Brands
Pulse candy now comes in pineapple flavour
MUMBAI: The famous tangy, sweet Pulse candy is back in news, but this time for another flavour! DS Group has launched a new flavour ‘Pulse Pineapple’, further expanding its collection of the existing Pulse favourites of Kaccha Aam, Guava and Orange. Pineapple as a flavour and a fruit is diversely used and enjoyed across all age groups. The new candy will be available in a pillow pack at the cost of Re 1.
DS Group vice president new product development Shashank Surana says, “Since the candy’s launch in 2015 with the Kaccha Aam flavour, we have been coming up with new popular and niche flavours. After guava and orange, Pulse pineapple is the latest variant in the candy basket and we anticipate a good response from our consumers”.
The organised hard-boiled candy market is worth Rs 2650 crore in India and Pulse is the market leader with 12-13 per cent market share. Apart from India, the company has also started distributing Pulse to countries such as UAE, UK and South East Asian markets.
Pulse Pineapple has received an encouraging response to the test marketing undertaken in key cities of the country in the last few months. The candy is being launched pan India leveraging on the company’s distribution network to reach out to the target group. The launch of pulse pineapple will be supported by activities like POSM and market sampling.
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
