MAM
Pearls introduces Brett Lee as brand ambassador
MUMBAI: Pearls and its associates have announced that Australian pace bowler Bret Lee is its new brand ambassador.
Lee will be helping the Pearls Corporate in the fields of infrastructure, media and tourism to spruce up its growth initiatives and enhancing the zeal and perfection in its corporate image.
Pearls director Jyoti Narayan said, “We are highly obliged and elated to have Brett Lee as brand ambassador for Pearls and its associates companies. This association has been worked out after constructive deliberations and strategic discussions for uplifting the marketing front and providing an unified identify to the brand pearls.”
Lee says, “It is indeed a privilege to be associated as an ambassador of major brands with Pearls. I have always had a very close affinity with a senior management of Pearls and I find it really enjoyable to put my spirit of perfection and Pearls vision of golden growth together. I am sure that coming to Pearls family will take us mutually to new heights in growth, quality and image of the corporate.”
Pearls has emerged as a business conglomerate over the last 15 years and have diversified in various activities which have been planned strategically, promise, future growth and bright prospects. Pearls presence in the infrastructure sector has been tremendous and it involves enormous, premium and prestigious prospects. A number of its projects are going to take off pan India. Pearls adds that it has carved its identity for itself that depicts zests for creating quality products of world-class standards.
Pearls as a business conglomeration has interests in infrastructure, media, agriculture, hospitality and retail.
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.
