MAM
Citizen Dentsu wins Indian Army account
MUMBAI: Citizen Dentsu, a division of Dentsu Communications, has won the Indian Army mandate. The account was won after multi agency pitch. Citizen Dentsu senior VP and head Rajendra Singh and his team will lead the business.
Commenting on the win, Singh said, “Here‘s a true example of working on a cause that one truly admires and respects. No soft stuff here. Apart from the pleasure of dealing with real gentlemen officers as clients, it‘s a matter of honour to contribute towards strengthening the security and defence of the country. The team is super excited.”
Citizen Dentsu‘s mandate is to create a holistic comprehensive communication package for the Indian Army. Their endeavour will be to project the Indian Army as a prestigious, aspirational and exciting career prospect for the youth in the country. Citizen Dentsu was chosen as a partner basis their expertise in creating relevant hard hitting campaigns with a differentiated creative solutions approach.
Dentsu India Group executive chairman Rohit Ohri said, “We‘ve set up Citizen Dentsu with a vision to help trigger positive social change through integrated communications. It‘s a matter of great pride for Citizen Dentsu to be appointed as communication partner to the Indian Army. Cutting edge technologies will underpin our integrated communication approach for the Indian Army campaign.”
Commenting on winning the account Dentsu Communications CEO Arijit Ray said, “This is the first big win for Citizen Dentsu in 2013. And a well deserved one for the team, since it involved 8 agencies. We are absolutely delighted that we have got the opportunity to work on an assignment as worthy as this. I am sure the team at Citizen Dentsu under Rajendra‘s leadership will work towards building on this and win many more such prestigious mandates.”
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
