iWorld
ZeeZest.com ropes in Milind Soman to be the face of its digital cover for December 2022 issue
Mumbai: Fitness enthusiast, leading model, and actor Milind Soman has been roped in as ZeeZest.com’s digital cover star for December 2022.
Over two days, in the exotic location of the Maldives, at The Residence Dhigurah situated on Kooddoo Island, ‘Ultraman’ Milind Soman spoke about himself, the various journeys in his life, his goals, and of course, his love story with wife Ankita Konwar. Be it his curious conversation with Narendra Modi, where Soman self-admittedly could not stop talking while the prime minister listened, or sharing his thoughts on love and that “the greatest love stories come from struggle,” Soman’s interview on ZeeZest.com is nothing short of intriguing, filled with anecdotes from the various chapters of his life. And amid all of that, not once did he compromise on his daily fitness routine, even while shooting across four different locations.
Talking about an unexpected call from the PMO and his meeting with the prime minister, he shares, “I was very impressed when a busy person like the PM can take time out to meet someone without any specific agenda. That is being really organised, that’s how I see it. It’s kind of embarrassing, as I realised most when I spoke and he listened. I even asked him if he wanted me to stop, and he said he was happy to listen to me. I remember speaking to him about how we can promote indigenous sports in India instead of focusing only on Olympic sports. We obviously connected on yoga and Ayurveda, which are close to both of us.”
ZeeZest.com’s digital cover shoots, shot exclusively by celebrated photographer and lifestyle influencer Atul Kasbekar, are an endeavour to interact and engage with lifestyle audiences on digital mediums of their choice. Featuring diverse celebrities, the glamorous photoshoots capture the many moods, passions, and aspirations of movers and shakers of influence today.
As one of the digital media leaders in the country, ZeeZest.com is a millennial-friendly platform featuring some of the biggest celebrities such as Kate Winslet, Emma Corrin, Farhan Akhtar, Manoj Bajpayee, Prateek Kuhad, Ali Fazal, and Vir Das and bringing their fans up close and personal to their icons.
Talking about being the digital cover for ZeeZest.com, Soman says, “I usually don’t do a lot of editorial shoots, but when I do, it has to be something special, exciting, and fun. Then this opportunity with Zee Zest presented itself to shoot in the Maldives, and who wouldn’t like to shoot in the Maldives! The Zee Zest digital cover shoot lived up to my expectations and was a great experience.”
Launched in 2021, ZeeZest.com is a unique lifestyle and entertainment website that binds its viewers by helping them discover, engage with, and fulfil their thirst for homegrown and international content across six diverse lifestyle pillars: travel, food, health, fashion & beauty, culture, and homes. As a multiformat website, ZeeZest.com has over 4.5 million monthly active users along with an average of 12.5 million monthly page views. With diverse content formats, ZeeZest.com has emerged as an authority on living the good life.
Zee Zest Digital Cover Star December 2022 Milind Soman
Gaming
Bluestone FY26 revenue rises to Rs 2,436 crore, turns profitable
Q4 profit at Rs 31 crore, full-year profit at Rs 13 crore vs loss last year.
MUMBAI: From sparkle to numbers, Bluestone seems to be polishing more than just jewellery this year. Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited reported a sharp turnaround in FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 2,436 crore (Rs 24,364 million), up from Rs 1,770 crore (Rs 17,700 million) in FY25. The company posted a full-year profit of Rs 13 crore (Rs 131.79 million), a significant recovery from a loss of Rs 222 crore (Rs 2,218 million) a year ago.
Total income for the year stood at Rs 2,486 crore (Rs 24,860 million), compared to Rs 1,830 crore (Rs 18,300 million) in the previous year, reflecting both topline growth and improved operational momentum.
The March quarter, however, told a more nuanced story. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 681 crore (Rs 6,814 million), down from Rs 748 crore (Rs 7,486 million) in the year-ago period, though higher than Rs 461 crore (Rs 4,613 million) in the preceding December quarter. Net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 31 crore (Rs 311.81 million), compared to Rs 68 crore (Rs 688 million) a year earlier, but a clear reversal from a loss of Rs 51 crore (Rs 512 million) in Q3.
Margins were shaped by higher input costs, with raw material consumption rising to Rs 2,204 crore (Rs 22,043 million) for the full year, alongside employee benefit expenses of Rs 282 crore (Rs 2,824 million) and finance costs of Rs 210 crore (Rs 2,104 million). Other expenses came in at Rs 371 crore (Rs 3,715 million), slightly lower than Rs 393 crore (Rs 3,938 million) in FY25.
On the balance sheet front, total assets expanded to Rs 4,961 crore (Rs 49,610 million) as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,532 crore (Rs 35,322 million) a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in inventories to Rs 2,672 crore (Rs 26,718 million). Equity also strengthened to Rs 1,803 crore (Rs 18,030 million), nearly doubling from Rs 911 crore (Rs 9,107 million).
Cash flows reflected the cost of growth. Net cash used in operating activities stood at Rs 199 crore (Rs 1,990 million), while investing activities saw an outflow of Rs 239 crore (Rs 2,392 million). Financing activities, however, generated Rs 497 crore (Rs 4,971 million), helping the company end the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 108 crore (Rs 1,075 million), up from Rs 49 crore (Rs 487 million).
Earnings per share for FY26 came in at Rs 1.10, a sharp improvement from a negative Rs 79.74 in FY25, underlining the shift from losses to profitability.
With revenue scaling up, costs still glittering on the higher side, and profitability finally back in the black, BlueStone’s FY26 performance suggests a business mid-transition less about shine alone, and more about sustaining it.
