Brands
Minimalist crosses Rs 500 crore mark with 48 per cent growth
Skincare brand posts strong revenue jump in FY25, though rising costs lead to a Rs 31.5 crore net loss
MUMBAI: Beauty might be skin deep, but the latest balance sheet for Minimalist shows some serious muscle underneath. The Jaipur-based skincare disruptor has officially crossed the Rs 500 crore milestone, reporting a 48 per cent jump in operating revenue to Rs 514.8 crore for FY25.
While the top line is glowing, the bottom line tells a slightly more complexion story. Despite the sales surge, the brand slipped into a net loss of Rs 31.5 crore, a sharp pivot from last year’s profit.
Growing a brand in the crowded D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) aisle is rarely cheap. Minimalist spent heavily to stay in the spotlight, with advertising and promotional costs climbing 28 per cent to reach Rs 154 crore. That means nearly a third of their total spending went toward making sure their serums and toners ended up in your digital shopping cart.
Other key expenses included materials, which rose 57 per cent to Rs 146.7 crore as the company worked to keep up with growing demand. Distribution costs, including marketplace commissions, reached Rs 84.3 crore, reflecting the brand’s push to expand its presence across platforms.Staffing expenses also grew, with employee benefits climbing 29 per cent to Rs 36.8 crore to support the team behind the rapid growth. Overall, total expenses rose by 51 per cent to Rs 504 crore. On a unit level, the company spent Rs 0.98 for every Rs 1 it earned in operating revenue. Even though the company had Rs 18 crore in positive Ebitda (its core profit), a one-time expense pushed it into a loss.
A one-time expense of Rs 46 crore, likely linked to the brand’s upcoming marriage with Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), pushed the final numbers into the negative. HUL is currently in the process of acquiring a 90.5 per cent stake in the brand at a valuation of Rs 2,955 crore (about $350 million).
Despite the temporary dip into loss, the brand remains a powerhouse. Founded only in 2020 by Mohit and Rahul Yadav, it has quickly scaled via its own website and giants like Amazon, Nykaa, and Flipkart.
With Rs 48 crore in the bank and the backing of a global giant like HUL expected to close by early FY26, Minimalist seems well-positioned to turn its high-growth momentum into long-term stability.
Brands
Hemlata Sharma joins ONEOTT Broadband as chief business officer
Former Zee Media distribution head to steer growth, partnerships and strategy
MUMBAI:Â Hemlata Sharma has joined ONEOTT Broadband as chief business officer, bringing with her more than three decades of experience across television, telecom and media distribution.
Sharma most recently served as head distribution, research & CRM at Zee Media Corporation Limited, where she worked closely with editorial and senior management while overseeing distribution, consumer research and customer relationships for 14 news channels including Zee News, WION, Zee Hindustan and Zee Business, along with ten regional state channels.
In that role, she led nationwide distribution across platforms such as DTH, Hits, IPTV, cable networks and DD Free Dish. She also drove consumer research and strategic insights on a pan India scale, analysing content performance, anchor impact, programme slots and audience behaviour to guide editorial decisions and programming strategy.
Her portfolio also included managing one of the largest alliances with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited and overseeing the global distribution monitoring of Wion across North America, Mena, Europe, Africa, APAC and Australia.
Earlier, Sharma briefly served as head sales and distribution at Triplecom Media Pvt Ltd, an engagement driven OTT platform bringing together content, gaming, music and advertising for the entertainment distribution ecosystem.
Her earlier career includes a senior vice president stint at Ten Sports Network, where she played a key role in relaunching the sports broadcaster as an independent bouquet comprising Ten Sports, Ten Cricket, Ten Action and Ten Golf following the Zee takeover. During this period, she moved from vp west to head strategy for cable and dth and later national head retail distribution, helping build the network’s retail distribution vertical across India and launching dedicated golf and football channels.
Before that, Sharma spent over six years at Bharti Airtel as general manager operations for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. She initially led marketing and corporate communications before moving into sales leadership, where voice sales grew by 86 per cent and revenues by 96 per cent. She later headed business operations, expanding annual business volumes to Rs 100 crore while significantly reducing operational costs.
Sharma began her long association with the media distribution ecosystem at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited as regional head sales and distribution for central India. During that period, she played a role in the early rollout of pay television channels including Zee Cinema, HBO, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, while also contributing to the launch of Siti Cable in key central Indian cities.
With her new role at ONEOTT Broadband, Sharma is expected to focus on strengthening business strategy, expanding partnerships and driving growth across the company’s broadband and digital distribution ecosystem.
