Brands
Code and coincidence Wipro scripts a steady Q3 profit story
MUMBAI: When the numbers compile cleanly, the story tends to run smoother. Wipro closed the December 2025 quarter with a measured performance, posting a standalone net profit of Rs 27,822 million, even as costs stayed elevated and the broader IT services environment remained cautious.
For the three months ended December 31, 2025, Wipro’s revenue from operations came in at Rs 180,169 million, up from Rs 177,700 million in the September quarter and Rs 171,241 million a year ago. Including other income of Rs 10,284 million, total income stood at Rs 190,453 million, reflecting steady sequential growth.
Expenses remained tightly watched but substantial. Total expenditure for the quarter rose to Rs 152,506 million, driven largely by employee benefit costs of Rs 98,496 million and sub-contracting and technical fees of Rs 30,886 million. Finance costs were contained at Rs 2,753 million, while depreciation and amortisation stood at Rs 3,563 million.
As a result, profit before tax reached Rs 37,947 million, up from Rs 35,147 million in the previous quarter. After a tax outgo of Rs 10,125 million, Wipro reported a net profit that edged higher quarter-on-quarter, though it remained below the Rs 28,408 million recorded in the December 2024 quarter.
For the nine months ended December 31, 2025, Wipro delivered a profit of Rs 90,925 million, compared with Rs 79,902 million in the corresponding period last year. Total income for the nine-month period rose to Rs 569,453 million, up from Rs 536,912 million, underscoring moderate but consistent growth.
Earnings per share reflected the steady trajectory. Basic EPS for the quarter stood at Rs 2.66, while nine-month EPS came in at Rs 8.69, compared with Rs 7.64 a year earlier. Paid-up equity share capital remained stable at Rs 20,974 million.
Other comprehensive income, however, swung into the red for the quarter at Rs (837) million, primarily due to fair value changes in hedging instruments and investments. Even so, total comprehensive income for the quarter stood at Rs 26,985 million, highlighting resilience beneath the accounting noise.
With revenues inching up, margins holding ground and costs carefully managed, Wipro’s December-quarter numbers suggest a company focusing less on dramatic acceleration and more on writing a reliable, well-tested script, one where stability, for now, matters as much as speed.
Brands
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail reshuffles top deck; Nikhil Modha to take over as CFO
Phased transition sees Marco Agnolin head OWND!, Nikhil Modha lined up as CFO as company readies next growth leg
MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail is redrawing its leadership map, lining up a new generation of executives across key roles as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The company has named Suraj Bahirwani as chief executive (designate) of Pantaloons, effective April 1, 2026, with a full transition to the top role slated for October 1, 2026. He will also be designated as senior managerial personnel.
A two-decade veteran of the Aditya Birla Group, Bahirwani joined as a group management trainee in 2002 and has since held a string of leadership roles across retail and manufacturing. His resume spans stints at Aditya Birla Retail, a tenure as chief operating officer of Pantaloons, and most recently, head of global sales at the group’s cellulosic fibres business, where he drove international expansion and strengthened value-added portfolios.
Academically, he holds a PhD from the University of Mumbai, a postgraduate management diploma from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and is a chartered accountant. Over the years, he has picked up multiple chairman’s awards, including distinguished achiever, exceptional contributor and accomplished leader.
The transition at Pantaloons will be staged. Incumbent chief executive Sangeeta Tanwani will continue until September 30, 2026, steering the handover before moving into an advisory role to the managing director from October 1, 2026. She is set to retire on January 31, 2027, at which point she will step down as whole-time director and key managerial personnel.
Alongside, the company has brought in Marco Agnolin as chief executive of OWND! and senior managerial personnel, effective April 6, 2026. Agnolin arrives with over three decades of global experience, having held senior roles at Inditex, where he helped expand Zara in Italy, and later served as chief executive of Bershka and Diesel. His track record spans fast fashion, brand turnarounds and youth-focused retail.
On the finance side, Nikhil Modha has been appointed chief financial officer (designate) and senior managerial personnel from April 1, 2026. He will assume full charge as chief financial officer and key managerial personnel from January 1, 2027.
Current chief financial officer Jagdish Bajaj will oversee a phased transition until December 31, 2026, before retiring and stepping down from his roles.
The reshuffle signals a calibrated succession plan rather than a sudden overhaul, with the company staggering exits and appointments to ensure continuity even as it refreshes leadership across verticals.
As Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail juggles legacy brands and new-age formats, the message is clear: steady hands for the present, sharper ones for the future—and no pause in the push for scale.
