MAM
Coca-Cola announces ‘Thanda Aish Cash’ contest winner
MUMBAI: 24-year old Sanjay Kumar from Ghazaibad district, is one of the regional winners for the Coca-Cola under the crown (UTC) promotion – Thanda Aish Cash and he has got an opportunity to spend an evening with Aishwarya Rai, brand ambassador Coca-Cola at the premier show of her upcoming movie in Mumbai.
The promotion was launched nationally couple of weeks back and Sanjay Kumar is one of the 100 lucky winners across India, who would get to spend an evening with Aishwarya. He will also participate in a lucky draw and if his luck holds on, he will travel with Aishwarya Rai to a foreign location for the international premiere of her next movie, informs a company release.
The promotion Thanda Aish-Cash takes the evolution of ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’ to a new level and also gives consumers a chance to win cash prizes through an exciting Under-the-Crown (UTC) promotion. These cash prizes go up to Rs 1,000 in value and the total cash prizes amounts to Rs One crore, the release adds.
Expressing his excitement at winning a dream date with the actress, Sanjay Kumar, said “I just could not believe my luck when I realized that a bottle of Coca-Cola has won me a chance to meet my favourite actress Aishwarya Rai. Infact on hearing about this, my friends have started to actively participate in the promotion, in the hope to also meet the star.”
In addition to the above mentioned prizes, the consumers can also take home “Aishwarya Magic Glasses”. These exclusive magic glasses display images of the Wonders of the World on the glass surface when filled with Thanda and are available in exchange for the special crown liner and Rs. Seven.
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.
