MAM
ITC’s Mangaldeep ropes in Odiya superstar Babushaan Mohanty as new brand ambassador
NEW DELHI: Mangaldeep, ITC’s Agarbatti brand has roped in Odia superstar Babushaan Mohanty for its agarbatti offering – the ‘Mangaldeep – Jagannath Temple’ agarbattis. This divine agarbatti is created by rural women of Odisha under the aegis of ORMAS (Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society) and was launched by the chief minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, during last year’s Rath Yatra festival.
The Rath Yatra this year, will be seeing Babushaan endorse the Mangaldeep – Jagannath Temple agarbatti brand. The Superstar of Odia movies with a career spanning more than a decade, has given multiple hits and earned many awards. Babushaan, also a trained classical singer, will be endorsing the very special offering by Mangaldeep, dedicated to the people of Odisha.
The ‘Mangaldeep – Jagannath Temple’ agarbatti pack is the most divine agarbatti specially crafted for Lord Jagannath’s devotees. The agarbatti offers innovative dual-fragrance sticks, with two differently coloured parts and are made with fragrances of items believed to be Lord Jagannath’s favourite (Tulsi, Neem, Chandan and Kasturi). The agarbattis are made by the rural women of Odisha under the aegis of ORMAS (Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society), government of Odisha. The launch pack also has the approval from the Temple administration of Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri as a mark of credibility. For every pack sold by ITC, the company will donate a dedicated amount mentioned on the pack to the Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri on behalf of the devotees.
These four pillars make the agarbatti a divine offering, that will help the devotees recreate the aura of the Jagannath Temple at home and make their daily puja a special experience.
Speaking about the association, ITC’s Agarbatti Business chief executive Ravi Rayavaram said “Babushaan will be endorsing the most divine agarbatti offering specially crafted for Lord Jagannath’s devotees called ‘Mangaldeep – Jagannath Temple’ agarbatti. We are happy that more local hands are joining for Mangaldeep’s mission of bringing home the divinity of Jagannath Puri temple. We are also very grateful of ORMAS and Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri who hailed the baton with us last year to launch this divine product for lacs of Lord Jagannath’s devotees. Babushaan, a devotee of Lord Jagannath and one of the most loved person in Odisha was a perfect fit for the brand to take this mission to every house in Odisha.”
Babushaan Mohanty, said “It is a great pleasure to be associated with ITC’s Mangaldeep brand and that too for a divine product made for the people of Orissa. Mangaldeep Temple’s brand mission is to help consumers experience the divinity of the temple in their homes. I am excited to be a part of this mission. I am also excited that the agarbatti provides a source of livelihood to many rural women of Odisha. ITC, ORMAS and the Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri have come together and I am happy to be associated with this unique initiative.
On the cusp of this year’s auspicious Rath Yatra festival, Mangaldeep will be airing a special TV program with the celebrity on TV during Rath Yatra. Babushaan will be coming to everyone’s home through TV with interesting stories about Lord Jagannath and the temple, along with views from the experts.
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.
