MAM
CoinSwitch Kuber onboards Ranveer Singh as brand ambassador
Mumbai: Crypto platform CoinSwitch Kuber announced on Friday the onboarding of Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh as its first-ever brand ambassador. Through this association, the crypto brand aims to leverage Singh’s mass appeal, along with his popularity among Gen Z and millennial customers, said the statement.
The actor will feature in three ad films – the first of which has just been launched – for CoinSwitch Kuber’s ongoing ‘Kuch Toh Badlega’ campaign premised on the possibility of change as one becomes a part of something bigger by entering the crypto world. The ad films drive the narrative of the potential of cryptocurrency to become the preferred choice of investment for the diverse Indian population, especially those living in tier 2 and 3 cities. Each of the ad films is designed to convey a different key trait of the CoinSwitch Kuber platform.
“Our aim is to make crypto accessible to billions in India while making it as simple as ordering food online. I am confident that Ranveer, with his youth appeal, will enable us to make strides towards achieving that goal while aiding CoinSwitch Kuber to become a household name,” said CoinSwitch Kuber co-founder & CEO Ashish Singhal. “We want to ensure that Indians from all walks of life are aware of the low barrier of entry into the crypto space along with the simplicity our platform affords.”
The association between the crypto platform and Singh aims to work towards highlighting the growing acceptance of crypto in India while enhancing crypto awareness and trust in this emerging asset class, said the company.
“This is an exciting time for the crypto landscape in India. I am glad to come on board as the brand ambassador of CoinSwitch Kuber, India’s largest crypto asset platform,” said Singh. “The company is a key player in the crypto revolution in India and I’m happy to be a part of their journey.”
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
