Brands
Bombay Dyeing spins Q1 profit despite polyester pressure and realty slump
MUMBAI: Bombay Dyeing is proving it’s not ready to fade into the background just yet. In its June 2025 quarter, the 146-year-old textile-to-real-estate player wove together Rs 11.48 crore in consolidated profit, only slightly off last year’s Rs 15.47 crore, despite feeling the tug of softer polyester margins and a sluggish real estate arm.
Revenue from operations slipped to Rs 377.84 crore from Rs 450.97 crore a year ago, with polyester sales steady at Rs 360.51 crore, retail/textiles ticking up to Rs 14.09 crore, but real estate plunging to nil from Rs 65.42 crore. Other income gave the top line a lift at Rs 36.68 crore, taking total income to Rs 414.52 crore.
Expenses eased to Rs 403.33 crore from Rs 452.69 crore, with raw material costs trimming to Rs 257.39 crore and other expenses at Rs 85.65 crore. Finance costs fell to Rs 3.61 crore, adding some breathing room, though depreciation held at Rs 7.84 crore.
Segment results showed a Rs 4.38 crore loss in real estate (worse than last year’s Rs 13.94 crore profit), while polyester contributed Rs 7.14 crore and retail/textiles Rs 3.19 crore. Exceptional items were negligible this time, a stark contrast to the Rs 552.56 crore windfall last year.
Tax adjustments including a Rs 5.97 crore prior-period reversal meant an overall tax credit, cushioning the bottom line. The quarter’s other comprehensive income surged to Rs 50.32 crore from a Rs 69.11 crore loss last quarter, thanks largely to equity investment gains, taking total comprehensive income to Rs 64.08 crore.
With Rs 2,407.09 crore in net capital employed and polyester still its mainstay, Bombay Dyeing may have some creases to iron out in real estate, but the Q1 fabric shows enough colour to keep investors watching.
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
