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Reliance Retail posts record revenue in festive Q3
MUMBAI: When shoppers splurged this festive season, Reliance Retail clearly cashed in. That was the message from Reliance Retail CFO and head of corporate development Dinesh Taluja as he walked analysts through the company’s performance during the earnings call following the unaudited financial results for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2025.
Speaking in the transcripted call, Taluja said the retail arm posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue of Rs.97,600 crore, up 8.1 per cent year-on-year, despite a shifting festive calendar and the impact of GST rate rationalisation from late September. EBITDA for the quarter stood at Rs.6,915 crore, translating into an 8 per cent margin, while profit after tax rose to nearly Rs.3,600 crore. Margins, he noted, were influenced by festive promotions, rapid investments in hyperlocal commerce and a one-time impact from the new labour code.
Hyperlocal commerce emerged as a standout growth lever. Reliance Retail ended the quarter with 1.6 million orders, clocking 53 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth and a striking 360 per cent rise year-on-year. The business now spans 5,000-plus pin codes across 1,000-plus cities, supported by over 3,000 stores, including a growing network of dark stores. Customer momentum remained strong, with 5.9 million new customers added during the quarter, pushing the base 43 per cent higher year-on-year.
Across categories, growth was broad-based. Grocery big-box formats delivered healthy like-for-like growth, while festive gifting drove record volumes. The B2B Metro business saw rising footfalls, aided by loyalty and engagement programmes for kirana partners. In fashion and lifestyle, Reliance continued to leverage its 1,300-plus city omnichannel network, enabling delivery windows ranging from 30 minutes to next day, a capability Taluja said competitors would struggle to replicate at scale.
Digital fashion platform Ajio also posted solid gains, with average order values up 21 per cent year-on-year, a live catalogue of 2.8 million options, and rapid expansion of services such as Ajio Rush, now live across 420 pin codes in 10 cities. Meanwhile, jewellery recorded strong value-led growth, with average bill values up 73 per cent, driven largely by higher gold prices and a surge in exchange-led purchases during Dhanteras.
Summing up his remarks on the call, Taluja pointed to scale, supply-chain depth and a dense store footprint as Reliance Retail’s key advantages. As he framed it, the quarter underscored how breadth across formats physical, digital and hyperlocal is steadily turning into a durable growth engine for the retail business.
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Muthoot FinCorp names Arun Kumar COO & Harjit Singh Takkar chief distribution officer
Leadership hires to boost operations and widen pan-India reach
THIRUVANANTHPURAM: Muthoot FinCorp has strengthened its top deck with the appointment of Arun Kumar B as chief operating officer and Harjit Singh Takkar as chief distribution officer, sharpening its focus on scale, speed and service as it pushes into its next phase of growth.
The flagship financial services arm of the 138-year-old Muthoot Pappachan Group, popularly known as Muthoot Blue, is expanding both muscle and mindset. With more than 3,750 branches nationwide and its digital platform, the Muthoot FinCorp ONE app, the company is betting on tighter execution and wider reach to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive lending market.
Arun Kumar B steps in with nearly two decades of experience cutting across financial services, technology transformation and customer analytics. He previously worked with CreditAccess Grameen, where he led enterprise-wide technology and data strategy initiatives and played a pivotal role during a major merger in the microfinance space. His work spanned integrating operations and products while scaling lending and non-credit offerings such as insurance and pensions.
At Muthoot FinCorp, Arun will steer operational excellence and strategic growth initiatives, aligning teams and processes to deliver sharper efficiency across the business. A gold medallist from Anna University and a postgraduate from IIM Indore, he also holds certifications in design thinking, Blue Ocean Strategy and business analytics.
Harjit Singh Takkar takes on the newly created role of chief distribution officer, reporting directly to the chief executive officer. The position is designed to energise the company’s distribution engine and bring greater governance and agility across its branch network.
Takkar brings over 28 years of retail banking experience, having held senior leadership roles at IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank, Yes Bank and ICICI Bank. Known for scaling branch networks and building high-performing teams, he combines distribution expertise with governance depth as a qualified company secretary with a master’s degree in finance and control.
In his new role, Takkar will oversee branch business and distribution channels, with a clear brief to expand reach, lift productivity and reinforce the company’s pan-India presence.
Commenting on the appointments, Muthoot FinCorp Ltd. chief executive officer Shaji Varghese, said the company continues to invest in leadership as it scales. “Our purpose is to improve the financial well-being of the common man. As we grow, strengthening leadership across key functions is important to ensure consistency in execution and customer experience,” he said.
With complementary strengths in operations and distribution now in place, Muthoot FinCorp appears set to move from steady expansion to sharper acceleration, backed by people, process and technology working in concert.
