Brands
Bata India profit jumps 12.4 per cent in Q3 as demand firms up
Sequential profit surges nearly fourfold as margins expand
GURUGRAM: Bata India reported a 12.4 per cent year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit for the October–December quarter of FY26, as firmer demand and tight margin management lifted earnings.
Net profit for the quarter stood at Rs 66 crore, compared with Rs 58.7 crore a year earlier, according to a stock exchange filing. On a sequential basis, profit surged nearly fourfold from Rs 13.8 crore in the September quarter, signalling a sharp recovery in earnings momentum.
Revenue from operations rose to Rs 944.6 crore in the quarter, up from Rs 918 crore in the year-ago period, while total income increased to Rs 965.7 crore.
Expenses, however, edged higher alongside growth. Total expenses rose 3.32 per cent year on year to Rs 869 crore, compared with Rs 841 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.
The footwear maker said its premium portfolio delivered strong growth, led by brands such as Hush Puppies and Power. During the quarter, Bata scaled its zero base merchandising programme to more than 400 stores and added 27 franchise outlets, expanding its retail footprint.
Commenting on the results, managing director and chief executive Gunjan Shah, said improving demand conditions following the rollout of GST 2.0 continued to support performance.
He said stronger sales, disciplined gross margin management and operational initiatives, such as decluttering, fresher inventory and cost efficiencies, helped drive operating margin leverage. Continued marketing investments and a focus on product, channels and inventory underpinned confidence in the company’s growth outlook, he added.
Bata India shares were trading 5.52 per cent higher at Rs 933 on the BSE at 10:20 am on Tuesday.
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.
