MAM
Citizen Dentsu consolidates under Dentsu Communication
MUMBAI: Dentsu India has announced that its social communication division Citizen Dentsu will be consolidated under Dentsu Communication.
Launched in April 2009, Citizen Dentsu aims at government and semi-government clients, as well as creating corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes for its corporate customers.
The media communication conglomerate aims to build Citizen Dentsu as a ‘Centre of Knowledge’ with specialised skill sets and strategic capabilities that would address the specific sector requirements and focus on building currency for causes, and thereby deliver value-added communication solutions for social clients.
The agency has also got Rajendra Singh on board as senior vice president.
Dentsu India Group EC Rohit Ohri said, “Our investment is going to be on ‘innovations’, so as to create currency for social issues. I’m delighted to have Rajendra Singh on board to lead this new initiative.”
Dentsu Communications CEO Arijit Ray added, “Our endeavour has been to put together a team with the right mix of cross-category and cultural learning and passion for social marketing. I am sure Rajendra and his team will strive towards building and crafting simple and breakthrough solutions that will add value to various community groups and stakeholders.”
Singh’s last tenure was with JWT, where he worked for 10 years. Apart from a set of mainstream clients, Singh has headed JWT’s social communications division called Thompson Social for five years. He has worked on a multitude of social programmes, from issues like HIV/Aids, Polio, child health and safe motherhood, health and hygiene to causes such as environment, education, food safety and drug usage for clients like UNICEF, World Bank and Nike Foundation.
Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
