MAM
Marketing Agencies Association Worldwide hosts 1st Global Tertiary Marketing Challenge
MUMBAI: The Marketing Agencies Association Worldwide (MAA), an organization dedicated to CEOs, presidents, managing directors and principals of top marketing services agencies has decided to extend recognition to marketing students in universities and business schools around the world by inviting them to participate in the first annual MAA Global Tertiary Marketing Challenge.
With FMS and Mica on board to participate, the marketing challenge started on 1 February and will end on 31 July. Other confirmed entrants include Wharton School of Business, University of South Wales, Sydney Institute of technology and Schulich School of Business Toronto.
According to the stipulated rules, two briefs have been developed, each for fictitious clients, and in a similar format that they would be shared by these clients with their marketing agencies, in an agency briefing. The challenge is to demonstrate the ability to answer either one of the briefs as though one were the agency being briefed with recommendations for three sections: strategy, the creative idea and the execution.
The winning entry will be announced at the annual MAA Worldwide Globes Gala Awards Banquet to be staged in Las Vegas in October 2007 and will be featured on the MAA web page at www.maaw.org, informs an official release.
The winning class or team will receive a MAA Globe trophy and all members of the team will also be awarded a MAA Worldwide Globe Certificate.
Zonal director, India Pankaj Wadhwa said, “This is a great way to bridge the increasing gap between the academic and business worlds and we wish both Mica and FMS all the best.”
Mudra Marketing Services CEO R Lakshminarayanan adds, “We believe worldwide promotions are getting increasingly brand aligned and clients are demanding fresh and innovative promo ideas. In this regard, as the practice leader, we look at this latest initiative as a strong platform to inculcate strategic thinking into promos and initiate the learning process at the post graduate level itself–this will help the students to be market-ready when they become practising managers soon.”
Each year, MAA recognizes the best work in promotion marketing from Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, USA and South America, in the MAA Globes Recognition Program.
Brands
Trent posts Rs 19,701 crore FY26 revenue, profit rises to Rs 1,968 crore
Q4 profit at Rs 455 crore; margins improve, net worth climbs to Rs 7,703 crore
MUMBAI: Retail therapy seems to be working for Trent Limited as much as for its shoppers. The Tata Group retail arm reported a steady performance for FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 19,701.41 crore, up from Rs 16,668.11 crore in FY25. Total income for the year stood at Rs 20,075.87 crore, reflecting continued momentum across its retail formats.
Profit before tax came in at Rs 2,511.54 crore for the year, compared to Rs 2,076.62 crore a year earlier. After accounting for taxes of Rs 543.72 crore, net profit rose to Rs 1,967.82 crore, marking a clear improvement from Rs 1,584.84 crore in FY25.
For the March quarter, the company reported revenue of Rs 4,936.64 crore and total income of Rs 4,997.71 crore. Profit before tax stood at Rs 576.46 crore, while net profit came in at Rs 454.75 crore, up from Rs 349.92 crore in the same quarter last year.
On the cost front, total expenses for FY26 rose to Rs 17,538.54 crore, driven by higher stock purchases of Rs 11,170.44 crore and increased occupancy costs at Rs 1,652.69 crore. Employee benefit expenses also edged up to Rs 1,222.04 crore, reflecting continued expansion.
Operationally, the company maintained stable efficiency metrics. Operating margin improved to 11.88 per cent from 11.29 per cent, while net profit margin rose to 9.99 per cent from 9.51 per cent. The interest service coverage ratio stood strong at 16.76, indicating comfortable debt servicing capacity.
Trent’s balance sheet also strengthened during the year. Net worth increased to Rs 7,702.80 crore from Rs 5,914.40 crore, while total assets expanded to Rs 12,225.71 crore. The debt-to-equity ratio improved to 0.33 from 0.38, signalling a more balanced capital structure.
Cash flow from operations rose to Rs 2,630.19 crore, compared to Rs 1,668.26 crore in the previous year, even as the company continued to invest in expansion, with capital expenditure and investments weighing on investing cash flows.
With consistent growth across revenue, profitability, and margins, Trent’s FY26 performance suggests a retailer scaling steadily ringing up gains not just at the checkout, but across the balance sheet.
