MAM
Philips to be official partner of Fifa World Cup 2006
BANGALORE: Philips and Federation Internationale de Football (FIFA), the world governing body of soccer, announced jointly that Philips would be the Official Partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup to be held in Germany. This would be Philips sixth sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup.
As part of the agreement, Philips will have exclusive sponsorship rights to the Consumer Electronics (CE) category of the FIFA World Cup for the first time.
An official release from Philips India quotes executive director and senior vice president-CE, D Shivakumar as saying “The 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany is a great platform to demonstrate our new brand positioning, build valuable relationships and really showcase how Philips is providing innovative products that connect with the consumer. There is a clear link between the brand values of the FIFA World Cup and Philips, and we hope to bring these values to life by enabling football enthusiasts all over the world, especially India, to view the FIFA World Cup in a new light through Philips products and services.”
According to Shivakumar, Philips plans to add to the excitement to the FIFA World Cup by rolling out interesting promotional offerings during various festivals across cities that are passionate about soccer in states and places such as Kerala, Kolkatta, Goa and Mumbai. Free tickets to the FIFA World Cup could be won as grand prizes. The FIFA campaign would be kick started with the biggest festival in Kerala – Onam. Special theme based activities across exclusive Philips Arena showrooms would take place as part of the campaign.
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup all Media Centers will be equipped with Philips Flat TVs, a total of 5,500, to power the behind-the-scenes action of the FIFA World Cup, adds the release.
As per figures revealed by Philips, in 2002 a cumulative number of 28.8 billion people watched the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan on TV. That figure is expected to rise for 2006. In India, unlike cricket, soccer viewership is still limited to metros with Kerala, Goa and West Bengal being the exceptions among the states. International soccer events like the FIFA World Cup, European Championships amongst others, are the most watched and viewership during this period goes up to 300 per cent with an average increase of 50 per cent.
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
