Brands
Former JK Tyre and LG Electronics CMO Amit Gujral rolls out Alumvista to give interiors a shiny new edge
MUMBAI: What do you get when a marketing maven swaps tyres for tiles?
Apparently, revolutionary aluminium.
Former JK Tyre and LG Electronics CMO Amit Gujral has pulled the curtain back on his next big act: Alumvista, a design-forward venture that’s here to slim down your interiors and bulk up your aesthetic credibility. Say goodbye to clunky doors and hello to minimalist mastery.
The brand launched on 7 April 2025 in New Delhi with all the flair of a product drop and the elegance of an architectural gala. With its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Najafgarh and a sleek experience centre in the capital, Alumvista is peddling everything from aluminium doors and wardrobes to sliders, shower cubicles and space-saving partitions. And yes, there’s even a magnetic locking system for swing doors, because why not?
“Is your home a true reflection of you?” asked Alumvista founder & managing partner Gujral. “Alumvista is not just about aluminium profiles; it is about creating a lifestyle. Our goal is to introduce home and office owners to a world where minimalism meets functionality – offering them slim, sleek, durable, and aesthetically superior solutions. With this launch, we aim to set a new standard in Indian interiors, bringing a fresh perspective to modern living and working spaces.”
Backed by co-founders Sandeep Premsagar Dewan and Ajay Kumar Sharma, Gujral brings 30 years of brand-building mojo into the home and office space. But it’s not just about looking good—Alumvista has substance too. Using the Electrophoresis method (yes, that’s a real thing), the company ensures its aluminium coatings outlive even the most loyal of tenants.
The launch saw design junkies, architects, and Insta-happy homeowners rubbing shoulders while previewing what could very well become the future of modular India. Swing doors, pocket wardrobes, hidden panels, and posh partitions aren’t just accessories – they’re statements. And Alumvista wants every home and office to shout style.
“In Bollywood, where every frame is a canvas and every detail tells a story, design is not just aesthetic—it’s emotional. Alumvista brings a refreshing sense of premiumness and precision that resonates with the creative soul of our industry and every home. Its sleek innovation aligns perfectly with the kind of visual storytelling we strive for in cinema,” said Bollywood Projects music director & curator Shameer Tandon.
With durability, design, and desi sensibility at its core, Alumvista is strutting into India’s interiors game with serious hardware and zero fluff. Gujral’s pivot from brand to build might just be the slickest transition since wall paint became matte.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
