MAM
Dabur increases ad spend by 5.49% in Q4 FY13
MUMBAI: Fast moving consumer goods major Dabur increased its spending on advertising and promotions for the the quarter ended 31 March as competitive intensity in the category continued to be high.
The FMCG giant ramped up its spending into the fourth quarter of FY13 with ad spends increased by a robust 5.49 per cent in Q4 FY13 when compared to Q4 FY12.
Dabur‘s advertising and marketing expenditure in the fourth quarter of FY12 stood at Rs 1.82 billion which grew to Rs 1.92 billion in the fourth quarter of FY13 ended 31 March 2013. The percentage of total income dedicated to advertising saw a fall from 13.26 per cent in Q4 FY12 to 12.44 in Q4 FY13.
The company‘s income for the period grew by 12.54 per cent on a year on year basis from Rs 13.72 billion in Q4 FY12 to Rs 15.44 billion in Q4 FY13. Its net profit grew by 18.13 per cent as the net profit in Q4 FY12 was Rs 1.71 billion compared to Rs 2.02 billion in Q4 FY13.
The Health Supplements business for Dabur – led by strong growth in Dabur Glucose & Dabur Honey – ended the fourth quarter with a 22.6% growth, while the OTC Health Care business reported a 16.7% growth. Dabur‘s Perfumed Hair Oil business, led by Dabur Amla Hair Oil, ended the period with a 13% gain, while the Shampoo business ended the quarter with a 29.4% growth. The Home Care business reported a 33.3% growth while the Toothpaste category closed the quarter with a 15.8% growth. The Foods category – riding on continued demand for its packaged juices — reported a 22.6% growth.
“The Bangladesh business reported a strong 57 per cent growth, while sales in Levant grew by 30 per cent and GCC markets by 20 per cent; shampoos, hair creams and toothpastes were the key growth drivers in the international markets,” Dabur India director P D Narang said.
The annual figures reflect a growth from FY12, as the FMCG company increased its advertising spends by a hearty 26.81 per cent in FY13. Dabur‘s advertising and marketing outflows increased from Rs 6.60 billion (FY12) to Rs 8.37 billion (FY13).
The total income from advertising also grew from 12.44 per cent in FY12 to a healthy 13.71 per cent in FY13. The FMCG‘s income for the period also grew by 15.01 per cent on a annual basis from Rs 53.05 billion in FY12 to Rs 61.06 billion in FY13. And the new profit grew by a stellar 18.94 per cent, seeing it rise from Rs 6.44 billion in FY12 to Rs 7.66 billion in FY13.
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Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
