MAM
Goa Fest: JWT India leads metal tally, Linen Lintas wins solitary Grand Prix
GOA: As the third and final day of Abby Awards Goa Fest came to an end, metals galore were distributed amongst creative souls across various categories.
“With a beach 50 meters away and beers available 24 hours, having more than 70 per cent filled rooms in all the sessions signifies that Goa Fest 2015 was a success,” says AAAI president M.G. Parameswaran
Goa Fest 2015 saw a versatile group of speakers, charming and ecstatic ambience, and allusive advertisements played one after another. The creative minds enjoyed their time collecting one metals after another for different categories. The third day saw 29 Golds, 51 Silvers and 94 Bronze bestowed amongst the creative lot.
Though Goa Fest organizational committee does not publish any agency ratings, if the metal tally is analysed JWT India with 35 metals (nine golds, eight silvers and 18 bronze) bags the pole position. The solitary Grand Prix was won by Linen Lintas for Dabur Vatika Premium Naturals Shampoo’s Brave and Beautiful campaign.
The number of Grand Prix though got down from three in 2014 to one in 2015. The total number of metals went up to 344 (69 Golds, 102 Silver and 172 Bronze) compared to last year’s 336. The Advertising Club and chairman of the Awards Governing Council (AGC) Pratap Bose said, “You have to do something unique and extraordinary in order to win a Grand Prix and the jury found only one such entry and hence we have only one Grand Prix in 2015.”
The total number of golds went up to 69 compared to 50 and 44 in 2014 and 2013 respectively.
The number of agencies winning Abby metals has also gone up, which is an encouraging development for the creative fraternity. A total of 106 agencies won metals in 2015 compared to 85 and 73 in 2014 and 2013 respectively. The number of entries were also an encouragement for the organizing committee as it went up from 2012 to 2823. However it must be noted that in 2013, 4376 entries were registered for the same festival.
The highest number of golds were distributed in the broadcast category as 14 metals were distributed in the category. With 40 metals OOH grabbed the pole position when it came to the total number of metals amongst all categories.
Click here to read the full winner list
Click here to read the full winner list
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
