Brands
Intex targets revenue of Rs 6500 crore by 2016; to focus on south India
BENGALURU: Intex Technologies (India) that got into the mobile business around two years ago, had initially focused on the north and west Indian markets. Now, it has set its eyes on the south to help grow its business, starting off with Karnataka. The company is targeting revenues of Rs 6500 crore (a little more than $1 billion) by FY 2016.
It has roped in Kannada actor Sudeep, who is also the anchor of Suvarna TV’s reality show Bigg Boss Kannada 2, as its brand ambassador for a year. The TV/movie star launched Intex’s new range of aqua mobile handsets – Aqua Style- in Bengaluru earlier this week.
The company states that its revenue doubled to Rs 2000 crore in FY-2014 as compared to Rs 1000 crore in FY-2013 and it plans to close the current fiscal with revenue of Rs 3500 crore. 65 per cent of the company’s business comes from mobile phone sales.
Intex senior general manager mobile business Sanjay Kumar Kalirona said, “The Aqua range has been widely accepted by our customers across India. The Aqua Style has been designed keeping in mind, the need for style and quality. We are focused on increasing our footprint in Karnataka and I am certain that our association with Sudeep will be well accepted by the regional audiences. With Aqua Style, we aim to empower youngsters looking for a mobile that speaks about their personality.”
Earmarked for brand spends is Rs 150 crore for FY-2015, with around Rs 100 crore solely on mobile phone promotion. Intex is planning a Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore campaign over the next three to four months, with a big percentage of the spends in south India. The campaign will cover print, television, radio, outdoor, social media and BTL activities, along with retail branding strategies.
Intex had roped in Farhan Akhtar as its brand ambassador in 2013, and launched two TVCs featuring its smartphones – Aqua i5 and Aqua i7 with him. It plans to launch its third TVC, also with Farhan for Aqua i5 HD as one of the four to five TVCs planned for this fiscal.
To enhance its customer base, Intex has joined hands with various players in the sports and entertainment industry through associations with cricket tournaments and a partnership with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the Priyanka Chopra-starrer biopic on Mary Kom.
Most of the creative work has been done in-house, and the company has two to three agencies for media-buying, sources at Intex said.
Intex is a player in India in mobile handset, consumer durables and IT accessories. It claims that it has a pan India presence through its wide network comprising 29 stock and sales offices and over 800 service touch points.
Brands
Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
