Brands
Fire-Boltt ropes in Kiara Advani as brand ambassador
Mumbai: Homegrown wearable and audio brand, Fire-Boltt, announced the appointment of Bollywood actor Kiara Advani as its new brand ambassador. Kiara will be part of the marketing campaigns of the brand alongside cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Vicky Kaushal. The actress will participate in different marketing, advertising, and endorsement campaigns for the homegrown brand.
The collaboration is a reflection of Fire-Boltt’s aggressive expansion plans for the Indian market to provide its consumers with stylish yet affordable smart wearable options. The association with Kiara will help the brand to engage with the younger generation, and the company aims to tap into this pool.
Talking about her association with the brand, Kiara Advani, said, “I’m delighted to be associated with Fire-Boltt which is at the helm of fitness, style, and aesthetic. Fitness for me is imperative and I religiously follow it. Even on dull days, it’s a mood lifter. Given the fact that the brand is ‘Made in India’ and has made its mark in the market in such a short period of time, it is remarkable.”
Fire-Boltt founder & CEO Arnav Kishore asserted, “We are ecstatic to collaborate with Kiara Advani. Her personality resonates well with Fire-Boltt’s brand positioning. Kiara’s social and cheerful personality coupled with her fitness and style quotient is in sync with our vision of an evolved lifestyle for all countrymen ushered in by lifestyle devices such as a smartwatch. Just like a cell phone in every hand is a reality today, we want a smartwatch on every wrist in the wake of the new normal. Our association with Kiara, coupled with our existing associations with Virat Kohli and Vicky Kaushal, is a step towards that.”
Fire-Boltt co-founder Aayushi Kishore added, “We are firm believers in creating an ecosystem that addresses consumer demands with uniquely crafted products that are innovative yet stylish. Kiara will play a pivotal role in establishing us as one of the biggest and most trusted brands in the smart wearable category. Therefore, we are full steam ahead to capitalise on this opportunity and further penetrate the market with utmost dominance. With brand associations, special offers, social media contests, and many other ATL & BTL activations, we aim to build bridges for an active communication channel with the consumers.”
Fire-Boltt has recently launched over 30 smartwatches in the past six months and has also announced its expansion plans to newer markets beyond India, including the Middle East and Europe.
Brands
Jio Financial Services posts Rs 1,560 crore FY26 profit
Revenue rises to Rs 3,513 crore as investments and lending scale up.
MUMBAI: If money makes the world go round, Jio Financial Services Limited is quietly spinning a much bigger wheel. The Reliance-backed financial arm reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 1,560.9 crore for FY26, slightly lower than Rs 1,612.6 crore in FY25, even as revenue growth gathered pace.
Total revenue from operations rose sharply to Rs 3,513.3 crore in FY26 from Rs 2,042.9 crore a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in interest income, which more than doubled to Rs 1,901.9 crore from Rs 852.5 crore. Fee and commission income also saw a significant jump to Rs 597 crore, compared to Rs 155.2 crore in FY25, reflecting expanding financial services activity.
For the March quarter, profit stood at Rs 272.2 crore, broadly flat compared to Rs 269 crore in the same period last year. Quarterly revenue from operations climbed to Rs 1,018.5 crore, up from Rs 493.2 crore year-on-year, signalling steady momentum in core income streams.
Expenses, however, moved in tandem with growth. Total costs nearly quadrupled to Rs 1,982.9 crore in FY26 from Rs 524.8 crore in FY25, with finance costs alone rising to Rs 745.1 crore from just Rs 7.7 crore a year earlier, reflecting increased borrowing and scale of operations. Employee expenses also grew to Rs 387.3 crore, while other expenses expanded to Rs 755 crore.
Profit before tax stood at Rs 1,911.7 crore for the year, slightly below Rs 1,946.9 crore in FY25. After accounting for a total tax outgo of Rs 350.8 crore, the company reported its final net profit figure.
Beyond the income statement, the balance sheet tells a story of rapid expansion. Total assets surged to Rs 1,63,497 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 1,33,510 crore a year earlier. Investments alone stood at Rs 1,33,088.7 crore, underscoring the company’s strong focus on treasury and financial asset growth.
However, the year also saw sharp volatility in other comprehensive income, which swung to a loss of Rs 16,028.3 crore, largely driven by fair value changes in equity instruments. This dragged total comprehensive income for FY26 to a negative Rs 15,756.1 crore, compared to a positive Rs 14,870 crore in FY25.
On the capital front, the company’s paid-up equity share capital remained steady at Rs 6,353.1 crore, with other equity rising to Rs 1,27,500.5 crore.
The numbers reflect a business in transition scaling rapidly across lending, investments and fee-based services, but also navigating the volatility that comes with mark-to-market movements in financial assets. In other words, while the top line is accelerating, the fine print still carries a few swings.
