MAM
Mindshare retains Unilever media biz in India
MUMBAI: It is a win that came after a six-month evaluation process. Mindshare has retained its Unilever account for South Asia, including India, the US, Canada, Western Europe and South and Central Europe.
The FMCG giant will, thus, split its $5 billion global media business between Mindshare, Interpublic Group (IPG) and Omnicom Media Group (OMG).
It could not be independently verified how much was the size of the India account. Hindustan Unilever Ltd, however, spent Rs 17.65 billion on advertising and promotion for the first three quarters of this fiscal in India, up from Rs 12.41 billion a year ago.
Mindshare gets to handle the India account once again at a time when the margins of HUL are squeezed and its market supremacy in many products are threatened. The FMCG major has been fighting back and has increased its ad spend while it is eyeing the premium brands to widen its margins.
HUL is the top advertiser under FMCG sector on television during the calendar year 2009. It accounted for 19 per cent of FMCG sector‘s TV ad pie in terms of volumes, while Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd grabs the second spot with a share of 7 per cent.
Ponds White Beauty, Clinic All Clear Tech Soft and Dove Hair Fall Therapy System, all from the HUL stable, are the top three new brands of FMCG sector advertised on TV during 2009 in terms of secondage consumption, according to Tam data.
Before finalising on Mindshare, Unilever had initiated its global media agency review in July 2009 across 53 countries, in line with the company policy to evaluate media agency arrangements periodically.
Subsequently, in October, the FMCG major had shortlisted the battle to Aegis Mediabrands, Mindshare and OMG.
Says Unilever VP global media Laura Klauberg, “As we increasingly make use of digital and social media, we are confident that we have the best agency partners to help us engage in new ways with the 2 billion consumers whose lives we touch. In addition, greater alignment within our key country clusters will contribute to achieving exceptional results for our business in an increasingly complex and fragmented media environment.”
The outcome for Unilever‘s lead countries is as follows:
| India | Mindshare (WPP) |
| Thailand | Mindshare (WPP) |
| US and Canada | Mindshare (WPP) |
| China [previously announced] | PHD (OMG) |
| Mexico | Initiative Media (IPG) |
| Colombia | Initiative Media (IPG) |
| Argentina | Initiative Media (IPG) |
| UK | Mindshare (WPP) |
| Netherlands | Mindshare (WPP) |
| Germany | Mindshare (WPP) |
| France | Mindshare (WPP) |
| Spain | Mindshare (WPP) |
| Nordics | Mindshare (WPP) |
| Poland | Media Direction (OMG) |
| Russia | Initiative Media (IPG) |
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.
