MAM
OLX India taps Olive Sen to power up its horizontal play
MUMBAI: Olx India is shaking up its leadership ranks with the return of Olive Sen as chief business officer – horizontal business unit (non-autos). In his new avatar, Sen will drive growth across the platform’s sprawling classifieds empire—from jobs and property to mobiles and electronics—as Olx eyes deeper user engagement and scale.
Sen is no stranger to the classifieds game. With over a decade in the consumer internet trenches, including six-plus years at Olx group, he knows the platform inside out. His previous tour of duty saw him head product, marketing and analytics—turbocharging user growth and monetisation along the way.
He returns to Olx after a stint as chief product officer at BetterPlace, a workforce tech platform, and earlier roles at Thinkfoods.in and NYX. An IIT Kharagpur alum, Sen cut his teeth at Nissan Motors and ZS Associates before shifting gears into product strategy.
CarTrade Tech chairman & founder Vinay Sanghi rolled out the welcome mat. “Said he: “We are excited to welcome Olive back to Olx. His deep understanding of the platform, coupled with a strong strategic vision, makes him the ideal leader to drive our horizontal business unit (non-autos) business forward. We are confident that his leadership will unlock new avenues of growth and significantly enhance user engagement in these categories.”
Sen, for his part, is raring to go. Said he: “I’m excited to return to Olx India at a time when the classifieds space is evolving rapidly. The non-autos categories—from consumer goods to real estate and jobs—represent a massive opportunity to build for scale and depth. I’m looking forward to working with the incredible team at Olx to unlock this potential and deliver meaningful experiences for our users.”
The move fits into Olx ndia’s broader playbook—building a one-stop, trusted bazaar for everything under the digital sun. With over 35 million monthly visitors and more than 30 million listings a year, Olx is already a heavyweight. Now, with Sen back at the helm, the platform is betting big on becoming India’s go-to marketplace for all things secondhand (and sensible).
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.
