MAM
The Emvies: It’s what everyone envies
MUMBAI: Sounds of the Nasik Dhol, trumpets, and people screaming and shouting as they cheered their respective teams filled the air.
The audience comprised not suits but people dressed casually yet tastefully, wearing mostly colourful tee-shirts bearing the name of the media agency they represented.
And no, it wasn’t the wine-and-cheese affair you’d normally associate with those oh-so-snooty ad agency-types…
Rather, this year’s Emvies, organised at the Taj Lands End on Friday, 6 September, 7:00 pm onward, was more like a festival you’d suddenly found yourself in the midst of.
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The decibels kept rising and so did the energy levels of the swelling crowd.
While there were some 500 attendees, it was easy to spot the different teams; be it Mindshare, MediaComet, Madison, Ogilvy that had huddled into groups across the hall.
Not only did the extravaganza open to the beats of the dhol, till the very end, and especially, each time a winner was announced, the professional dhol players went into overdrive, accompanied by the team’s loud cheering.
The volume never dropped from the beginning till the end, what with dhols, trumpets, whistles, hooting… the works. Towards the end, it reached a crescendo when the Mindshare team took to the stage in purple tee-shirts and bandanas to receive their ‘Agency of the Year’ award.
The atmosphere was enthralling and even the well-suited Ajay Devgn, who put in a special appearance, was completely bowled over by the high spirits. “This is how an award ceremony should actually be like,” he said, adding, “In fact, looking at everyone here, I feel I am over dressed.” Shouts of Satyagraha and Singham promptly followed suit.
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The celebrations, punctuated by band/guitar performances by various media companies, continued well past midnight. There was a sumptuous spread and drinks flowed. Everyone was at their jovial best and ‘high’ in spirits.
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.
