Brands
Cooking up consistency Hindustan Foods keeps profits simmering in Q3
Revenue crosses Rs 1,000 crore in December quarter as margins stay steady.
MUMBAI: When the heat is on, consistency matters and Hindustan Foods Limited appears to be keeping its recipe firmly under control. The FMCG contract manufacturer delivered a steady performance in the December 2025 quarter, with revenue crossing the Rs 1,000 crore mark and profits continuing to climb in line with expectations.
For the quarter ended 31 December 2025, Hindustan Foods reported consolidated revenue from operations of Rs 998.14 crore, compared with Rs 879.73 crore in the same period last year. Including other income, total income stood at Rs 1,000.14 crore, up from Rs 885.71 crore a year ago, reflecting stable demand across its diversified manufacturing portfolio.
Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 47.10 crore, marginally higher than Rs 39.25 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. After accounting for a tax outgo of Rs 10.98 crore, profit after tax rose to Rs 36.12 crore, marking a year-on-year increase from Rs 28.70 crore. Earnings per share for the quarter improved to Rs 3.02 from Rs 2.44 a year earlier.
On a nine-month basis, the company posted revenue from operations of Rs 3,031.51 crore, compared with Rs 2,631.01 crore in the same period last year. Total income for the nine months ended December 2025 stood at Rs 3,040.94 crore, while profit after tax grew to Rs 103.06 crore from Rs 78.89 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Expenses remained largely in check despite inflationary pressures. Cost of materials consumed for the December quarter stood at Rs 766.56 crore, while employee benefits expense was Rs 60.18 crore. Depreciation and amortisation expense rose modestly to Rs 23.28 crore, reflecting capacity additions and ongoing investments.
Total comprehensive income for the December quarter was Rs 37.74 crore, aided by a positive other comprehensive income of Rs 1.62 crore from remeasurement gains on defined benefit plans. For the nine-month period, total comprehensive income reached Rs 104.89 crore.
As of 31 December 2025, the company’s paid-up equity share capital stood at Rs 23.90 crore, with other equity, excluding revaluation reserves, at Rs 863.96 crore, underlining a strong balance sheet as it continues to scale operations.
With steady volumes, disciplined cost control and a growing presence across FMCG categories, Hindustan Foods appears to be sticking to a familiar formula not flashy, but dependable as it heads into the final quarter of the financial year.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
