Brands
Asian Paints Q3 profit shines, despite one-off labour and tech hits
MUMBAI: Asian Paints proved once again that it knows how to keep its balance, even when the canvas gets messy.
India’s largest paint maker reported a solid set of standalone results for the quarter ended 31 December 2025, posting a net profit of Rs 1,025 crore, despite absorbing hefty one-time charges linked to new labour laws and a tech investment write-down.
Revenue from operations came in at Rs 7,624 crore for the quarter, up modestly from the previous quarter and broadly steady year-on-year. For the nine months ended December, revenue touched Rs 22,849 crore, underlining resilient demand even as consumption trends remain uneven.
The real test, however, lay below the top line. Asian Paints booked exceptional expenses of Rs 166.5 crore during the quarter. This included a Rs 60.6 crore hit from higher employee benefit liabilities following the notification of India’s new Labour Codes, which redefine wages for gratuity and leave calculations. The remaining Rs 106 crore was an impairment loss on its investment in Obgenix Software, better known as White Teak.
Strip out these one-offs and the underlying business still showed healthy momentum. Profit before tax stood at Rs 1,415 crore for the quarter, while nine-month profit after tax rose to Rs 3,081 crore, up from Rs 2,891 crore a year ago.
Costs were largely under control. Raw material consumption eased on a nine-month basis, helping offset higher employee expenses and other operating costs. Finance costs also declined compared to last year, offering some relief to margins.
Adding a splash of cheer for shareholders, Asian Paints had already declared an interim dividend of Rs 4.50 per share in November, which was paid before the end of the quarter.
Earnings per share for the quarter came in at Rs 10.70, compared with Rs 11.52 a year earlier, reflecting the impact of exceptional items rather than any dulling of the core business.
In short, while labour reforms and a misfiring tech bet dulled the finish this quarter, Asian Paints’ fundamentals remain firmly intact. The brand still has pricing power, scale and a loyal customer base, proving that even when the weather turns patchy, the company knows how to keep its colours bright.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
