MAM
Air India rejig: N Chandrasekaran brings in key Tata Group personnel
Mumbai: Tata Sons executive chairman and Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran on Saturday affected a major reshuffle in the top management of the recently-acquired airline in what is Air India’s first major senior management reshuffle since it was taken over by the conglomerate in January this year. Tata Sons senior vice president Nipun Aggarwal replaces Air India veteran Meenakshi Malik as chief commercial officer, while former Tata Steel VP- human resources Suresh Dutt Tripathi succeeds AI’s Amrita Sharan as chief human resources officer (CHRO).
Notably, the Tata Group is yet to appoint a chief executive officer of the airline.
The order was issued by Chandrasekaran, who is also the chairman of Tata Sons and comes on the back of the announcement of Tata Sons executive chairman N Chandrasekaran formally taking charge as chairman of Tata Digital earlier this week. He was reappointed as the chairman of Tata Sons for another five years in February this year.
Malik and Sharan were on Friday appointed as advisors to the CEO of Air India, according to a company communication to PTI. As the Tata Group is yet to appoint the CEO of Air India, the duo will currently be advisors to Chandrasekaran, it mentioned.
Satya Ramaswamy, who has worked at Tata Consultancy Services before, was on Friday appointed as chief digital and technology officer at Air India, the order stated.
Rajesh Dogra was appointed as the head of customer experience and ground handling at Air India, it mentioned.
Air India veteran RS Sandhu will continue to hold the charge of chief of operations at Air India, it noted.
Another Air India veteran Vinod Hejmadi will continue to hold the charge as chief financial officer, it mentioned.
“The new appointees will exercise the powers of functional/departmental heads as per the delegation of authority. We wish them all the very best in their new role,” Chandrasekaran stated in the order.
After a competitive bidding process, the government had in October last year sold Air India to Talace Pvt Ltd — a subsidiary of the Tata group’s holding company.
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.
