MAM
FCB Ulka designates John Thangaraj as executive planning director for north
MUMBAI: FCB Ulka Advertising today announced the appointment of John Thangaraj as Executive Planning Director – North. Thangaraj joins FCB Ulka from Mindshare, where he was Head of Strategy for the North. In his 14 year career he has worked across research, marketing, account planning and media at companies like Quantum, Adidas, Rediffusion, Lowe Lintas and GroupM.
Speaking on his new role, John Thangaraj said, “Most people think of FCB as a legacy agency, with a rich heritage of strategic thinking and a strong base of long term clients. Which of course it is. But it’s also an agency that is reinventing itself for today with a strong focus on media neutral, idea out thinking that impacts consumer behavior in multiple ways across multiple contexts. One of my biggest mandates will be to drive this agenda and in Rohit, Suman and Debbie I have the perfect support system in which to do so.”
FCB Ulka vice chairman and chief strategy officer, strategy planning Suman Srivastava said, “Modern marketing is all about integration. While today’s marketing communications landscape is woefully fragmented. As we strive towards providing our clients truly integrated brand solutions, we need people who have experience across diverse fields. That is why John’s experiences fits in so well with us. He has worked on a wide range of brands and categories from the creative agency side as well as the media agency side. He is a truly all round thinker and that is essential for integrated strategies.”
FCB Ulka CEO Nitin Karkare said, “I am looking forward to working with John. He comes in at time when we have a great new team in Delhi with Debbie, Vasudha and Arijit. He will be our key resource in providing a larger strategic and business perspective to our clients through his varied experience across categories. His fresh thinking, enthusiasm and exposure will help us as we device integrated communication and engagement platforms to connect with the new changing consumers.”
Beyond his work, John is an ardent animal lover, spends his free time playing with this two Labrador Retrievers and reading anything he can get his hands on – though with a remarkable bias towards horror, fantasy, sci-fi and comics.
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.
