MAM
Dentsu India moves Nobuki Sakai as CFO
MUMBAI: Dentsu India Group has appointed Nobuki Sakai as its chief financial officer.
Sakai relocates to India from Dentsu’s Group Companies Management Division in Tokyo. Prior to this, he was a member of the board and chief financial officer at Dentsu Sudler & Hennessey in Japan.
Based out of Delhi, Sakai will report to Dentsu India Group acting chairman Seiichiro Hayata.
Sakai will be responsible for the financial plans, policies, and accounting practices of Dentsu India. He will also lead the accounting, budgeting, cash management, and financing functions of all the Dentsu India Group companies.
Hayata Says, “We are delighted to have Sakai-san join our India team. With his extensive knowledge and experience in corporate and financial management, we look forward to his leadership in strengthening our financial structure not only at the Group level but also at the Agency level.”
Sakai has been with Dentsu for over thirty-five years, twenty-one of which were focused on spearheading management support and financial management of subsidiary companies in Japan and overseas.
Sakai added, “I am excited about working in India and being part of Dentsu India’s growth story. I believe that integrity and discipline compose a core part of the management of a company. I am here to extend all efforts and partner our India team in cementing a sound, solid finance foundation, one that incorporates our global best practices.”
Sakai‘s experience spans corporate and financial management functions with assignment of strategic planning and implementation for the expansion of Dentsu‘s operations overseas, including M&A of overseas companies, the setting up of new subsidiary companies, and the recapitalisation and financial management of subsidiary companies.
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.
