MAM
Fastrack collaborates with Ananya Panday for new campaign
MUMBAI: Motivating everyone to stay fit, Fastrack announced a social message with a series of three videos featuring youth icon Ananya Panday.
Fastrack’s collaboration with the Bollywood star Ananya Panday has come at a very opportune time. With this video series, the brand aims to engage with their TG, the Gen-Z’s, who are stuck at home with nothing but their own company to enjoy. These 12-second films capture Ananya’s spirit of making the best of every situation with her unique style validating that this is the best time to experiment and be as outrageous as they like, as long as they #StayTheFIn.
Fastrack marketing head Ayushman Chiranewala said, "Fastrack being India’s iconic youth fashion brand always approaches things in a fresh and interesting manner. With over a month of lockdown while counting more days, our latest #StayTheFIn campaign aims to motivate consumers to stay put, while utilizing the time at home innovatively. Fastrack invites its audience to make the best out of the current situation by exploring what they wish to do to be sane and quirking it up like always even in this scenario. As part of the larger campaign, the brand attempts to ask its target audience to keep behaving responsibly and keep experimenting and Fastrack celebrates this bold spirit".
Commenting on the idea, Lowe Lintas regional creative officer Puneet Kapoor said, "Fastrack has always been a nimble-footed brand reflecting modern youth codes and pop-culture codes in quirky ways. There’s a bright side to the current lockdown too and we’re seeing a spurt of creative expressions across social media platforms whether it’s culinary, music, dance or the arts. That’s exactly is the point of these ads asking people to find their crazy groove and stay the f*ck indoors."
The multi-film campaign is live across Fastrack's online platforms.
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Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
