MAM
Isobar India announces key elevations and leadership changes
MUMBAI: Isobar, the digital agency from the house of Dentsu Aegis Network, has announced key leadership changes across the country.
Anadi Sah has been promoted to executive creative director, in addition to his current role of lead innovation, technology & creative. As part of this new mandate, Sah will now spearhead Isobar’s innovation and creative unit at a national level along with Isobar India chief creative officer Anish Varghese.
Business head Gurgaon Himanshu Arora will now be associate vice president, taking in charge of the agency’s business for North region.
Aakriti Sinha, currently director, social media, will now be national head for Isobar’s social media practice and will be responsible for scaling up the agency’s social media solutions.
Director, business Madhura Ranade will take charge as head – branded content & partnerships, Isobar’s new service offering. She will be responsible for driving content consulting and strategy with an all-encompassing data-led approach towards platform and content recommendation to drive business results. Her role will also look after content consulting towards branded IP creation to create properties that are brand-safe, drive the brand vision and generate value.
On the appointment, Isobar South Asia group MD Shamsuddin Jasani said, “We are preparing for the next stage of growth for Isobar India. We have identified the leaders of Isobar who will work with us to take the agency to greater heights. Anadi, Himanshu, Madhura, and Aakriti have played an important role in developing the vision and leadership needed to shape our business and brand strategy across our creative, marketing and technology functions. Their promotions will ensure we continue to power our India agenda and drive excellence in our experience-led transformation proposition.”
The elevations will boost an accelerated growth by forging stronger ties between the agency, partners and clients, along with streamlining business verticals and fortifying operational efficiency. With these elevations, Isobar will further drive the global agenda of experience-led transformation across its practices.
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.
