MAM
Jury concludes judging process for ‘Big Bang Awards’
BANGALORE: The judging process for the Advertising Club Bangalore’s (Ad club) Big Bang Awards 2010 has concluded.
Ad club President Malavika Harita informs, “We had a very balanced jury of senior professionals with representation from creative, account management, digital, media, PR and clients. The quality of work was definitely of higher quality than last year. Obviously, the recession brings out the best in all of us! What was also very heartening was to see a lot of first time entrants who gave established agencies quite a run for their money.”
This year’s jury includes MAA Bozell creative director Sadeeqa Peerbhoy; Why Axis creative head Niranjan Natrajan; Celcius 100 CEO S Ghosh, brand strategist Anand Narasimaha; The Scribble creative head and partner Francisco Saldhana; filmmaker and advertising personality Mumbai Anand Kurien and Hortune Media head Sandeep Tarkas.
Claims Ad club executive director Arvind Kumar, “The panel of 15 judges spent a whole grueling day judging the entries from over 37 organisations, which participated in Big Bang 2010. The entries came from large, medium sized and small creative agencies, media agencies, digital agencies, radio stations, event companies, film production houses and clients participating across nine groups and 51 categories.”
“Some large Bangalore based clients like Titan, Fastrack, ING Vysya, UB, Aircel and United Spirits participated this year after an absence of a few years through their agencies like O&M, JWT and Lowe which made things more exciting,” added Harita.
According to an Ad Club release, the five major awards were keenly contested –these include the Ad Agency of the Year, Media Agency of the Year, Client of the Year, Art Director of the Year, Copywriter of the Year and the Ayaz Peerbhoy Multimedia Campaign of the Year for a creative agency.
The Awards will be given away at the Big Bang Awards night on Friday 26 February at the Karnataka Lawn Tennis Association Stadium in Cubbon Park, Bangalore.
Brands
Nestlé India posts 14.9 per cent sales growth, profit rises in FY26
FMCG major sweetens returns with dividend as strong domestic demand leads
NEW DELHI: Nestlé India has reported a strong financial performance for the year ended 31 March 2026, with sales and profits rising steadily on the back of robust domestic demand.
The company posted total income of Rs 231,949.5 million for FY26, up from Rs 202,645.5 million in the previous year, marking a growth of 14.9 per cent. Domestic sales remained the key driver, increasing 14.6 per cent to Rs 221,187.0 million, while exports contributed Rs 9,527.6 million to the overall tally.
The final quarter of the financial year added extra momentum, with total sales rising 23.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. This helped lift the company’s annual profit to Rs 35,446.0 million, up from Rs 33,145.0 million in FY25.
Shareholders are set to benefit as the board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 5.00 per equity share. This comes on top of the interim dividend of Rs 7.00 per share paid in February 2026. The record date for the final dividend has been fixed as 10 July 2026, subject to shareholder approval at the 67th Annual General Meeting scheduled for 3 July 2026. If approved, the payout will begin from 30 July 2026.
During the year, the company’s paid-up equity share capital doubled to Rs 1,928.3 million following a 1:1 bonus share issue, strengthening its capital base. The results were also supported by a Rs 1,207.8 million credit from exceptional items, including a Rs 2,023.2 million writeback from resolved income tax litigation, partially offset by restructuring costs and expenses related to new labour codes.
On the cost front, material costs rose to 44.8 per cent of sales for the full year, compared to 43.6 per cent in the previous year, reflecting ongoing input cost pressures. Despite this, the company maintained solid profitability, with EBITDA coming in at Rs 53,060.6 million.
Overall, Nestlé India’s performance underscores its ability to balance growth and margins in a challenging environment. With steady demand, disciplined cost management and consistent shareholder returns, the company appears well placed to carry its momentum into the next financial year.
