Brands
Healthfab partners with Almond Branding to transform its visual identity and expand global presence
Mumbai: Healthfab, the pioneering company founded in 2019 by Sourav Chakrabarty, Kiriti Acharjee, and Satyajit Chakraborty to provide comfortable and hassle-free solutions to menstruating women, has undergone a remarkable transformation with the strategic expertise of Almond Branding. The revamp encompasses a fresh visual identity, standardized communication strategy, and an ambitious global expansion plan.
Healthfab initially set out to make the lives of working women in their families easier by creating a stand-alone reusable period panty, the GoPadFree. The product addressed the challenge faced by women who found it difficult to work during their periods due to the lack of a suitable place to change and dispose of old pads. After rigorous testing and feedback incorporation, GoPadFree became the first and only leak-proof reusable standalone period panty in India, garnering significant success both domestically and internationally.
Healthfab co-founder Sourav Chakrabarty, expressed, “Our mission at Healthfab has always been to provide cost-effective and comfortable solutions to women of all backgrounds, challenging preconceptions while promoting innovation in health and hygiene through eco-friendly and sustainable methods. The collaboration with Almond Branding has been instrumental in amplifying our vision and taking Healthfab to newer heights.”
Almond Branding, known for its expertise in startup branding, played a pivotal role in reshaping Healthfab’s visual identity. Initially focusing on revamping the logo, the collaboration soon evolved into creating a comprehensive Visual Identity System that harmonizes all aspects of communication, from product packaging to the website and social media.
Almond Branding founder Shashwat Das shared, “At Almond Branding, we believe that a visual identity transcends a logo alone. It’s a triumph when a brand can be recognized even without displaying its logo. We take pride in developing such Design Language for our clients, ensuring consistency in all forms of communication.”
The result is a refreshed logo that embodies Healthfab’s core values of comfort, care, and sustainability, inspired by a comforting hug that symbolizes the nurturing experience the brand offers. The captivating colour scheme of turquoise and purple portrays a refreshing, modern, innovative, caring, and trustworthy brand. The newly introduced iconography style reflects care, comfort, affection, and the joy of life, while an illustrative format conveys product details effortlessly.
Additionally, Healthfab’s commitment to sustainability is evident in the retention of the brown outer packaging box, symbolizing the brand’s mission to eliminate disposable period products and promote eco-friendly practices. By using minimal colours yet dynamic visual elements, even the brown box was transformed into an object of delight.
Almond has also revamped Healthfab’s Shopify-based website design, transforming it into an information hub for this niche category. The comprehensive revamp has successfully unified all aspects of Healthfab’s brand, resulting in increased website traffic and heightened brand awareness. With the brand infused with renewed energy and vigour, Healthfab is poised for significant expansion in key markets such as India, Middle East, USA, Europe, and Australia.
Brands
Microsoft faces worst quarter since 2008 financial crisis
Cloud giant battles soaring AI costs and fierce competition from nimble startups.
MUMBAI: When the tech titan starts looking a little wobbly, even the Magnificent Seven can feel the tremors because Microsoft is currently starring in its own sequel, “Clouds and Doubts.” Microsoft is on track for its worst quarterly performance since the 2008 global financial crisis, according to Bloomberg, as investors grow increasingly uneasy about rising capital expenditure and intensifying competition from nimble AI firms. The company has been pouring money into AI infrastructure, yet markets are questioning when these hefty investments will finally deliver stronger revenue growth.
At the same time, investors are shifting away from traditional software stocks amid fears that AI startups such as Anthropic and OpenAI are developing autonomous agents capable of replacing established products, including those from Microsoft. Jonathan Cofsky, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors, noted growing concern that customers may bypass Microsoft and deal directly with AI vendors, potentially disrupting its core business and putting pressure on pricing and margins.
Microsoft’s stock has tumbled 25 per cent in the first quarter, putting it on course for its largest drop since a 27 per cent fall in the fourth quarter of 2008. It has also emerged as the weakest performer among the so-called Magnificent Seven technology stocks, while a broader index tracking the group has fallen 14 per cent over the same period. The shares slipped a further 1.7 per cent after markets opened on Friday, marking a potential fourth consecutive session of declines.
Cofsky pointed out that Microsoft has become more capital intensive and that improved investor confidence will hinge on assurances that software growth will not slow materially. Despite the sell-off, the stock is now trading at less than 20 times projected earnings over the next 12 months, its lowest valuation level since June 2016. Its valuation remains slightly above that of the S&P 500 Index, although it has recently traded at a discount to the broader benchmark for the first time since 2015.
Bloomberg data shows Microsoft’s capital expenditure, including leases, is expected to surge to $146 billion in fiscal 2026, up around 66 per cent from $88 billion in fiscal 2025. Spending is projected to climb further to $170 billion in fiscal 2027 and $191 billion in fiscal 2028, based on average estimates. Investors are growing cautious about such levels of spending without clearer signs of stronger growth.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud division has reported a slight slowdown in growth compared with the previous quarter, while its Copilot AI product has seen limited user traction, prompting internal changes aimed at improving performance. Ben Reitzes, an analyst at Melius Research, warned in a March note that Microsoft’s upside in Azure could be constrained as the company works to address challenges related to its AI models and Copilot offering, adding that these issues are unlikely to be resolved in the short term.
Of the 67 analysts covering Microsoft, 63 maintain buy ratings, three hold ratings and one a sell rating. The average 12-month price target of $592 implies a potential upside of more than 64 per cent, the highest on record based on data going back to 2009. The stock is also trading below its 200-day moving average by the widest margin since 2009.
Reitzes suggested the dominance of buy ratings may indicate complacency among analysts, while highlighting risks in Microsoft’s productivity and business processes segment as well as its More Personal Computing division. In contrast, Tal Liani of Bank of America reinstated coverage with a buy rating, citing durable multi-year growth prospects across cloud and AI. Jake Seltz, portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, maintained that Microsoft retains strong long-term value and that its AI strategy is likely to be validated over time, viewing near-term concerns as a potential opportunity for longer-term investors.
The report highlights a growing divergence in market sentiment, with optimism around long-term AI potential weighed against immediate execution risks and investor uncertainty. In the world of big tech, even the mightiest clouds can have silver linings but right now, Microsoft’s investors are scanning the horizon for clearer skies.
