Brands
‘Mary Kom’ a hit amongst advertisers
MUMBAI: MC Mary Kom winning the Bronze in Olympics made news everywhere and so did the announcement of her biopic starring Priyanka Chopra. The news not only excited the viewers and audiences, but it has also thrilled the advertisers.
The marketing leaders found a perfect opportunity to be associated with the brand ‘Mary Kom.’
The biopic has partnered with 20 brands including Havmor, Monte Carlo, Usha International, Artemis Hospitals, Edelweiss, Tokio Life Insurance and many more. Media channels like Ten Sports and India TV have also been incorporated in the movie.
Viacom18 Motion Pictures marketing head Rudrarup Dutta says, “Powerful stories like Mary Kom reaches out to all sections of society. It also touches the lives of people across demographics and interests. The story lends itself to collegial propositions with brands.”
“All the brands have been woven into the movie’s script,” he adds.
To leverage the integration, the brands too are promoting the movie through co-branded TVC, radio and digital contests. For instance, Mother Dairy has a TV campaign which promotes its product featuring Priyanka Chopra as Mary Kom.
Dutta says that the biopic became a sensation from the moment it was announced. “And due to its association with names like Viacom 18, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Priyanka Chopra and Mary Kom, the brands were interested in getting attached to the name since day one.”
Even though Dutta did not comment on the cost of the movie or the revenue garnered by the brands, he mentions that the partnerships is giving the movie an impact value of Rs 20 crore – 25 crore.
In the past, too, films have incorporated brands in the script by giving them prominent visibility in scenes like Coca-Cola in Taal (1999) and more recently, Nokia in Chennai Express.
The film production house organised ‘Cineshorts,’ a short-film contest, which allowed aspiring filmmakers and documentary makers to submit five-minute long films on the theme ‘Against All Odds’. According to the marketing head, this was purely a Viacom 18 initiative and the associated brands did not sponsor the contest.
On 5 September, Mary Kom will hit 1800-2000 screens in India and around 300 screens internationally. While Zee has the music rights, Colors has the satellite rights for the movie.
Viacom 18 earlier hit gold with a biopic on Milkha Singh and now hopes that it will be able to punch its way in box-office with Mary Kom.
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.
