Brands
Air India, Jet and Indigo’s oops moment!
MUMBAI: Oops! Don’t jump the gun! That must be the lesson that state-owned airline Air India must have learned following the recent slugfest it got involved in on Twitter a couple of days ago. Air India – normally known to be sedate and a quiet operator – had fired a salvo at rival private carrier Indigo Airlines by posting two pictures which stated “We raise our hands only to say Namaste!” and “Unbeatable Service” on the evening of 7 November.
The two mischievous statements were targeted at Indigo which has been getting a lot of bad buzz and press thanks to a viral video (posted on 7 November) of one of its staffers manhandling and beating a customer. In the past few months, fliers have come out and bashed the airline for the poor quality of customer service. In a recent incident, it did not allow Indian badminton star PV Sindhu to bring her sports gear on board and forced her to have it included in the checked in luggage.
Needless to say the posts resulted in a lot of chuckles amongst Twitter users, something which is not known to be associated with the public sector airline. On most occasions, it is the butt of wise cracks and jokes for its service.
What forced the normally quiet airline to get into a round of fisticuffs? Well it could very well have had to do with the posting of a picture – purportedly by Jet Airways that stated “We beat our competition, not you” that went viral.
Seeing an opportunity of creating excitement amongst Twitterati, Air India too followed with its two posts later in the day.
To its chagrin, Jet Airways issued a clarification on its Twitter handle (236,000 followers) stating: “Jet Airways did not commission the creative being shared on social media platforms, in context of a recent event concerning another domestic airline. The creative does not reflect our philosophy and ethos and is in fact, in bad taste.”
Air India was thus left in a quandary? Was it acting in bad taste? Apparently, someone thought so as its posts were deleted this morning.
The deletions caused Twitterati to question Air India as to why was it backing off?
As they say you can’t win ‘em all.
Brands
Bajaj Consumer Care FY26 profit rises to Rs 193.7 crore
Revenue climbs to Rs 1,092 crore as profit grows 49 per cent YoY
MUMBAI: Hair today, growth tomorrow Bajaj Consumer Care Limited seems to have found its shine again, posting a sharp jump in profitability even as it doubled down on brand spends and expansion. The company reported a net profit of Rs 193.7 crore for FY26, marking a strong 49 per cent rise from Rs 130.1 crore in FY25. Revenue from operations also grew to Rs 1,092.2 crore, up from Rs 942.8 crore a year earlier, signalling steady demand momentum across its portfolio.
For the March quarter, profit stood at Rs 64.1 crore, compared to Rs 31.5 crore in the corresponding period last year, while revenue rose to Rs 308.3 crore from Rs 243.5 crore.
The performance came despite a notable increase in spending. Advertising and sales promotion expenses climbed to Rs 168.3 crore in FY26, up from Rs 137.8 crore in FY25, reflecting continued investment in brand building. Other expenses also rose to Rs 151.3 crore from Rs 134.2 crore, indicating a broader push towards growth.
Operating efficiency, however, held firm. Profit before tax increased to Rs 234.8 crore in FY26 from Rs 157.7 crore a year earlier, supported by disciplined cost management across materials and inventory.
On the balance sheet, the company’s total assets expanded to Rs 959.1 crore as of March 31, 2026, compared to Rs 931.9 crore a year earlier. Other equity rose to Rs 780.3 crore, reinforcing a stronger financial base.
Cash flow from operations saw a significant uptick, reaching Rs 196.9 crore in FY26, nearly three times the Rs 67.9 crore recorded in FY25, highlighting improved working capital management.
However, the year also saw aggressive capital allocation. The company spent Rs 190.2 crore on share buybacks, contributing to a net cash outflow of Rs 196.5 crore from financing activities. Cash and cash equivalents stood at Rs 6.8 crore at the end of the year, down from Rs 25.6 crore.
Even as investments in subsidiaries and assets continued, the numbers suggest a company balancing growth ambitions with shareholder returns keeping one eye on expansion and the other on efficiency.
With margins improving and revenue steadily climbing, Bajaj Consumer Care appears to be combing through the competition with renewed confidence.
