MAM
DDB Mudra Group elevates Sameer Mehta as TracyLocke president
MUMBAI: DDB Mudra Group has elevated Sameer Mehta to the post of TracyLocke India president. In his new role, Mehta will report to DDB Mudra Group CEO and MD Madhukar Kamath.
TracyLocke is DDB Mudra Group’s shopper marketing, field marketing and retail solutions agency.
Mehta has been a part of the DDB Mudra Group since 2005 and has been instrumental in setting up and growing the field marketing, retail solutions and shopper marketing services for the group. With 17 years of experience in this field, Mehta is helping businesses grow through interventions at the point of purchase and this has been utilized extensively for many brands.
Post the Mudra Groups acquisition by Omnicom, Mehta has been a part of the team that has been entrusted to build the TracyLocke brand in India.
Mehta said, “I look forward to this opportunity as we imbibe the TracyLocke philosophy of ‘Buy Design’ in our day to day work. We believe in putting intent and purpose behind every activity that leads a customer to buy a brand. This principle helps us design experiences that turn shoppers into believers. We are seeing this being practiced by TracyLocke in the US with Pepsico, where they deliver cutting edged brand experiences. The global win of the SC Johnson business will also give us an opportunity in India to collaborate with other markets. Truly a lot to look forward to for us in TracyLocke India.”
Kamath added, “This has reaffirmed the belief that I always had in TracyLocke India’s capabilities to become one of the flagship businesses of the DDB Mudra Group. I am excited about the potential that we have to deliver technology led solutions in this space with Sameer at the forefront. He has a core team that has helped him grow this business and I am sure will continue to do so. I congratulate him on this well-deserved elevation within the group and look forward to working closely with him.”
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.
