Brands
Godfrey Phillips lights up Q3 with profit jump and board change
MUMBAI: Godfrey Phillips India (GPI) is proving that where there’s smoke, there’s a surprisingly robust balance sheet. Despite a literal trial by fire at one of its major tobacco plants this quarter, the company has delivered a set of financial results that are anything but a drag. In a board meeting concluded at 4:15 PM today, the directors approved a performance that saw nine-month profits rise from Rs 802.47 crores to a sturdy Rs 1,023.03 crores.
Total income for the quarter ended 31 December 2025 stood at Rs 2,295.94 crores, up from Rs 1,991.76 crores in the same quarter last year. For the nine-month period, revenue from operations increased to Rs 5,627.91 crores from Rs 4,871.96 crores a year earlier.
The cigarette and tobacco segment continued to be the company’s primary revenue contributor, generating Rs 2,159.06 crores during the quarter. Other segments contributed Rs 28.82 crores. The company’s ‘24Seven’ retail business has been classified as a discontinued operation, and the reported figures relate to continuing operations.
Alongside the financial results, the board approved a change in leadership. Marco Mariotti has been appointed as an additional director with effect from 1 February 2026. He represents foreign promoter Philip Morris Global Brands Inc. and brings over 25 years of experience in the tobacco industry, with leadership roles across Europe and South America.
On 10 October 2025, a fire occurred at a tobacco processing plant and warehouse in Andhra Pradesh, resulting in damage to inventory and facilities. The company has filed an insurance claim amounting to Rs 284.36 crores, including claims related to inventory loss and tax credits. Operations at the facility have since resumed, and management expects the losses to be fully recovered through insurance.
The company reported a strong financial performance, with quarterly net profit rising to Rs 353.61 crores compared to Rs 332.33 crores in the corresponding year-ago period. For the nine months ended during the period, net profit stood at Rs 1,023.03 crores. Earnings per share for the quarter came in at Rs 22.67, restated to account for bonus shares. Additionally, an interim dividend of Rs 17 per equity share was declared and paid earlier in the year.
With a “Great Place to Work” certification and a balance sheet that’s clearly in the pink, Godfrey Phillips seems well-equipped to navigate the complexities of India’s new Labour Codes and any other sparks that might fly its way. For now, shareholders can breathe easy, the outlook remains decidedly clear.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
