Brands
Viacom18 cracks down on counterfeit merchandise
MUMBAI: In its bid to counter the growing menace of counterfeit merchandise, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. had undertaken an investigation that led to a raid in Mumbai’s market Abdul Rehman Street.
Viacom18 Media is one of India's fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform and multicultural brand experiences. A JV of Viacom Inc. and the Network18 Group, Viacom18 defines entertainment in India by touching the lives of people through its properties.
Viacom raided two stores — Shubham Return Gifts and Eliperi Stationery, which were found to be selling counterfeit Dora the Explorer products.
The stores were raided by a team comprising court receivers of the Bombay High Court and representatives of Viacom18. The owners of the stores will be summoned to court to identify the source and locations of the manufacturers of these seized goods.
"We see this as an essential step towards ensuring that our characters are not represented on inferior, unlicensed products – which may pose health and safety risks. We are extremely grateful for the cooperation of the judiciary and the police who have executed the appropriate legal action to protect our intellectual property and to prevent inferior, and potentially dangerous products from being sold to unsuspecting consumers. " said a spokesperson on behalf of Viacom18.
Viacom18 owns iconic brands such as Colors, Roadies and Supersonic and characters such as Keymon Ache, Shiva, characters of Pakdam Pakdai and is also the exclusive licensee for iconic characters and brands such as Peppa Pig, Motu Patlu, Spongebob Square Pants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ninja Hattori, Peanuts and Shaun the Sheep amongst many more.
Also Read :-
Nick Jr to premiere 'Peppa Pig' show in India
'Motu Patlu- King of Kings' is Viacom18’s calculated risk
Viacom18 to launch exclusive Jungle Book Merchandise in India
BE Viacom18 gets John Abraham to promote Arunachal tourism
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.
