MAM
Goafest 2016: JWT leads with 3 golds on ABBY day 2; Taproot Dentsu bag most number of metals
MUMBAI: Day 2 at Goafest 2016 saw Creative ABBY being given out to the most creative works in eight different categories namely — Radio Single, Radio Craft, Branded Content, Brand Activation, Broadcast, Print Craft, Public Relations and Direct.
Overall JWT Mumbai emerged as the clear leader of day 2 bagging as many as three golds in Radio Singles, Brand Activation and Public Relations categories. Apart from this the agency bagged 11 silver and three bronze metals. Their total number of metals came to 17.
They were followed by Taproot Dentsu with two golds to their name in Direct marketing and Print Craft categories. Adding up their six silver and ten bronze metals, Taproot Dentsu took home 18 metals home on day 2.
The agency to bag third most number of metals is Cheil India with two gold, five silver and four bronze.
Category wise break up of metals winners are as follows:
Radio singles: JWT Mumbai bagged one gold in Radio Singles for Godrej’s MAMAcampaign in the category followed by one bronze and one silver. They were followed by Contract Advertising getting eight bronze and two silver, and Dentsu Creative Impact winning seven bronze and one silver.
Radio Craft was led by Scarecrow Communications getting five bronze metals followed by Rediffusion Dentsu Young & Rubicam with two bronze and one silver. JWT Mumbai too fared well with one bronze and one silver to their name.
Print Craft: Taproot Dentsu stood out in the print category with a gold to their name for their campaign for Indian Outdoor Advertising Association. They also secured nine bronze metals and and three silvers in the category. Apart from them, Ideas@work bagged four bronze metal followed by Dentsu Aegis Network with two bronze and two silver. There were n total one gold, 23 bronze and 11 silver metals given out in the category.
Public Relations: This is one category that attracted the most number of golds, with total 8 golds, 16 bronze and 9 silvers. Sarva Integrated emerged as clear winners with two golds to their name, followed by Cheil India with one gold, one bronze and one silver award.
Broadcasters: Broadcasters category saw a fascinating showdown with over all 15 bronze, four silver and two gold metals. Star India bagged the most number of metals with 10 bronze, two silver and one gold. They bagged their gold for Mauka Mauka as the Best TV sports channel program promo. Zee Entertainment enterprises bagged the second gold in the category for their work on Bond Vs. Bond as best movie promo on TV. There were total 2 golds, fifteen bronzes and four silvers in the category.
Branded Content: Brave New World bagged the gold in the category for their campaign for The Roadster Life Co followed by Maddison worldwide with three bronzes.
Brand Activation: In the brand activation space JWT has bagged the only gold in the genre along with five other silver metals. They received their gold for Udaan for Airtel. They were followed by Cheil India with one gold for Samsung Joy Plus TV, two silver and two bronze; and DDB Mudra with one gold for UNICEF and one bronze metal to their name.
Direct: In direct marketing category, Taproot Dentsu won the show with one gold, two silver and two bronze awards. They bagged their gold for Waiting For You for Times Of India. Dentsu Creative Impact received a gold award for their work on One Breath: He She and Them for Max Health Care. In total there were two golds, 13 bronzes and nne silvers awarded in this category.
Percept Limited director Ajay Chandwani who had overseen the entire process closely, right from the round one of shortlisting of entries, to jury discussions on it to the ultimately anonymous voting to choose the winners mentioned that the jury had been extremely fair and meticulous in selecting the winners.
As per Chandwani, “Firstly the number of golds have gone down. The reason could be that the judging standard has gone up by quite a lot, therefore there are fewer golds and nothing so far has received a Grand Prix.. The other thing to note is that if there is a powerful idea the creatives have had, they making the most of it by entering it in several categories. So there are some campaigns which have gotten recognition in several categories, although the judging in each category may be different so while it gets a bronze in one category, it may get a silver in another. This is a worldwide trend not restricted to India alone.”
The evening held special significance as the media and advertising fraternity also came together to felicitate Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, O&M India on receiving the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India. Vineet Jain, Managing Director, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. was also felicitated for his significant contribution to innovative growth in the media industry, unstinting support to the advertising industry, his unflinching belief in the importance of creative communication and his ongoing efforts to use communication as a force for societal change.
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.
