Brands
Aoneha Tagore gets into entrepreneurship with Collabor8 launch
Former Spotify India editorial head sets up firm focused on long-term brand and fandom building
MUMBAI: Aoneha Tagore is stepping out of streaming and into entrepreneurship, launching artist management and brand advisory firm Collabor8 with a clear pitch: manage musicians for careers, not just campaigns.
The former head of editorial at Spotify India has positioned the venture as a response to an industry still wired to short-term release cycles even as artists double up as cultural voices and community builders. Founded in late 2025, Collabor8 is built around longer-horizon planning, narrative shaping and career development.
Its offering spans music strategy, public relations, social media, content direction, brand partnerships, monetisation and positioning. The bundle sits under what the firm calls “Music Surround Services”, designed to align creative output with bigger career goals and market positioning.
Tagore brings more than two decades of experience across radio, television and digital. Her track record runs through WorldSpace Satellite Radio, Fever FM, Oye FM, Radio City, 9X Network, MTV and VH1, alongside work on the launch of MTV Beats. Most recently, she oversaw playlist strategy and artist programming at Spotify India during a period of rapid growth for the platform.
At Collabor8, artist management is framed as brand stewardship. The firm says it follows a people-first, insight-led model that privileges narrative clarity, fandom development and durable growth over momentary spikes in visibility. It works with emerging, scaling and established artists, tailoring playbooks to individual ambitions.
The agency has already signed a mix of upcoming and established acts and plans to keep its gaze on career planning beyond conventional release calendars.
Explaining the move, Tagore said:
“Artists today are not just releasing music, they’re shaping culture, building communities and initiating conversations. Yet much of the ecosystem still manages them for the next release or moment. Collabor8 was created to help artists articulate their vision, how they want to be seen, heard and remembered but most importantly, build meaningful narratives around their brand identity. Our focus is on building scale, longevity and fandom for music artists, not fleeting visibility.”
As the artist economy matures, Collabor8 is pitching itself as a partner for strategic, sustainable and authentic careers. The wager is simple: in a crowded market, the artists who last will be those built like brands. Collabor8 wants to be in the engine room when that happens.
Brands
Lotus Chocolate FY26 profit drops sharply, Q4 slips into loss
Revenue steady at Rs 579.55 crore, Q4 loss at Rs 4.47 crore
MUMBAI: Sweet on the top line, slightly bitter on the bottom Lotus Chocolate’s FY26 numbers tell a story that’s more dark cocoa than milk. The company managed to hold its revenue steady for the year, but profitability took a visible hit, capped by a loss-making fourth quarter. Lotus Chocolate Company Limited reported revenue from operations of Rs 579.55 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, marginally up from Rs 573.75 crore in FY25. Total income rose to Rs 615.61 crore, compared with Rs 574.56 crore in the previous year, supported by a sharp jump in other income to Rs 36.06 crore from just Rs 0.81 crore.
However, the gains at the top did little to cushion profitability. Net profit for FY26 fell dramatically to Rs 0.10 crore, down from Rs 17.23 crore in FY25, reflecting significant cost pressures across the business.
The March quarter proved particularly challenging. The company reported a net loss of Rs 4.47 crore in Q4 FY26, compared with a profit of Rs 0.14 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 1.42 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 138.01 crore, down from Rs 150.21 crore in Q3 FY26 and Rs 157.52 crore in Q4 FY25.
Expenses remained elevated throughout the year. Total expenses rose to Rs 614.44 crore in FY26 from Rs 551.50 crore in FY25, eating into margins. A key swing factor was the cost of materials consumed, which stood at Rs 304.44 crore, while changes in inventories also reflected volatility, with a negative impact of Rs 62.44 crore in the previous year reversing to a positive Rs 52.93 crore this year.
Employee benefit expenses nearly doubled to Rs 34.00 crore from Rs 17.98 crore, while finance costs surged to Rs 16.31 crore from Rs 7.11 crore, indicating higher borrowing and funding costs. Depreciation and amortisation expenses also increased to Rs 3.92 crore from Rs 1.81 crore, reflecting ongoing investments.
On the balance sheet front, total assets stood at Rs 275.96 crore as of March 31, 2026, slightly higher than Rs 270.34 crore a year earlier. Borrowings remained significant, with current borrowings at Rs 89.00 crore, highlighting continued reliance on external funding.
Cash flow dynamics showed improvement in operations, with net cash generated from operating activities at Rs 93.23 crore, compared with a negative Rs 129.60 crore in FY25. However, financing outflows remained high at Rs 74.90 crore, driven largely by repayment of borrowings and interest costs.
Despite stable revenue, the sharp drop in profitability underscores the pressure of rising input costs, higher finance expenses and operational adjustments. The contrast between steady sales and squeezed margins leaves Lotus Chocolate at a crossroads proving that in business, as in confectionery, the real test isn’t just in the sweetness of sales, but in the richness of returns.
