MAM
Marico Q1 ad spend up 61%; highest increase among peers
MUMBAI: FMCG major Marico spent 60.82 per cent more on advertising in the first quarter of FY13. The company‘s spend on advertising and promotions was Rs 1.56 billion across various brands in the first quarter compared with Rs 972.43 million a year earlier.
In the first quarter, Marico‘s advertising costs accounted for 12.28 per cent of its total revenue, up three percentage points from 9.3 per cent a year earlier.
These figures are in tandem with the current trend of FMCG‘s increasing marketing spends with the rise in competition. The increase in ad spend for Marico is the highest amongst its peers so far with Dabur‘s at 51 per cent, HUL‘s at 30 per cent and Colgate 32 per cent
The company‘s revenue for the quarter ended 30 June 2012 stood at Rs 12.7 billion, an increase of 21.76 per cent from Rs 10.43 billion a year earlier. The profit for the quarter also rose by a sharp 45.88 per cent to Rs 1.24 billion in the first quarter from Rs 850 million a year earlier.
Marico said the volume growth for the quarter ended 30 June 2012 was 14 per cent.
In a statement, Marico said, “The medium to longer term outlook on all the company‘s three businesses remains positive. In the medium term, the company will focus on strengthening the building blocks for future value creation – strong equities for its existing brands amongst its consumers, volume growths, robust new product pipelines and operational effectiveness.”
MAM
Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
