MAM
Fiat’s 8 week ‘Make the move’ campaign
BENGALURU: What does an automobile seller do when it’s seen its sales numbers fall year on year and it has split with its major sales/distribution partner? In a bid to try and double its sales numbers from less than 10,000 units (from less than 1 per cent) of the passenger car market in 2012-13, Fiat Group Automobiles India Private Limited (FGAIPL) has planned a strategy resting on three pillars – product, brand and network strategy. And with that strategy in place, the company plans to double its market share every year for the next three years.
To that effect, on the brand front, starting 13 April 2013, the company launched a 360 degree campaign to run for eightweeks (or two months, if you will) ‘Make the move’ campaign conceptualised by Ogilvy. The campaign encompasses television, initially with a 60 second TVC which has been pruned to 30 seconds and has three mix-n-match variants; uses print, digital, outdoor and local event based radio. On television, besides the conventional mainline and regional GECs’, news and entertainment channels, the campaign had its share for 10 days of the on-going IPL season 6 limelight. Media buying is through Maxus.
From the product point of view, the company has planned what it terms as an exciting line of launches over a two year period. In fiscal 2010, Fiat sales figures in number of units were 24,000, the next year 16,000 and last year just 10,000 units. It expects to grow its sales volumes and market share with newer products.
After parting ways with Tata Motors on the sales front, FGAIPL, which commenced sales operations last year, launched its first CAFFE dealership store in Bengaluru and its third after Pune and Mumbai in India today. India is the only country among 11 others that has three CAFFE dealership stores, all other countries have one each until now. The Bangalore dealership is FGAIPL’s 54th dealership, with another 21 to be opened over a three month time frame. FGAIPL had announced that its dealership network in the country would be 112 numbers over the next year or so and is confident of reaching 100 stores by the end of the current fiscal.
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.
