MAM
Whirlpool ties up with Kings X1 Punjab
MUMBAI: Home appliance company Whirlpool India has announced its association with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kings X1 Punjab as a sponsor and the cooling partner.
Whirlpool says that its association with the team is a reflection of its belief in team work and winning attitude. Kings XI Punjab reflects a perfect synergy between its brand attributes and the values of team work, confidence and optimism that the team imbibes
Whirlpool India MD Arvind Uppal said, “The Indian Premier League is the most eagerly anticipated event in the sporting calendar of the sub-continent. It is a huge draw for both national and international cricket fans. We are very excited to be an integral part of the tournament through our association with Kings XI Punjab, which is an excellent platform to connect with our customers.”
Kings XI Punjab CEO Anil Srivatsa said, “We are thrilled to partner with Whirlpool .They are dynamic and share the same passion like us to promote cricket. Through this association we are hoping to bring an enthralling season that brings Cricketainment to the general public and some interesting promotions specially for our fans. We will indeed be energised further with our Cooling Partner-Whirpool. We will need them as we turn up the heat.”
Whirlpool India will run a number of promotions during the tournament. As co-sponsors, Whirlpool will have the logo branded on the team‘s jerseys and also have significant in-stadia presence during Kings XI Punjab matches in the form of board branding, placards, branding on cheer leader podium and seats in designated stand.
Whirlpool India VP sales, marketing and exports Shahzad Akhtar says, “We have recently launched a new range of air conditioners and have some new refrigerator launches planned as well, and the association with the third season of the Indian Premier League will help us roll out a series of exciting activities across the country”.
The company is planning to offer an opportunity to its customers to interact with the members of the Kings XI Punjab team through a number of activations, which will be launched in the near future.
Whirlpool India will run an ad campaign with the Kings X1 Punjab team icon Yuvraj Singh along with the company‘s brand ambassador and star couple Ajay-Kajol to endorse its new range of airconditioners. The company is planning to air the campaign during the same time as IPL matches.
Whirlpool India recently announced plans to augment its share in the AC segment. The company plans to capture 15 per cent market share by 2012 and treble sales by 2010. Whirlpool launched 44 new products in two sub-brands Mastermind Chrome and Mastermind Aviator. The new range with several features is aimed at giving a boost to Whirlpool in the AC category.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
