MAM
Godrej Yummiez and IRCTC introduce millet patty on trains
Mumbai: As 2023 is being celebrated as the International Year of Millets, Godrej Yummiez, a leading brand of frozen ready-to-cook products from Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd (GTFL), and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), collaborated with bring millet patty in passenger trains. Introduced earlier this year, Godrej Yummiez Millet Patty received an overwhelming response from households who appreciated the nutritious and tasty patty variant made from millets like Jowar (Sorgum) and Bajra (Pearl Millet). Taking the success ahead, through the collaboration between Godrej Yummiez and IRCTC, the millet patty is now served during breakfast on Rajdhani and August Kranti trains en route Mumbai – Delhi – Mumbai.
Godrej Yummiez developed the millet patty as an innovative snack option. The snack is made using Individual Quick Freeze (IQF) technology to help keep it fresh with no preservatives. With high fibre content and vitamins of millet blended with a flavorful mix of herbs and spices, these patties are sure to make snacking tasty as well as nutritious.
Rajdhani and August Kranti trains stand as iconic legacies within the Indian railway network, celebrated for their exceptional service and remarkable food offerings. The partnership between Godrej Yummiez and IRCTC holds the intent to elevate the adoption of millets, promoting their significance even in the most massive railway network. This pioneering collaboration is already underway as a pilot program on the Mumbai – Delhi – Mumbai routes of Rajdhani and August Kranti trains. This initiative caters to thousands of passengers travelling between Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd CEO Abhay Parnerkar said, “Till recently, the adoption of millets was low due to the perception that they are not tasty and are not easy to cook. This has changed drastically and now every household is embracing the goodness of millets. We supported this adoption by bringing together the nutrition of millets in a ready-to-cook convenient format and launching them in a mass-accepted ‘patty’ variant. Godrej Yummiez Millet Patty is a preservative-free snack that symbolizes our commitment to innovation, nutrition, and convenience.”
He further added, “We are extremely pleased to further extend the delectable Godrej Yummiez millet patty to passengers aboard the Rajdhani and August Kranti trains. IRCTC is the most prestigious entity having one of the biggest catering operations in trains across the country. Our exclusive partnership with IRCTC combines their extensive reach and expertise in railway catering with Godrej Yummiez’s culinary excellence, resulting in an exceptional food experience of millets.”
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (Western Zone) group general manager Rahul Himalian said, “Being the International Year of Millets, we are constantly evaluating ways to add millets to our food menu merging both nutrition and taste. At IRCTC, we always pledge to provide passengers with quality and tasty food spread. Godrej Yummiez Millet patty on Rajdhani and August Kranti trains taken onboard on a pilot basis reinforces IRCTC’s dedication to offering passengers interesting and delectable millet-based food options. We are proud to introduce this product as a pilot as it supports the vision of mainstreaming millets through IRCTC’s catering operations across the massive Indian railways’ network. We tried and tested the product before serving it to our passengers. We are anticipating positive acceptance of Godrej Yummiez Millet Patty which is a perfect snack that is a nutritious and convenient ready-to-cook item.”
Chef Varun Inamdar said, “Millets have always been seen as a bland grain, but that’s starting to change. Even though millets are often overlooked, they are incredibly nutritious and versatile grains that everyone should consume. Millets are a good source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. In the past, people may have found cooking millets more cumbersome. But now, there are various convenient ways to cook and consume the super-grain. From millet-based porridge to millet salads, and even baked goods, there are now different ways to enjoy millet which is tasty yet nutritious. One can now even consume millet in the form of patties with Godrej Yummiez millet patty. It is a great way to get your daily dose of millets. Moreover, it’s easy, affordable and convenient to store as well.”
Today, the Godrej Yummiez portfolio consists of more than 50 veg and non-veg products. Godrej Yummiez millet patty is available in supermarkets and leading e-commerce retail outlets across India at Rs. 180 in packs of 370 grams. Yummiez millet patty is made from excellent quality ingredients and is ready to cook. It can be deep-fried, air-fried or shallow-fried and served hot.
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.
