Brands
Honda Cars India’s Rs 25 crore campaign spends for the new BR-V
BENGALURU: Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), a manufacturer of premium cars in India, today introduced its new model Honda BR-V. The launch of BR-V marks Honda’s entry into the compact SUV segment that is about 300,000 units per year in size in India. The BR-V is available in both Diesel and Petrol fuel options in India.
The company has planned a six week campaign that began last week and will end by the third week of June. Industry sources revealed that HCIL has budgeted between Rs 25 and Rs 30 crore for a 360 degree campaign for the new BR-V. Recently HCIL announced Mullen Lintas as its creative agency for its new car. Media buying is through Group M’s Motivator.
At the BR-V launch in Bengaluru today, HCIL unveiled a 90 second promo that will run on cinema screens and Youtube. Two 30-second TVCs’ that tell stories around the BR-V and a 20-second TVC that speaks more about brand Honda have been planned. The company is targeting males from the age group of 25-45 years, and hence the TVCs’ will be aired across all major English, Hindi and regional news channels reveal sources at HMIL. A print campaign is also a part of HMIL’s media plans.
Speaking at the launch, HCIL senior vice president & director Raman Kumar Sharma said, “India is a key market for Honda and as part of our business expansion, we are focusing on increasing our customer base with new model introductions. The launch of BR-V marks Honda’s entry into the popular compact SUV segment. Customers can experience the outstanding appearance of an SUV and benefit from the versatility and comfort of its spacious 3 row interiors. We are confident that BR-V will strongly appeal to the customers and accelerate our growth while strengthening our brand presence in the country.”
Brands
Lotus Chocolate FY26 profit drops sharply, Q4 slips into loss
Revenue steady at Rs 579.55 crore, Q4 loss at Rs 4.47 crore
MUMBAI: Sweet on the top line, slightly bitter on the bottom Lotus Chocolate’s FY26 numbers tell a story that’s more dark cocoa than milk. The company managed to hold its revenue steady for the year, but profitability took a visible hit, capped by a loss-making fourth quarter. Lotus Chocolate Company Limited reported revenue from operations of Rs 579.55 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, marginally up from Rs 573.75 crore in FY25. Total income rose to Rs 615.61 crore, compared with Rs 574.56 crore in the previous year, supported by a sharp jump in other income to Rs 36.06 crore from just Rs 0.81 crore.
However, the gains at the top did little to cushion profitability. Net profit for FY26 fell dramatically to Rs 0.10 crore, down from Rs 17.23 crore in FY25, reflecting significant cost pressures across the business.
The March quarter proved particularly challenging. The company reported a net loss of Rs 4.47 crore in Q4 FY26, compared with a profit of Rs 0.14 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 1.42 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 138.01 crore, down from Rs 150.21 crore in Q3 FY26 and Rs 157.52 crore in Q4 FY25.
Expenses remained elevated throughout the year. Total expenses rose to Rs 614.44 crore in FY26 from Rs 551.50 crore in FY25, eating into margins. A key swing factor was the cost of materials consumed, which stood at Rs 304.44 crore, while changes in inventories also reflected volatility, with a negative impact of Rs 62.44 crore in the previous year reversing to a positive Rs 52.93 crore this year.
Employee benefit expenses nearly doubled to Rs 34.00 crore from Rs 17.98 crore, while finance costs surged to Rs 16.31 crore from Rs 7.11 crore, indicating higher borrowing and funding costs. Depreciation and amortisation expenses also increased to Rs 3.92 crore from Rs 1.81 crore, reflecting ongoing investments.
On the balance sheet front, total assets stood at Rs 275.96 crore as of March 31, 2026, slightly higher than Rs 270.34 crore a year earlier. Borrowings remained significant, with current borrowings at Rs 89.00 crore, highlighting continued reliance on external funding.
Cash flow dynamics showed improvement in operations, with net cash generated from operating activities at Rs 93.23 crore, compared with a negative Rs 129.60 crore in FY25. However, financing outflows remained high at Rs 74.90 crore, driven largely by repayment of borrowings and interest costs.
Despite stable revenue, the sharp drop in profitability underscores the pressure of rising input costs, higher finance expenses and operational adjustments. The contrast between steady sales and squeezed margins leaves Lotus Chocolate at a crossroads proving that in business, as in confectionery, the real test isn’t just in the sweetness of sales, but in the richness of returns.
