MAM
Esprit signs up Ananya Pandey as brand ambassador
Mumbai: American watch brand Esprit is all set to strengthen its position in India and has appointed Bollywood actor Ananya Pandey as its celebrity brand ambassador.
Esprit’s India partner AP Group looks to pursue an aggressive expansion plan for Esprit watches in India and the brand is eyeing to regain the market share in the watch category.
Announcing the association, the company said that the actor’s youthful persona, confident outlook, and positive vibes resonate completely with the brand and made her an obvious choice.
Founder & CEO of Time Management Services (TMS), the official licensee of Esprit Watches, Marco Sieber said, “Since 1968 Esprit as a brand has come a long way. In the last 50 years, the brand has maintained the image of being the most transparent fashion brand in the world, connecting with the customers through positivity, innovation, and sustainability. The Indian market is very important to us as we do see that customers are always looking for new designs and trends. We are ready to bedazzle Indian customers with a specially crafted range of watches just for them. Ananya Pandey being a youth icon is the right choice to bring on board to re-create the connect of Esprit with Indian youth.”
Talking about her association with Esprit, Ananya Panday said, “I am delighted to be part of the Esprit community, as its intricately designed watches are a style statement on their own. Esprit watches are not only sturdy and fashionable but are classy as well, which appeals to my design aesthetics.”
“We have noticed that the Indian customer buying behaviour is not as it was a decade back. Indian customers are always looking for new trends and designs, but now they are also looking for brands with which they can connect on a much deeper level. So, to build trust and a bond of familiarity with Esprit Watches, we chose Ananya Pandey to endorse Esprit Watches. She will be promoting our new collection of watches specially tailored as per the need of Indian customers and priced attractively,” said AP Group managing director Hamza Patel.
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.
