MAM
Linc Pen takes brand integration route
KOLKATA: Kolkata-headquartered Linc Pen & Plastics has spent 1.5 to 2 per cent of the Rs 315 crore turnover on marketing and branding in the current fiscal 2014-15.
In an industry, which is marked by low level of differentiation, the company is aware that it is imperative to create brand differentiation among the potential target audience. In keeping with this, Linc Pen & Plastics has spent close to seven per cent of its marketing spent on digital campaigns and internet.
Also, after integrating its brand in the movie Bhootnath Returns, the company is looking for more such brand integration opportunities.
“It is essential to advertise and popularise the USP of the product and the brand on digital platforms these days. We are not only active on digital platforms, but look at how to engage with people. We spend around 78 per cent on the above-the-line (ATL) activities including advertisements and hoardings. Also, the ATL mix is going up as compared to last year,” said Linc Pen & Plastics brand manager Harshvardhen Daga.
With consumers becoming more and more enthusiastic about what brand they use, Linc Pen & Plastics is always looking for engagement programmes with its consumers.
Linc Pen is amongst the top three brands in the writing instruments industry, having largest market share in eastern India. Linc pens are exported to more than 50 countries presently. The brand was placed at number 282 across all brands in India last year.
On the brand integration with movies, he said that brand Linc was shown for around 60 seconds in Boothnath Returns. “We are in talks with people for getting our brand good visibility,” he said.
The writing instrument market is low-involvement and highly fragmented. “Linc focuses on the mass market. We have pens ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 20 in the mass market segment,” he concluded.
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.
