MAM
IPG Q2 net down 2.65%
MUMBAI: Global media communications group Inter Public Group (IPG) has reported a 2.65 per cent fall in its net income in the second quarter ended 30 June 2012.
IPG‘s net income during the second quarter was $99 million against $101.7 million a year earlier.
Its revenue in the second quarter too were down by a marginal 1.15 per cent. Its revenue in the quarter were $1.72 billion against $1.74 billion a year earlier.
Its organic revenue grew by just 0.8 per cent compared to a year earlier, weighed down by account losses in the US. While the group‘s organic revenue increased by six per cent internationally, it decreased by 3.2 per cent in the US.
For the first half of 2012, IPG‘s revenue was flat at $3.22 billion compared with $3.21 a year earlier. IPC‘s organic revenue increased by 1.7 per cent in the first six months compared to a year earlier. IPG‘s net income for the first six months of 2012 was $53.1 million as against $53.6 million a year earlier.
IPG chairman and CEO Michael Roth said, “Our organic revenue growth, which was 0.8% in the second quarter and 1.7% in the first half, reflects strength in high-growth international markets, digital and marketing services, as well as revenue headwinds that we‘d previously indentified.”
The global economic situation remains uncertain, which will require vigilance as we move through the balance of the year, Roth said. “We are nonetheless targeting stronger growth in the second half, in order to achieve our full year 2012 objective of 3 per cent organic revenue growth.”
Brands
Ekart expands IKEA partnership with EV deliveries in Chennai
3PL to handle 600 plus products with 48 hour delivery via EV fleet.
MUMBAI: Flatpacks are going electric and your sofa might now arrive with a smaller carbon footprint. Ekart has expanded its partnership with IKEA to power last-mile deliveries in Chennai, doubling down on speed, scale and sustainability in one of India’s key urban markets. Under the collaboration, Ekart will manage end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across the city using a 100 per cent dedicated electric vehicle fleet. The move makes Chennai the second major market after NCR-Delhi where Ekart handles IKEA’s last-mile logistics, signalling a broader rollout of EV-led supply chains.
The mandate is no small load. Ekart will oversee deliveries for over 600 products from IKEA’s catalogue, ranging from furniture to home décor—categories that demand specialised handling and precision logistics.
Backed by its technology-driven fulfilment network, Ekart is targeting deliveries within a 48-hour window, offering real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility from warehouse to doorstep. The focus is clear: faster turnarounds without compromising on control or customer experience.
The EV-first model also aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals, as urban logistics increasingly shifts towards zero-emission solutions. For IKEA, which continues to expand its omnichannel presence in India, reliable and eco-conscious last-mile delivery is becoming central to scale.
For Ekart, the partnership reinforces its positioning as an enterprise-grade logistics player in large-format commerce. The company already supports over 1,800 retail, D2C and enterprise brands, spanning last-mile delivery, part-truckload services and warehousing.
As India’s logistics ecosystem evolves, this collaboration highlights a growing trend: delivery is no longer just about distance, it’s about efficiency, experience and increasingly, emissions.
