MAM
dentsu India CEO Anand Bhadkamkar moves on
Mumbai: Anand Bhadkamkar has stepped down as chief executive officer of dentsu International India. He was associated with the agency network for 14 years and served as CEO from September 2019.
Dentsu International APAC, CEO and chairman India, Ashish Bhasin and dentsu media and global clients, global CEO, Peter Hujiboom will step in to assume the day-to-day leadership of dentsu India in the interim. The company has yet to find a successor for Bhadkamkar.
“In the last year, and despite the pandemic, we have started to optimise our portfolio of brands into six global leadership brands, making us more agile and simpler for our clients to access our world-class capabilities and talents. To accelerate this transformation, Ashish Bhasin, CEO, APAC and chairman India, and Peter Huijboom, global CEO, media and global clients will assume interim, day-to-day leadership of dentsu India while the business completes its search for a successor to Anand Bhadkamkar, who leaves dentsu on August 31,” said the agency in a statement on Tuesday.
“With this new structure, we are well-positioned to unlock higher levels of business performance, innovation, and solution-led strategies for our people and for our clients. Our ambitions and goals are interconnected, and this is the beginning of dentsu India 2.0’s new and transformed path to success,” it added.
Bhadkamkar joined Dentsu Aegis Network as chief financial officer for India in 2008 and was given additional charge as chief operating officer in April 2019. During his 25-year career, he has been associated with Lowe Lintas and Ernst and Young.
Bhadkamkar is a chartered accountant who completed his bachelor’s in commerce from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics.
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
