MAM
ESS kicks off 3-phase marketing campaign for cricket WC
MUMBAI: With the cricket World Cup kicking off on 19 February, ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has kicked off a marketing campaign with the overarching theme being ‘The Cup That Counts‘.
The campaign is being done in three phases and will stress on the fact that the World Cup is the cricket event that matters the most.
Says ESPN Software India senior director marketing Nirmal Dayani, “We are working closely with the ICC on various initiatives. The first phase of our campaign has started. Hoardings have gone up in the metros. One of the messages is Lords 1983 Mumbai 2011. History will repeat itself. Cricket lovers want the World Cup to come back. We will also be doing an on-ground initiative for school students. It will allow them to get involved with the World Cup in a unique way.”
The broadcaster will also be using online and on-air mediums to educate students about the other teams and players.
The second phase of the campaign kicks off later this month through television. Some creatives will see Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Sir Viv Richards and Arjuna Ranatunga; they will talk about the experience of winning the World Cup and why it was the pinnacle of their careers.
The broadacster will also use print, radio, cinema among other mediums to get the message across.
The third phase kicks off closer to the event early in February. Various modes of activation are under discussion. It could take the form of meet and greet events with players.
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.
