Brands
Collective Artists Network signs cricketer Rishabh Pant
Mumbai: Cricketer Rishabh Pant has signed with the agency Collective Artists Network for exclusive representation.
The young star from Uttarakhand made his T20 international debut in 2017 and was named the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year at the 2018 ICC Awards.
In February 2021, Pant was named the Men’s Player of the Month in the first edition of the ICC Player of the Month Awards. He was also the fourth youngest Indian to captain an IPL team and stood in for an injured Shikhar Dhawan for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Collective Artists Network group CEO & founder Vijay Subramaniam said, “I’m truly excited to welcome Rishabh into the Collective Artists Network fold. His pure on-field brilliance and naturally amiable persona make him a truly unique proposition for his fans and partners. We look forward to taking the brand Rishabh forward with the infrastructure at Collective.”
Commenting on this development, Pant said, “I’m thrilled to be working with Collective Artists Network. It feels incredible to be exclusively represented by India’s largest players in the talent ecosystem, and I’m sure this will be a very successful partnership.”
Collective Artists Network head of sports Ritesh Nath said, “We’re so proud to announce our marquee signing in sports, Rishabh Pant. He is the poster child of a young and fearless India, which is a marketer’s delight. We are truly looking forward to what we can build together.”
Collective Artists Network added that it delivers the best opportunities in popular culture to its clients across creative artists, brands, the investment community, and the entertainment ecosystem.
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.
