MAM
boAt strengthens leadership team with three key appointments
Mumbai: Homegrown top audio and consumer lifestyle brand boAT has strengthened its leadership team as it aims to deepen its manufacturing and supply chain network in India and drive business transformation. The company appointed Shashwat Singh as chief information officer, Ankur Sharma as chief financial officer, and Prashant Kamal as head of India manufacturing and supply chain.
The team will be based out of New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru offices, and work closely with the CEO Vivek Gambhir and co-founders Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
Shashwat Singh comes with over 14 years of corporate experience in distinguished companies like Unilever, Kimberly Clark, and Asian Paints. Being a digital transformation leader at boAt, he will be creating an adaptable tech landscape to support the brand on its trail of growth.
Ankur Sharma has vast experience spanning more than 16 years in financial management, developing/executing strategies, and delivering operational efficiency for both B2B and B2C organisations. He has been associated with eminent firms like ADA Group and Cravatex (Vans as well as Fila) in the past. At boAt, Sharma will be leading the company’s financial functions.
Prashant Kamal holds a valuable experience of 21 years in the consumer durables & consumer electronics space. He has worked in the companies like Nokia, Microsoft, and Flextronics at a global level. At boAt, Kamal will spearhead the company’s Make in India manufacturing initiatives and make the supply future-ready.
“We are thrilled to welcome Shashwat, Ankur, and Prashant to our core leadership team as we prepare for our next phase of growth,” Vivek Gambhir said. “All three of them bring a wealth of experience and best practices from global companies. Their values, skills and expertise will enable us to dramatically scale up and build a high-performance organization. Together, we look forward to bringing the best we have to offer to our community of boAtheads.”
Currently, boAt has close to 250 members across its team in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru & is looking forward to enhancing its research and development (R&D) and further augmenting efforts to manufacture products in India
Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
