MAM
Hotstuff and Genesis to handle digital mandate of Goeld Frozen Foods
Mumbai: Hotstuff Medialabs and Genesis Film Production have joined hands to work on the brand and social media mandate for Goeld Frozen Foods.
Goeld is an entirely vegetarian frozen food brand that uses cutting-edge freezing technology to preserve all the nutrients, flavour, and texture of the food. ‘Mac and Cheese Pops,’ ‘Dilliwalli Dal Aloo Tikki,’ ‘Oozy Cheese Corn’ bites, are just a few of the interesting alternatives available in the product line-up. Goeld also makes other Indian breads like Lachha Paratha, a premium Malabar Paratha, and other Indian breads.
With such a broad variety, Hotstuff and Genesis intend to take the brand digitally across platforms, focusing on product awareness and brand promotion that would eventually promote the offtake, both online and offline.
Speaking on the collaboration, Genesis founder and director Prahlad Kakkar said, “I have been associated with the Goel family for a couple of years now and it gives me great pleasure to be entrusted with the branding of their latest venture, GOELD frozen Foods. What makes this brand stand out from the others in the category is its unique attributes to India’s diverse food cultures, offering the basics in staples to the exotic in snacking. We do have a lot in store for the brand, which will be rolled out strategically through the year, with the ad film being the big highlight to watch out for… so stay tuned.”
About the association, Goeld Frozen Foods director Archit Goel added, “We as a brand and organisation, are looking for a huge game, and after meeting the teams at Genesis and Hotstuff, I knew that these are the individuals who can make my goal of a clean-label frozen food brand a reality while also making it simple for consumers to understand. Team Genesis and Hotstuff, as collaborators, have solutions to all our marketing and promotional needs. And yes, they’re very practical and have thoughts of the common man (not easy to find these days). I am sure that with the talent on board, we are going to work together for a longer period of time to create something like Garma-garam.”
Working with the individuals behind the brand, Hotstuff business head associate partner Rohit Sadavarte said, “It is more interesting than working with the brand itself. Archit Goel, the team’s spearhead, is frequently portrayed as having a contagious excitement and sense of optimism.”
“Because of this, we are free to consider and try out novel concepts and branding strategies. With Goeld as a new entrant to the Hotstuff family of clients, we are aggressively looking at spreading our wings in new directions; the future will soon see Hotsuff across categories like beverages, EV two wheelers, motor SUVs, fintech and many more,” he added.
Goeld is a brand that emphasises its unique qualities through India’s many culinary cultures With the purpose of digitally disseminating its specialties among customers, it seeks to offer a variety of items to its clientele while also taking part in many industries. With this mandate, Hotstuff is looking to cement their place as a leading media agency that has the experience and expertise to work across verticals.
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.
