MAM
Mindshare appoints M K Machaiah as chief innovation officer
MUMBAI: India’s largest full service media agency, Mindshare, a part of GroupM has appointed MK Machaiah, known as Mac, as chief innovation officer for South Asia.
In this role, Mac will lead the integrated approach to consumer engagement and strengthen brand propositions across all consumer touchpoints including traditional, social and experiential. He will be responsible for setting up an innovations lab through systemic integrations of content + social and activations and building sports practice. He will build future-ready capabilities and revenue models by assessing the scope of each practice, set the innovation vision & drive the team to work on client specific propositions. Mac has worked across global markets and has proven ability to bring together different cultural nuances which will be critical in the integration of these two diverse practices.
After spending over a decade in different media agencies including a two-year stint with Mindshare India, Mac became an integral part of the India leadership team in 2012 as office head, South. He then progressed to chief executive officer, SSA to lead Mindshare Sub Saharan Africa region where he was entrusted with the responsibility to set up Mindshare and consolidate the Unilever business across the region and drive global best practices.
Mindshare South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar says, “Mac has been a part of the Mindshare family and comes with credible and rich experience in the industry. We have always taken not just the lead but also the leap in defining industry’s best practices and becoming the trusted marketing partners for our clients. To take this leap, we have appointed Mac who brings experience across industries and markets, which makes him the perfect fit to assist in the growth of the agency.”
MK Machaiah chief innovation officer South Asia adds, “Mindshare is one of the largest media agencies and I am delighted to embark on a new journey with them. It’s an honour to be a part of an organisation with great stature in the industry. I am excited to be working with some of the top creative and strategic minds in the industry at Mindshare. I look forward to utilise my knowledge and experience to fortify our position in the market and assert the trust of our partners and consumers”
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.
