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Q3-2015: United Spirits marketing spends up 15.8 per cent
BENGALURU: United Spirits Limited (USL) spent 229.75 crore (9.9 per cent of Total Income from Operations or TIO) in Q3-2015 (quarter ended December 31, 2015, current quarter) towards Advertising and Sales Promotion (ASP, marketing). This was 15.8 per cent more than the Rs 198.40 crore (9.1 per cent of TIO) that the Vijay Mallya led UB group company had spent in the immediate trailing quarter (previous quarter, Q2-2015, q-o-q) and 2.3 per cent more than the Rs 225.06 crore (also 9.9 per cent of TIO) in the corresponding year ago quarter (Q3-2014).
During the nine month period ended 31 December, 2014 (YTD, 9M-2015), USL spent Rs 647.98 crore (10.1 per cent of TIO) towards ASP, which was three per cent more than the Rs 629.15 crore (9.8 per cent of TIO) in the corresponding nine month period of the previous year.
Note: (1) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
(2) All numbers in this report are standalone, unless stated otherwise
(3) The UB group owns Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Royal Challengers (RCB) Bangalore and the I-League teams (I-League is an Indian professional league for Men’s Association football clubs) Mohun Bagan A. C and the East Bengal F. C. and is the co-owner of the Formula One team Sahara Force India. Mallaya is a member of the World Motor Sport Council representing India in the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile).
Over the previous eight quarters starting Q4-2013 until Q3-2015, ULS’s ASP spend had been the highest in terms of absolute rupees in the current quarter. As mentioned above the company had spent approximately the same per centage of TIO in Q3-2014. During the eight quarters under consideration, the highest spends by the company in terms of per centage of TIO is 11.4 per cent (219.83 crore) in Q1-2015, while lowest has been in the previous quarter.
During the eight quarters under consideration in this report, USL’s ASP shows a sharp upward linear trend in absolute rupees and a slight linear downward gradient to flat in terms of per centage of TIO. Please refer to Fig 1 below.
The company reported TIO of Rs 2318.23 crore in Q3-2015, which was 6.4 per cent more than the Rs 2178.58 crore in the immediate trailing period and was 2.3 per cent more than the Rs 2266.26 crore in the year ago quarter. During 9M-2015 USL’s TIO at Rs 6420.71 crore was almost flat (lower by 0.3 per cent) than the Rs 6441.93 crore in 9M-2015. Refer Fig 2 below For the 8 quarter period under consideration, TIO shows an upward linear trend.
USL reported PAT for Q3-2015 at Rs 78.81 crore, which was 21.4 per cent more than the Rs 64.92 crore in Q3-2014. The company had reported a loss of Rs 27.83 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.
The company’s Earnings before interest, depreciation, tax and amortization (EBIDTA) for Q3-2015 was Rs 238.1 (10.3 per cent of TIO), which was 2.1 per cent more than the Rs 233.29 crore (10.7 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015 and 7.3 per cent more than the Rs 222.07 crore (9.7 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014. For 9M-2015, EBIDTA at Rs 616.49 crore (9.6 per cent of TIO) was 16.6 per cent more than the Rs 739.18 crore (11.5 per cent of TIO) in 9M-2014.
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33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
