing spends up 15.5%
BENGALURU: Dabur India Limited (Dabur) spent 15.5 per cent more towards advertising and publicity expenses (ASP) in the quarter ended 30 June, 2015 (Q1-2016) at Rs 330.61 crore (16 per cent of Total Income from Operations or TIO) as compared to the Rs 286.27 crore (15.3 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and 24.6 per cent more than the Rs 265.39 crore (13.6 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.
Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
Dabur’s products
Among the products that Dabur has include health supplements like Chyawanprash, Ratnaprash, Honey, Glucose; digestives like Hamjola – Hajmola Chuzkara and Natkhat Amrud, Pudin hara fizz; OTC and Ethicals such as Lal Tail, Honitus Syrup; Haircare products like Vatika, Vatika Brave and Beautiful digital, Anmol Jasmine marks; Toothpaste brands like Dabur Red, Babool and Meswak; skincare products like Fem natural fairness, Gold Bleach, Gulabari; Homecare brands such as Odomos, Odonil and Sanifresh; Food brands such as Real and Real Active.
“The macro-economic scenario remains challenging. In this subdued environment, we remained watchful, agile and prudent, managing our business dynamically to deliver another quarter of competitive and profitable growth. Our India FMCG business ended the first quarter of 2015-16 with an 11.6 per cent growth, led by an 8.1 per cent volume growth. Our EBITDA marked a 21.6 per cent growth during the quarter,” said Dabur India CEO Sunil Duggal said.
“Going forward, we will focus on our cost efficiencies and pursue an aggressive and profitable growth strategy. We continue to strengthen our business for the long term by driving innovation and investing behind our brands. With these initiatives, we are confident of growing ahead of the market and improving our market share,” Duggal added.
Trends
The company’s ASP in Q1-2016 at Rs 330.61 crore (16 per cent of TIO) was the highest in terms of actual rupee spends as well as in terms of percentage of TIO during the 11 quarter period starting Q3-2013 until Q1-2016. Over the 11 quarter period under consideration, Dabur’s ASP in absolute rupees and ASP in terms of percentage of TIO both show a linear increasing trend. Please refer to Fig 1 below.
Fig 1 below indicates that ASP in terms of percentage of TIO follows a linearly increasing zigzag line, with peaks in Q1 and Q3 and valleys in Q2 and Q4 of a financial year. Based on this, it is quite likely that the company’s ASP in Q2-2016 (next quarter) may be lower in terms of percentage of TIO.
Dabur TIO in Q1-2016 at Rs 2069.49 crore was 10.6 per cent more than the Rs 1868.86 crore in Q1-2015 and was 6.1 per cent more than the Rs 1949.74 crore in Q4-2015. The company’s TIO shows a linear increasing trend during the eleven quarter period under consideration in this report.
Dabur PAT for Q1-2016 at Rs 262.10 crore (12.7 per cent of TIO) was 24.3 per cent more than the Rs 210.81 crore (11.3 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015, but was eight per cent lower than the Rs 284.86 crore (14.6 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter. PAT in abslute rupees as well as in terms of percentage of TIO show linear increasing trends. Please refer to Fig 2 below.
Category Growths
Dabur says that its Toothpaste business, led by strong demand for Dabur Red Paste and Dabur Meswak, ended the first quarter with a near 24 per cent growth. The OTC and Ethicals business ended the first quarter with a 16.7 per cent growth, while the Foods category reported a 15.5 per cent growth during Q1. While the Hair Oil category reported a 13 per cent growth during the period, the Shampoo business ended the quarter with an 11.5 per cent growth. The Home Care business grew by nearly 12 per cent during the period.
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Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
