MAM
Godrej declares brand value at $2.86 bn
BANGALORE: The Godrej group (Godrej) today published a brand valuation report that has pegged the present value of the Godrej brand at $2.86 billion.
Godrej commissioned global brand consultancy Interbrand to carry out the brand valuation exercise.
Godrej Group Executive VP for strategic marketing Ashutosh Tiwari explained, “Interbrand’s diagnostic approach found that business units such as Good Knight, Properties, Locks and Security Solutions performed strongly on brand strength relative to international benchmarks. These successes reflect our focused investment in building strong brands inside the portfolio that will compliment the masterbrand story. Interbrand’s valuation also identified a range of important themes that will speed us on our journey towards brand centricity. We are excited about moving on as a next step in our journey of brand development”.
Godrej says the Godrej masterbrand accounts for more than 75 per cent of the total brand value, illustrating the importance of the masterbrand as a strategic business asset and its potential to improve with further investment. This value implies that more than 30 per cent of Godrej’s firm value comprising tangible capital, brand and other intangibles is accounted for by the brand.
Godrej initiated this ‘next’ step to synergise its business units around a central brand. The brand valuation report will help guide future brand investment and decision making in an evolved, consumer centric manner.
The Indian market is witnessing an emerging paradigm where companies are increasingly wiring their entire organizations around their brand in order to deliver delight to their consumers.
The valuation represents a critical milestone in Godrej’s quest to position the ‘Brighter Living’ brand at the heart of its global organisation, and it will help the Mumbai-based company to leverage the total value of its brand within the fast-changing Indian marketplace.
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.
