MAM
Indigo Consulting appoints Harshad Hardikar as COO
MUMBAI: Indigo Consulting which is a part of the Publicis Groupe, announced the appointment of Harshad Hardikar as its new chief operating officer. Hardikar is the former senior VP, e-commerce & CRM at OgilvyOne India.
Hardikar will be working closely with the agency’s managing director Vikas Tandon to help strengthen and grow its business nationally and internationally. Hardikar comes with over 17 years of experience in the industry. He is credited with launching India’s first coalition loyalty programme, iMint (now Payback).
In his previous role as senior VP, e-commerce & CRM at OgilvyOne India, he led the agency’s ecommerce and CRM practice nationally, managing clients’ needs end to end. Prior to this, he worked for Rediff.com, heading the company’s online sales division, Rediffshopping.
Commenting on the latest appointment Tandon said, “FY 2014 has been a great year for us, we are once again ready to shift to a higher gear. Not only are we seeing great organic growth, our international business as a regional COE for Leo Burnett Asia Pacific is seeing phenomenal traction. From a service bouquet point of view, after establishing our Mobile and Social practices, we are now investing in e-commerce and CRM capabilities. This is the ideal time for Indigo Consulting to expand its top management and leadership team. Harshad’s blend of expertise in our focus areas, and experience in driving revenues and P&L is exactly what we need to fuel and drive our journey in the next gear. I am very excited to have him on board and look forward to working with him in scaling up the company.”
Hardikar added, “I am very happy to become a part of this large family. Indigo already is a company with a great reputation and highly respected for their creative and technology capabilities. What really attracted me in this opportunity is the vision Vikas has, to grow this company further. I am sure with my experience of managing 360-degree digital work; I will be able to contribute to a greater success for this company.”
In addition to Hardikar’s appointment, the agency has also roped in Rimjhim Ray as AVP strategy and client services and Hanisha Vaswani as business head for the agency’s Delhi office.
At her previous stint at Edelman, Vaswani was responsible for devising brand building, content, and engagement strategies for clients such as HP, GM, GE, Shell, Juniper Networks, and the 1st Indian Grand Prix. At Indigo Consulting, she will be responsible for bringing in new business as well as managing the existing accounts of the agency’s Delhi office.
Brands
Meta Q1 profit jumps 61 per cent as revenue climbs to $56.3 billion
Ad growth and AI momentum drive strong quarter with steady margins
CALIFORNIA: Meta Platforms, Inc. posted a robust performance for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, with net income surging 61 per cent year-on-year to $26.77 billion, driven by strong advertising demand and continued user growth across its platforms.
Revenue rose 33 per cent to $56.31 billion, compared to $42.31 billion in the same quarter last year. On a constant currency basis, revenue increased 29 per cent. Operating income grew 30 per cent to $22.87 billion, while operating margin remained steady at 41 per cent.
Diluted earnings per share jumped 62 per cent to $10.44 from $6.43 a year ago. The results included a $8.03 billion income tax benefit, without which earnings would have been lower.
Meta Platforms, Inc. founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “We had a milestone quarter with strong momentum across our apps and the release of our first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs. We’re on track to deliver personal superintelligence to billions of people.”
Daily active users across Meta’s family of apps reached 3.56 billion in March 2026, up 4 per cent year-on-year. Advertising remained the primary growth driver, with ad impressions increasing 19 per cent and average price per ad rising 12 per cent.
Total costs and expenses climbed 35 per cent to $33.44 billion, reflecting higher investments in artificial intelligence and infrastructure. Capital expenditure stood at $19.84 billion during the quarter.
Cash flow from operating activities was $32.23 billion, while free cash flow came in at $12.39 billion. The company reported $81.18 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2026.
Looking ahead, Meta expects second quarter revenue to range between $58 billion and $61 billion, with foreign exchange expected to provide a 2 per cent tailwind. Full-year expenses are projected between $162 billion and $169 billion, while capital expenditure guidance has been raised to $125 billion to $145 billion.
With strong ad momentum and continued investment in AI, Meta is maintaining its growth trajectory while preparing for the next phase of digital innovation.
