Brands
Alife lathers up Bengal with a zesty punch of lime and neem in new soap
MUMBAI: Skincare just got a whiff of nostalgia and a zesty twist in West Bengal. AWL Agri Business Ltd. (formerly Adani Wilmar) has taken a sudsy leap into regional sensibilities with its latest personal care offering: Alife Gondhoraj & Neem Soap. Think heritage, herbs, and a whole lot of Bengal pride packed into a bar.
The soap pays homage to the state’s obsession with Gondhoraj lime — famously hailed as the ‘King of Limes’ — and marries it with the antibacterial powers of neem. The result? A fragrant cleansing bar that blends tradition with modern skincare goals.
“Our latest variant, Alife Gondhoraj & Neem Soap, is a tribute to this unique regional beauty ritual… This launch reaffirms our commitment to crafting innovative and locally relevant products that resonate with our consumers,” said AWL Agri Business Ltd SVP – sales & marketing Mukesh Mishra.
Alife has cleverly bottled Bengal’s cultural fondness for all things citrusy and antiseptic. With Gondhoraj delivering its signature burst of aroma and neem taking care of skin purification, the brand is betting big on beauty that’s rooted and relevant.
AWL isn’t just stopping at pretty packaging. The launch is backed by a full-throttle 360-degree campaign. From a TVC directed by Dibyendu Bose (yes, that ad-film maverick from Happy Rabbit Films) to digital blitzes, cinema takeovers, and ground activations, Alife seems determined to ensure every Bengal nose catches a whiff of its latest invention.
The soap has already hit retail shelves and e-commerce platforms across West Bengal, aiming to carve out a solid niche in the competitive personal care aisle. And it’s not just about cleansing — it’s about connecting. By tapping into local traditions and ingredients, Alife is clearly suds-deep in strategy.
From fish curry to face packs, Bengal has always celebrated the power of ingredients. Now, thanks to AWL’s latest gambit, you can scrub up with cultural pride and smell like summer.
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.
