Brands
Air India Express takes flight with culture at Wings India 2026
HYDERABAD: Air India Express brought a vibrant splash of music and colour to Wings India 2026, turning the Begumpet Airport tarmac into a lively concert stage. Padma Bhushan awardee Usha Uthup led a multi-state ensemble, joined by artists from across India, celebrating the nation’s rich cultural tapestry.
The backdrop for the performance was no ordinary stage. VT-RNT, the airline’s first line-fit Boeing 737-8, gleamed in a special livery inspired by Parsi Gara embroidery. Inside, passengers will enjoy roomy, ergonomically designed seats, fast-charging outlets, on-board ovens for hot meals, larger overhead bins, a quieter cabin, and Boeing’s Sky Interior with mood lighting, promising a modern and comfortable flying experience.
Air India Express chief marketing officer Siddhartha Butalia said, “In a digitally connected world, real experiences matter most. Music, festivals, and cultural showcases like this help travellers discover not just destinations but each other.”
Usha Uthup added, “Music is a universal language. Performing with artists from different states, with the Tales of India livery behind us, was a joyful tribute to our cultural unity.”
The airline also took home the Domestic Connectivity award, presented by the minister of Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, recognising its efforts in connecting communities across India.
Air India Express’s Tales of India initiative celebrates regional art forms, from Kalamkari and Bandhani to Warli and Kanjeevaram. This cultural spirit extends to its ‘Gourmair’ in-flight dining, offering regional favourites and festive menus. The airline recently partnered with the Hornbill Festival and India’s first residential festival, Bloom in Green, reinforcing its role as a cultural ambassador in the skies.
From percussion-packed performances in 2024 to multi-state musical showcases in 2026, Air India Express continues to prove that flying can be more than transport, it can be a celebration of India itself.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
