MAM
Punjab FC reveals new kits with Shiv Naresh as official kit partner
Mumbai: Punjab FC, the sole representative from North India in the Indian Super League (ISL), announced the addition of three brands to its commercial roster for the upcoming season. The club has signed Indian sportswear brand Shiv Naresh as the ‘Official Kit Partner,’ PayTM Insider as the ‘Official Ticketing Partner,’ and Radio City as the ‘Official Radio Partner.’ Punjab FC began its ISL campaign on 15 September against Kerala Blasters in Kochi and will play its first home game on 20 September in New Delhi.
The official home, away, and third kits were launched earlier in Chandigarh and have already received positive feedback from fans and football enthusiasts.
Shiv Naresh Sports Pvt Ltd, managing director Shiv Prakash Singh shared, “We are thrilled to partner with Punjab FC, the I-League champions, for the ISL 2024-25 season. At Shiv Naresh, our mission has always been to empower athletes with the best possible gear, and this collaboration with Punjab FC aligns perfectly with that mission. We are excited to see the team excel on the field and to see their passionate fans wearing our jerseys in support of their champions.”
PayTM Insider joins as the ticketing partner for the season, enabling fans to purchase tickets for Punjab FC’s home games at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. PayTM Insider’s chief operating officer Varun Khare states, “We at PayTm Insider, are thrilled to announce our partnership with Punjab FC as a part of the Indian Super League. Our mission is to redefine the fan experience, going beyond simple ticketing. By combining our expertise in ticketing, accreditation, and fan engagement, we aim to create a seamless and immersive journey for Punjab FC supporters. Together, we’ll ensure that every match is a memorable event, contributing to the growth of football in India.”
Radio City will provide exclusive insights, stories, and updates about Punjab FC throughout the season for listeners in Delhi and Punjab. Radio City’s CEO Ashit Kukian commented, “We are excited to partner with Punjab FC as their official radio partner for the upcoming ISL season. This collaboration allows us to bring exclusive insights, updates, and stories of Punjab FC’s journey directly to our passionate listeners in Delhi and Punjab. As a brand committed to make you hear everything happening around, we are excited to amplify the voices of football fans and be a part of Punjab FC’s growing legacy in the ISL.”
Roundglass Sports, lead, sports marketing, Tarandeep Sekhon added, “We are delighted to expand our commercial roster for the season. In just our second season in the ISL, partnering with such popular brands showcases the popularity that the team has gained among Indian football fans. A successful run at the Durand Cup further makes us confident that this partnership will yield great results for us in the season ahead.”
Punjab FC begins the 2024-25 season with a quarterfinal appearance in Asia’s oldest football tournament, the Durand Cup. In the group stages, the team defeats Mumbai City FC and CISF Protectors XI and draws with Kerala Blasters to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, they suffered a narrow defeat against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in a penalty shootout after the match ended 3-3 in regulation time.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
