Brands
Dineout’s #FEMTASTIC to celebrate women’s day till 31 March
MUMBAI: Dineout’s premium membership program – Gourmet Passport celebrated International Women's Day (8th March) with the theme – “Do it like a woman and be #Femtastic” to honour the women in the F&B industry who have shattered barriers, both personal and professional, to become leaders in the industry. Their campaign compliments IWD’s (International Women's Day) 2020 theme which is #EachForEqual that promotes an equal world is an enabled world and celebrates those who choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations, and celebrate women's achievements.
Gourmet Passport recently hosted an event called "In Conversation with Gourmet Passport: Women Breaking Barriers", at The Lalit, New Delhi. The discussion kicked-off the month-long campaign as it brought together young women achievers from the F&B industry on a single platform. The panellists included Chef Megha Kohli (Lavaash by Saby), Chef Nandita Karan (The Lalit in Chandigarh), Chef Bani Nanda (Miam), Chef Vanishka Bhatia (Together at 12th), and Palki Singh (General Manager, Indian Accent).
They talked about the changing face of the F&B space in India, the gradual rise of women in a conventionally male-dominated profession, the personal and professional barriers women have to cross to thrive in the industry, evolving palates of diners and the responsibility that women professionals in the industry shoulder in a world that's changing rapidly.
As a part of the month-long celebration, Gourmet Passport is also highlighting its women-run partner restaurants on the Dineout app throughout the month, encouraging its members to visit these restaurants. On social media, they will be continuously featuring women in the industry who are leaders in their fields and in their own might. As an added privilege to its member-base, Gourmet Passport is hosting several curated events for their partner restaurants and consumers.
Speaking on this initiative, Dineout co-founder and CEO Ankit Mehrotra said “During the month of March, we are hosting 'Gourmet Passport Experiences' that are events curated to highlight women in the F&B industry and to promote equal opportunities, inclusivity, and gender equality. On 8 March we also launched a brand new film that defies stereotypes and celebrates women who break gender barriers.”
Brands
Reliance Retail FY26 revenue rises 11.8 Per Cent to Rs 3.7 lakh crore
Q4 revenue up 11.1 Per Cent, hyperlocal orders surge 4x, PAT steady
MUMBAI: Reliance Retail isn’t just ringing up sales, it’s ringing doorbells faster than ever. Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) reported a steady FY26 performance, with growth powered by store expansion, a sharp surge in hyperlocal commerce, and consistent traction across grocery, fashion and jewellery. For the full year, revenue rose 11.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,70,026 crore. In the January–March quarter, revenue from operations climbed 11.1 per cent to Rs 87,344 crore, up from Rs 78,622 crore a year earlier.
Operating performance remained stable, with Q4 EBITDA inching up 3.1 per cent YoY to Rs 6,921 crore from Rs 6,711 crore. However, quarterly profit after tax held steady at Rs 3,563 crore. For the full fiscal, PAT grew 11.7 per cent to Rs 13,842 crore.
Expansion remained a key lever. RRVL added 1,564 new stores during FY26, while simultaneously scaling its digital and hyperlocal commerce play. The latter emerged as a standout, with daily orders surging more than fourfold year-on-year in Q4, underlining a clear shift towards faster, localised fulfilment.
In grocery, large-format stores maintained momentum, aided by festive demand and the expansion of Smart Bazaar, which crossed 1,000 stores. Promotional campaigns such as ‘Full Paisa Vasool’ delivered record results, with sales rising 26 per cent YoY.
Digital commerce also picked up pace. JioMart added 5.8 million new users in Q4, nearly doubling its registered base year-on-year. Hyperlocal orders grew 29 per cent sequentially and over 300 per cent annually during the quarter.
Fashion and lifestyle saw steady traction. Ajio recorded a 23 per cent YoY rise in average bill value, while fast-fashion platform Shein crossed 11 million app installs, scaling rapidly with expanding product lines.
The jewellery business added further shine, with average bill value jumping 53 per cent YoY, largely driven by rising gold prices and sustained consumer demand.
Commenting on the shift, RRVL executive director Isha Ambani said hyperlocal commerce has become a structural growth driver, with orders rising more than fourfold over the year.
Looking ahead to FY27, the company is betting on technology to deepen engagement. The focus, Ambani noted, will be on AI-led merchandising, sharper pricing strategies and disciplined execution turning scale into sustained customer value.
In short, the carts are fuller, the clicks are quicker, and the next phase looks less about reach and more about precision.
