MAM
Birla Opus launches new thematic communication ‘Make Life Beautiful’!
Mumbai: Birla Opus Paints, housed under Aditya Birla Group’s Grasim Industries, has released its first thematic communication. The film brings to life the brand philosophy of Birla Opus articulated through the tagline ‘Make Life Beautiful’. With this new thematic communication, Birla Opus showcases the brand’s transformative power, which helps create a more beautiful world.
The film showcases a never done before Hi-Definition, 3D feature animation with realistic silhouettes, an industry first for any brand within the paints category in India. It has a melodious track created by renowned Indian composer, Ram Sampath which captures the essence of the campaign with the resounding message – ‘Duniya Ko Rang Do’ (Colour the world). This landmark campaign marks a significant milestone for Birla Opus Paints as it continues to expand its footprint across the nation. The film will be advertised in Hindi and all major regional languages and backed by a 360-degree activation across TV, Digital, OOH, Print, and Radio to drive awareness and induce trials. The communication has been conceptualised by Leo Burnett India and produced by Zombie Studio; a leading global animation studio based out of Brazil.
In February 2024, the Aditya Birla Group made a significant entry into the paint industry with the launch of Birla Opus. Committed to expanding its paints business, the company plans to establish six manufacturing facilities nationwide by 2025.
Commenting on the film launch, Birla Opus CEO Rakshit Hargave said, “We understand the discerning tastes of today’s consumers who seek products and experiences that resonate with purpose and value. With this film’s playful rendition which personifies our brand belief of ‘Make Life Beautiful’, we are excited to embark on this journey of transformation with our customers, inspiring them to embrace beauty with purpose.”
Birla Opus head – marketing Inderpreet Singh added, “We’re thrilled to unveil our first-ever brand film for Birla Opus. The film exemplifies beauty which comes alive through one of the best animation styles in the world, comparable to HD animation in Hollywood movies, a first in the paints industry in India. The message, ‘Duniya Ko Rang Do’ crafted by renowned music composer, Ram Sampath, resonates with a powerful idea of finding hope, happiness and beauty in life.
Rajdeepak Das, CCO, Publicis Groupe – South Asia & Chairman, Leo Burnett – South Asia said, “Birla Opus is a brand that is designed for today’s dynamic new Indian audiences. And we wanted to give the campaign a fresh and innovative approach. Using animation for storytelling, our film is an artistic approach to express how our audiences can surround themselves with colour that inspires and transforms.”
Brands
Alphabet Q1 profit jumps 81 per cent as revenue climbs to $109.9 billion
AI-led growth fuels strong gains across Search, Cloud and YouTube
CALIFORNIA: Alphabet Inc. kicked off 2026 with a strong first quarter, reporting an 81 per cent surge in net income to $62.58 billion, powered by robust growth across its core businesses and a sharp acceleration in cloud and AI-driven services.
Revenue rose 22 per cent year-on-year to $109.9 billion, or 19 per cent in constant currency, marking the company’s 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Operating income increased 30 per cent to $39.7 billion, while operating margin expanded to 36.1 per cent from 34 per cent a year earlier.
Diluted earnings per share climbed 82 per cent to $5.11, reflecting both operational strength and a significant boost from other income, which stood at $37.7 billion, largely driven by unrealised gains on equity investments.
Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai said, “2026 is off to a terrific start. Our AI investments and full stack approach are lighting up every part of the business.”
The company’s core Google Services segment generated $89.6 billion in revenue, up 16 per cent year-on-year. Growth was led by a 19 per cent increase in Search and other revenues to $60.4 billion, a 19 per cent rise in subscriptions, platforms and devices to $12.38 billion, and an 11 per cent growth in YouTube ads to $9.88 billion.
Cloud emerged as the standout performer. Google Cloud Platform revenues jumped 63 per cent to $20.03 billion, with operating income rising sharply to $6.6 billion from $2.18 billion a year earlier. The growth was driven by enterprise demand for AI infrastructure and solutions.
Pichai highlighted strong traction in AI, noting that the company’s Gemini models are now processing more than 16 billion tokens per minute, up 60 per cent from the previous quarter. Paid subscriptions across services reached 350 million, while Gemini Enterprise saw a 40 per cent quarter-on-quarter rise in paid monthly active users.
The company also reported that Waymo has crossed 500,000 fully autonomous rides per week, signalling growing momentum in its Other Bets segment, though the unit continued to post a loss of $2.1 billion.
Total costs and expenses increased to $70.2 billion, reflecting higher investments in research, AI infrastructure and talent. Headcount rose to 194,668 employees, up from 185,719 a year earlier.
Alphabet also strengthened its capital strategy, issuing $31.1 billion in senior unsecured notes during the quarter and announcing a 5 per cent increase in its dividend to $0.22 per share, payable in June 2026.
With AI at the centre of its growth engine and cloud demand surging, Alphabet appears to be scaling both innovation and profitability. As its core businesses remain resilient and newer bets gain traction, the company is positioning itself strongly for the next phase of digital and AI-led expansion.
