Brands
Haier becomes title partner of JioHotstar Match Centre for T20 World Cup
MUMBAI: Haier Appliances India is bringing more than just cool tech to the pitch. The global appliances giant, ranked No. 1 for 17 consecutive years, has signed on as the title partner of Match Centre Live on JioHotstar for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, running from 7th February to 8th March.
Match Centre Live is India’s biggest digital cricket show, offering fans every delivery, decision, and discussion through sharp analysis, expert banter, and compelling storytelling. Streaming across multiple languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bangla, Bhojpuri, Marathi, and Haryanvi, it ensures a truly pan-Indian reach.
For Haier, this partnership is more than just branding. It forms a key part of their sport-o-tainment strategy, designed to connect with young, tech-savvy, premium consumers through marquee sporting events. Cricket’s unrivalled passion and popularity in India make it the perfect arena to engage millions of fans.
Haier Appliances India president NS Satish said, “Cricket is a national emotion that brings people together. Partnering with Match Centre Live lets Haier connect with fans at scale while creating meaningful experiences for young, premium audiences.”
As title partner, Haier’s logo and branding will feature prominently across the show, from studio screens to branded tickers and promos with JioStar talent. This visibility across connected TV and mobile devices reinforces Haier’s image as a premium, innovation-led global brand while keeping it front of mind during one of India’s most watched sporting events.
In short, Haier isn’t just watching the cricket action unfold, they’re part of it, serving up a match-winning blend of sport, entertainment, and technology.
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.
