Brands
Nike to lay off 775 employees
MUMBAI: Nike is trimming muscle. The world’s biggest sportswear brand is laying off around 775 employees as it steps up automation and pares back costs in a renewed push for profitability.
The cuts will largely hit distribution-centre roles in Tennessee and Mississippi, where Nike runs major warehouse operations, according to a Reuters report. The move is part of a wider restructuring as the company tries to streamline its supply chain and reignite growth after a prolonged slowdown.
In a statement, Nike said the workforce reduction is designed to “reduce complexity, improve organisational flexibility, and support our path to profitable growth”.
The job losses are the latest in a series of retrenchments. In August 2025, Nike cut about 1 per cent of its corporate workforce as part of a turnaround drive under chief executive Elliott Hill, who took the helm in 2024. The brand has been struggling to regain momentum in a market crowded with nimbler rivals and shifting consumer tastes.
Pressure is coming from several fronts. In the second quarter, Nike flagged stress on gross margins as demand weakened in China and the company worked through a reset of its product mix. Sales in China slumped 17 per cent, marking the sixth straight quarterly decline in the key market.
Tariffs are biting too. Matthew Friend, chief financial officer, has warned that US tariffs on Southeast Asian countries—where Nike manufactures much of its footwear and apparel—are expected to cost the company $1.5 billion in 2025, calling them “a significant headwind”.
The numbers underline the strain. Nike posted second-quarter revenue of $12.43 billion, while net income fell 32 per cent year on year. As of May 2025, the company employed about 77,800 people worldwide, including retail and part-time staff.
Under Hill, Nike is doubling down on its roots—pouring investment into core sneaker franchises, refocusing on performance-led sports such as running and football, and reshaping how products are made and moved.
Fewer hands, more machines—and a hard sprint to stay ahead.
Brands
Airtel, Jio, Vi quietly raise tariffs with tweaks ahead of major hike
Airtel, Jio and Vi test subscriber response with subtle plan changes
NEW DELHI: India’s top telecom operators, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, are quietly reworking their prepaid plans in what appears to be a calculated run-up to a broader tariff hike expected later this year.
Rather than announcing headline-grabbing price increases, the operators are opting for subtle tweaks that are less likely to trigger immediate consumer backlash. Industry observers describe this as a “testing the waters” approach, where small changes help gauge subscriber sensitivity while gradually improving revenues.
Among the most visible moves is plan pruning. Airtel has discontinued its popular Rs 799 pack, widely seen as a high-value offering, while nudging up the price of its Rs 859 plan to Rs 899. The changes may seem marginal, but across millions of users, they translate into meaningful revenue gains.
Reliance Jio, on its part, has taken a sharper route by slashing the validity of its Rs 195 plan from 90 days to just 30 days. The price remains unchanged, but the value per day has dropped steeply, effectively raising costs for consumers without altering headline tariffs.
Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea is restructuring its “NonStopHero” packs, limiting unlimited data benefits to night hours in several circles. The move trims usage flexibility while keeping plan positioning largely intact.
Another common tactic is bundling. Operators are increasingly pairing plans with OTT subscriptions such as streaming services, framing price adjustments as value additions even when the core offering remains largely unchanged.
The broader goal behind these moves is to lift ARPU (Average Revenue Per User), a key profitability metric in the telecom business. Airtel is targeting an ARPU of around Rs 300, up from roughly Rs 250, while Jio is under pressure to demonstrate stronger revenue growth ahead of a potential IPO. For Vodafone Idea, the urgency is more immediate as it seeks higher cash flows to fund 5G expansion and manage outstanding dues.
Industry estimates suggest that these incremental changes are a precursor to a larger, industry-wide tariff hike of 15 to 20 per cent, likely towards the end of 2026. The delay in announcing a full-scale increase is partly due to macroeconomic concerns, including inflation and volatile fuel prices, which could dampen consumer sentiment.
The push to monetise 5G is also gathering pace. After investing more than Rs 3 lakh crore in next-generation networks, operators are expected to gradually phase out free 5G data and reposition it as a premium service.
For consumers, the impact is already visible in small but steady increases in monthly bills. For telcos, however, this is a carefully choreographed build-up, easing users into higher spending before the bigger pricing reset arrives.
