MAM
Korra elevates Saket Vaidya as its CEO
Mumbai : Korra, a digital marketing agency, has elevated Saket Vaidya, a leader with a proven track record of driving business growth as chief operating officer (COO), to the position of chief executive officer (CEO). The announcement comes as the company gears up for its next level growth plans to expand in global markets.
Saket Vaidya joined Korra’s leadership team in January 2017 and has played a key role in the company’s strategic direction and success. His promotion to CEO reflects his strong leadership skills and ability to drive innovation in the digital marketing industry. In his role, Saket will focus on continuing to drive business growth, and expanding market presence. With his extensive experience, Saket aims to lead Korra into its next phase of growth and success.
Prior to Korra, Saket was associated with multiple businesses such as Webchutney and Indigo Consulting (a Leo Burnett company). Currently, his vision has established Korra as a leader in direct-to-consumer marketing. Vaidya’s leadership has been key to Korra’s successful evolution and consistent profitability.
“Saket has been crucial to Korra’s success. He has built strong relationships with big brands like Airtel, Airtel Payments Bank, Meta, Sebamed, and Vivo. He has also onboarded clients like Mama Earth and Bata, which have played a key part in punctuating our journey. This has helped us grow, especially after the challenges of the pandemic.” said Korra chairman and MD Kumar Rajesh Raman.
Commenting on his new role, Korra CEO Saket Vaidya shared, “At Korra, our focus is razor-sharp: to drive tangible business outcomes for our clients, not just deliver services. We’re committed to pushing the boundaries of creativity, fostering strategic partnerships, and deepening our client relationships. This isn’t just about growth – it’s about setting new industry standards and becoming an indispensable force in our clients’ success stories.”
As CEO, Saket envisions Korra as a global marketing organisation by 2025, unbounded by medium and expertise. This promotion aligns with Korra’s recent business transformation, which includes the establishment of a center of excellence (COE) and the onboarding of a new leadership team focused on revenue and operations, growth and partnerships, strategy and service excellence, and analytics and data sciences.
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.
