MAM
Neo Sports ropes in Perfetti as first sponsor for BCCI series
MUMBAI: Neo Sports has announced that Perfetti Van Melle has been signed on as the first anchor broadcast sponsor for the BCCI cricket that is being played in India till 2010. Neo Sports will telecast the series live.
Confirming the deal, Neo Sports Broadcast Pvt Ltd chief executive officer Shashi Kalathil said, “We are delighted to announce Perfetti as our 1st Anchor Sponsor. They are brand prolific, aggressive and creative marketers. We see this as significant market expansion activity outside the sectors that have traditionally invested large amounts in a sustained fashion on Cricket. The value that Perfetti evidently saw in our anchor construct went a long way in their coming on board.”
In addition, Neo Sports is looking at freezing for anchor partners across two single-sector companies and two multi sector or corporate entities. In exchange for the commitment, Neo plans to not only offer spots but also allow them to be associated with branded properties – such as extra cover, man of the match, turning point, master blaster and fall of wickets among others, informs an official release.
Kalathil also acknowledged the contribution of the media agency Maxus in shepherding this media deal to productive conclusion. “Media agencies have traditionally tended to bulk discount big buys, this however, is simply not the anchor construct, which is less deal based and more value enhancing, it took foresight and understanding to break the rules.”
Maxus India MD Ajit Varghese said, “We, at Maxus, are always open to explore and discover new ways of building win-win partnership between client and media owners. Probably a first of its kind in the last decade, we have taken a forward position on media buy for the next 4 years. This we believe will help not only counter but also take advantage of the changing media landscape. We also believe that this would help brands realize scale of India cricket in advance and use it in a more strategic sense.”
Perfetti Van Melle head marketing Sameer Suneja said, “Cricket has always been a strategic investment for us and this partnership will help us take a long term stake in what is possibly the most effective media vehicle in India – International Cricket played by India at home. With this tie up we hope to build creative brand associations and properties on Cricket on a sustained basis.”
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.
