Brands
United Breweries Q3 profit jumps 86 per cent on premium beer growth
Premiumisation drives margins higher as net profit more than doubles in the December quarter.
MUMBAI: United Breweries Limited (UBL) has clearly decided that when life gives you lemons, you should probably just make a Shandy or, better yet, launch a premium lager. The beer behemoth reported a sparkling set of financial results for the quarter ended 31 December 2025, proving that its strategy is far from going flat. In a performance that would make any publican proud, the company saw its Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (Ebit) skyrocket by a heady 86 per cent during the quarter.
The secret behind this intoxicating growth? A stiff dose of “premiumisation”. While the broader portfolio stayed steady, premium volumes bubbled up by 23 per cent year-to-date. This shift towards the finer things in life helped drive net sales up by 4 per cent in Q3, despite a slight dip in total revenue from operations, which stood at Rs 3,93,563 lakhs compared to Rs 4,42,465 lakhs in the same period last year.
The bottom line is looking particularly crisp. The company’s Gross Profit (GP) margin for the quarter hit 45.3 per cent, the highest level seen in three years. This 222-basis-point jump was fueled by a positive price-mix and a savvy move towards localising the portfolio.
Key standalone financial highlights for the quarter show a strong improvement across the board. Total income stood at Rs 3,94,648 lakhs, while profit before tax rose sharply to Rs 13,186 lakhs, compared to Rs 6,097 lakhs in the quarter ended December 2024.
Net profit came in at Rs 8,083 lakhs, more than doubling the previous year’s Q3 figure of Rs 3,826 lakhs. Earnings per share (EPS), both basic and diluted, increased to Rs 3.06 from Rs 1.45 year-on-year.
It wasn’t all cheers and celebratory rounds, however. UBL is still navigating some murky legal waters. The company continues to contest a Rs 75,183 lakh penalty from the Competition Commission of India (CCI), a matter that is currently sub judice before the Supreme Court. Additionally, the company is still untangling itself from the Bihar prohibition blues. While manufacturing remains closed in the state, UBL has applied under the “Amnesty Policy 2025” to potentially restart non-alcoholic beverage production at its Bihar unit, which holds assets worth Rs 5,894 lakhs.
There was also a one-off “exceptional” hit to the books. The company set aside Rs 1,873 lakhs in the quarter to account for the incremental impact of India’s new Labour Codes, specifically regarding gratuity and long-term compensated absences.
Looking ahead, UBL is keeping its glass half full. The firm’s “Productivity and Cost-Effectiveness” programme is expected to deliver gross savings of 3–6 per cent over time, with much of that cash being reinvested into brand power. Innovation remains on the menu too, with the recent January 2026 launch of Kingfisher Smooth in Rajasthan and Karnataka aimed at quenching the evolving thirst of the Indian consumer.
With brand power at a three-year high and a clear focus on the premium end of the bar, United Breweries seems well-positioned to keep the momentum flowing through 2026. It appears that for UBL, the only way is up, and preferably served chilled.
Brands
PeopleStrong appoints Adishri Charla SVP marketing to drive global growth
Former UiPath marketing head to scale brand, demand and expansion across regions
NEW DELHI: PeopleStrong has brought in marketing heavyweight Adishri Charla as senior vice president, marketing, tasking her with sharpening the company’s global brand and fuelling its next phase of growth.
Charla steps in with nearly two decades of B2B marketing experience across both fast-moving start-ups and global technology giants. She joins from UiPath, where she served most recently as director and head of marketing for India and Saarc, playing a key role in the automation firm’s rise to category leadership in the region. Her work there ranged from revenue-driven marketing strategies to building strong customer and community engagement programmes.
At PeopleStrong, Charla will oversee global brand strategy, demand generation and customer engagement as the HR tech firm expands across India, Asia, the Middle East and other emerging markets.
CEO Sandeep Chaudhary said the company was looking for a leader who could connect brand storytelling with measurable business outcomes. “Adishri brings global marketing experience and strong team leadership. We are confident she will help sharpen our positioning and support our next phase of expansion,” he said.
Charla previously held marketing roles at Oracle India and IBM India, working across cloud, systems and product marketing. An MBA graduate from Symbiosis Centre for Management and HR Development, she has also completed executive programmes at Columbia Business School and ISB.
Sharing her excitement about the move, Charla said PeopleStrong has the potential to reshape how organisations across the region think about HR technology. She added that her focus will be on building stronger brand connections while driving measurable business impact.
Backed by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, PeopleStrong today serves more than 500 enterprises and has won several industry recognitions, including honours at the ET Human Capital Awards and the People Matters Infini-T Awards. Charla’s appointment signals the company’s intent to strengthen leadership as it scales its global ambitions.
