MAM
realme appoints Shraddha Kapoor as chief lifestyle officer of realme’s UNI Smart AIoT
MUMBAI : Smartphone brand realme has announced Shraddha Kapoor as the Chief Lifestyle Officer for its UNI Smart AIoT product portfolio. The new brand ambassador, who has also charmed millions with her unconventional portrayals on-screen and unique personality, reflects the brand’s ‘Dare to Leap’ philosophy and "Tech Trendsetter" positioning.
realme vice president and realme India CEO Madhav Sheth said “As realme diversifies its portfolio with new innovations, we are excited to have on-board, none other than, Ms Shraddha Kapoor as our new brand ambassador for realme’s AIoT products. We are thrilled to partner with Shraddha in this exciting journey as her ability to strike a real chord with the masses and undeniable charm will cement realme’s tech trendsetter positioning among the target audience. From audio to wearable products, we will bring more surprises that win over scores of lifestyle and fitness enthusiasts in India. ”
Commenting on the collaboration, star-actor Shraddha Kapoor said, “I am excited to join the realme family, the fastest growing smartphone brand in India, to bring a stylish and smart lifestyle experience to more youth across the country. I’m sure our collaboration will bring more cool technologies and fun experiences.”
The realme Band, will also go on open sale from 12 noon, March 16 on Amazon.in, realme.com and across offline stores. Commenting on the newly launched realme Band, Akshay Ahuja, Category Leader, Personal Computing & Wearables of Amazon.in, said, "We are excited to partner with realme to bring the realme Band for our customers on Amazon.in. The band offers great features at a very attractive price point which will resonate well with customers across the country. With this partnership, we continue to build a strong portfolio in the wearables category offering vast selection, great value and an unparalleled shopping experience."
The realme Band comes with a 2.4cm (0.96”) large color screen, which is capable of displaying more than 65,000 colors and can display as much as 64 letters on one page. It comes with three stylish color strap options including black and green, providing more choices for young consumers to fit their fashion lifestyle. realme Band weighs only 20g and is made from light and environment-friendly polymer material.
The band has built-in high precision PPG optical heart rate sensor which accurately measures the real-time heart rate every 5 minutes, allowing the user to keep a close watch on his health. By tracking the movement and the heart rate, the band’s algorithm intelligently analyzes sleep quality and generates a report which helps the user know more about his sleeping pattern. realme Band supports 9 sport modes such as walking, running, yoga, and more, and features a dedicated Cricket Mode, which has been designed especially for India.
realme’s ‘Dare to Leap’ approach of constant innovation, product differentiation, and user orientation has helped the young brand set multiple industry benchmarks and firmly establish itself as a domain leader in the fastest time. As per Counterpoint reports, realme was the world’s fastest-growing smartphone brand in 2019 with 453 per cent growth on an annual basis, ranked no. 4 in India and no.7 globally.
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
