Brands
Coca-Cola crowns Kaustuv Gupta with African strategy assignment
GURUGRAM: From Gurugram to Gauteng, and from fizz to full throttle. Kaustuv Gupta has cracked open a new chapter at The Coca-Cola Co, taking charge as senior director, strategy – Africa operations, one of the beverage giant’s most sprawling and complex theatres.
Gupta’s new remit spans 54 African countries, a portfolio where demographics are young, competition is thirsty and growth is anything but flat. Based in Johannesburg, he will shape strategy for a region that Coca-Cola views as both a proving ground and a long game.
The appointment caps an eight-year run inside Coca-Cola’s strategy engine. Gupta previously led strategy for India and south-west Asia, after steering planning for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. Before that, he handled strategy and insights for the India and south-west Asia business unit — the sort of internal apprenticeship that prepares executives for bigger maps and harder calls.
Before Coke, Gupta was part of Zomato’s breakout years, helping scale the business and launching Zomato Gold, the loyalty play that rewired how urban India ate out. Earlier stints include a bruising, boots-on-the-ground role as regional sales manager at Castrol India (BP group) and a brief spell in media planning at Mudra Communications — giving him a rare blend of strategy, sales and media literacy.
An alumnus of MDI Gurgaon, where he was a gold medallist in marketing, and Hindu College, Delhi University, Gupta also moonlights as a guest lecturer, teaching product management and marketing — proof that PowerPoint is not his only export.
Africa is no soft drink. It is fragmented, fast-growing and fiercely local — a continent where strategy has to travel light and execution has to sweat. Coca-Cola clearly believes Gupta has the fizz, the formula and the stamina.
From delivery bikes to bottling plants, from India to Africa, this is one career that refuses to go flat.
Brands
Q3 revenue jumps 139 percent as losses narrow sharply
Q3 sales nearly 2.4x higher as losses narrow sharply, but auditors serve a side of caution.
MUMBAI: While couples were swapping chocolates and roses, Wardwizard Foods and Beverages Limited was busy cooking up its own love story, this one in the boardroom. On 14 February 2026, the company announced its Q3 and nine-month results, and the top line was nothing short of delicious. Revenue from operations for the quarter ended 31 December 2025 jumped to Rs 11,664.72 lakh, a mouth-watering 139 per cent increase from Rs 4,875.71 lakh a year earlier. For the nine months, revenue surged to Rs 19,728.01 lakh from Rs 5,363.82 lakh almost 3.7 times higher.
The company’s big bite came from its newly prominent Food Commodities segment, which contributed Rs 10,608.28 lakh in the quarter alone. The older RTE, frozen, sauces & mayo business added Rs 966.38 lakh.
Losses, however, still left a slightly bitter aftertaste. The company reported a standalone net loss of Rs 60.24 lakh in Q3, a sharp improvement from Rs 371.65 lakh last year. For the nine months, the loss narrowed to Rs 167.80 lakh against Rs 1,436.38 lakh previously. Earnings per share stood at (Rs 0.02) for the quarter.
The auditors, Mahesh Udhwani & Associates, gave a qualified opinion, flagging outstanding advances of Rs 760 lakh and certain trade receivables where no provision or expected credit loss has been made. They also noted they could not verify interest expense of Rs 243.52 lakh on a Rs 2,857.46 lakh borrowing from Indian Credit Co-operative Society, and highlighted missing internal audit reports and unbooked interest on another loan.
In other housekeeping news, the board noted the resignation of company secretary and compliance officer Bhoomi K Talati.
The board meeting, held from 8:30 pm to 10:20 pm on Valentine’s Day itself, approved the unaudited results after the Audit Committee’s recommendation.
For a company that was once deep in the red, the massive revenue ramp-up signals a clear shift in flavour even if the final profitability dish is still simmering. Investors will be watching whether this Valentine’s treat turns into a lasting romance or remains a one-night revenue wonder.
