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Ashish Chopade takes charge of strategic sourcing at Adani Defence
AHMEDABAD: Adani Defence and Aerospace has added fresh firepower to its leadership ranks with the appointment of Ashish Chopade as head of strategic sourcing. In his new role, Chopade will oversee strategic sourcing initiatives, expand supplier discovery across diverse capabilities, and streamline the entire procure-to-pay process.
The mandate is clear and ambitious. Chopade is expected to strengthen the supplier ecosystem, unlock cost efficiencies and support Ebitda improvement, all while helping scale one of the Adani Group’s most strategically significant businesses.
Chopade joins Adani Defence after a successful stint at the Motherson Group, where he served as general manager and led sourcing solutions and multi-capability supplier discovery. Known for blending operational rigour with strategic thinking, he played a key role in driving value across complex supply chains.
Before that, he spent nearly two decades at Hero MotoCorp, rising through the ranks from associate manager to deputy general manager. His journey there covered everything from margin transformation programmes and proprietary parts buying to leading strategic sourcing and indirect purchase categories.
From junior engineer beginnings in Nagpur to shaping sourcing strategies for some of India’s largest manufacturing organisations, Chopade’s career has been built piece by piece, much like the supply chains he now optimises.
At Adani Defence and Aerospace, his task will be to ensure that the right partners, at the right cost, arrive at the right time, a behind-the-scenes role that quietly powers growth, resilience and long-term competitiveness.
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Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
