MAM
Havas Q3 revenues grow 10.6% year-on-year
MUMBAI: French media communications agency Havas has reported a 10 per cent rise in its revenues in the third quarter ended 30 September to €428 million from €387 million a year earlier.
The group‘s organic growth was 2.0 per cent in the third quarter and 2.5 per cent for the first nine months of the year. Revenues from new businesses in the third quarter were €304 million, which includes new clients, clients retained after a competitive review, and new product or brand expansions for existing clients.
The Asia Pacific and Africa region grew at 11.8 per cent with India and China being the forerunners in the growth. The region witnessed a number of significant new wins in this period like Tata Motors in India, Playstation and Study Adelaide in Australia, Sugon and YFY Investment in China. Danone opted for Havas digital agencies in Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur.
Havas CEO David Jones said, “The macro-economic environment continues to be challenging. Notwithstanding, the Group‘s organic growth in North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific increased in the third quarter, and we continued to generate healthy net new business. Not surprisingly, Europe slowed in Q3 though the Group continued to gain market share in the region, reflecting our competitive strength in this market. Digital continues to accelerate and is an increasingly important driver of the business.”
In September Havas rebranded 316 of its creative agency Euro RSCG Worldwide offices to Havas Worldwide to underscore the group‘s unique integrated structure.
Havas said growth slowed across the whole of Europe in the third quarter. France declined slightly in the third quarter due to a limited number of clients reducing spend. The UK, too, was down slightly as last year‘s loss of certain accounts continued to affect this quarter, although the losses have now been almost entirely offset by new wins.
Performance in the rest of Europe was mixed, with growth driven by Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Germany and Russia in particular, plus a return to growth for Spain. The performance delivered by BETC London, a start-up launched just over a year ago, deserves special mention, as do recently acquired agencies such as Boondoggle and Creative Lynx.
The growth rate for North America accelerated in the third quarter, a particularly pleasing performance given the high comparative base in Q3 2011.
Double-digit growth in Havas‘ Asia-Pacific operations was driven mainly by China and India, with all business lines contributing to this strong performance.
Havas said growth in Latin America accelerated considerably and continues to deliver solid performance, driven mainly by digital, media, advertising and healthcare communication. Brazil in particular delivered strong performance in the region.
Brands
Funskool India crosses US$40 million turnover in FY 2025-26
Toy manufacturer posts steady growth despite global headwinds.
MUMBAI: Funskool India has played its cards well turning challenges into steady growth while keeping the fun alive in the toy business. The country’s leading toy manufacturer has reported a turnover of $40 million in FY 2025-26, demonstrating resilience in a difficult global environment. The company recorded an average growth of 14 per cent over the past two years, with exports growing at a healthy 19% year-on-year.
While domestic business grew at a modest single-digit pace, Funskool saw encouraging traction in key categories such as Fundough (dough) and Handycrafts (arts & crafts).
Funskool India Ltd. CEO K.A. Shabir said, “We successfully navigated the challenges posed by US tariffs last year and continued to grow both our export and domestic businesses. Given the ongoing geopolitical situation in West Asia, we are currently working with a moderate growth outlook of 12–15 per cent, with plans to revisit our targets after Q1 once the situation stabilises.”
He highlighted strengthened partnerships with global companies including Spin Master (Canada), Moose Toys (Australia), Melissa & Doug (USA), Asmodee (France), Learning Resources (USA), and Buffalo Games (USA). The expansion of the company’s Goa plant is progressing and is expected to be completed by the end of the current financial year.
Looking ahead, Funskool expects a significant shift in domestic growth momentum for FY 2026-27, driven by new categories such as friction vehicles under the brand “BlazeTrix”, remote-control cars under “VoltRush”, and the addition of popular licences like Paw Patrol.
In an industry where playtime never stops, Funskool has shown that even in turbulent times, a smart strategy and strong partnerships can keep the business ticking along nicely. As it gears up for the next financial year, the company appears well-positioned to build on its solid foundation and bring even more joy to children worldwide.
