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.
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
