MAM
Kushal Sanghvi joins icubeswire as chief revenue officer to drive growth
MUMBAI : icubeswire a Adtech company with a strong presence across Sea and Mena, has appointed its new chief revenue officer (CRO) Kushal Sanghvi. With extensive experience in digital marketing, business strategy, and technology-driven growth, he will spearhead revenue expansion, strengthen partnerships, and enhance the company’s position in the global advertising landscape.
Expressing enthusiasm for the new role, Sanghvi shared, “The digital marketing ecosystem is evolving rapidly, and icubeswire is at the forefront of this transformation. I look forward to driving strategic growth, collaborating with brands, agencies, and tech platforms, and delivering innovative solutions in the ever-changing Adtech space.”
Beyond this role, Sanghvi has been actively shaping the industry through multiple leadership positions. At Adtech India he was a board member helping to foster emerging technologies and talent in digital marketing. Additionally, at NITI Aayog he was an education mentor, driving digital-first skill development for young entrepreneurs. He also contributed at I-COM Global (India) as the vice chairman, promoting data-driven marketing, and at Appriffy-Digital IT Hub as a director, supporting startups through tech innovation and investment.
With a deep understanding of digital strategy, online advertising, and integrated marketing, Sanghvi is set to make a significant impact at icubeswire, propelling the company towards its next phase of innovation and growth.
Brands
Alphabet Q1 profit jumps 81 per cent as revenue climbs to $109.9 billion
AI-led growth fuels strong gains across Search, Cloud and YouTube
CALIFORNIA: Alphabet Inc. kicked off 2026 with a strong first quarter, reporting an 81 per cent surge in net income to $62.58 billion, powered by robust growth across its core businesses and a sharp acceleration in cloud and AI-driven services.
Revenue rose 22 per cent year-on-year to $109.9 billion, or 19 per cent in constant currency, marking the company’s 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Operating income increased 30 per cent to $39.7 billion, while operating margin expanded to 36.1 per cent from 34 per cent a year earlier.
Diluted earnings per share climbed 82 per cent to $5.11, reflecting both operational strength and a significant boost from other income, which stood at $37.7 billion, largely driven by unrealised gains on equity investments.
Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai said, “2026 is off to a terrific start. Our AI investments and full stack approach are lighting up every part of the business.”
The company’s core Google Services segment generated $89.6 billion in revenue, up 16 per cent year-on-year. Growth was led by a 19 per cent increase in Search and other revenues to $60.4 billion, a 19 per cent rise in subscriptions, platforms and devices to $12.38 billion, and an 11 per cent growth in YouTube ads to $9.88 billion.
Cloud emerged as the standout performer. Google Cloud Platform revenues jumped 63 per cent to $20.03 billion, with operating income rising sharply to $6.6 billion from $2.18 billion a year earlier. The growth was driven by enterprise demand for AI infrastructure and solutions.
Pichai highlighted strong traction in AI, noting that the company’s Gemini models are now processing more than 16 billion tokens per minute, up 60 per cent from the previous quarter. Paid subscriptions across services reached 350 million, while Gemini Enterprise saw a 40 per cent quarter-on-quarter rise in paid monthly active users.
The company also reported that Waymo has crossed 500,000 fully autonomous rides per week, signalling growing momentum in its Other Bets segment, though the unit continued to post a loss of $2.1 billion.
Total costs and expenses increased to $70.2 billion, reflecting higher investments in research, AI infrastructure and talent. Headcount rose to 194,668 employees, up from 185,719 a year earlier.
Alphabet also strengthened its capital strategy, issuing $31.1 billion in senior unsecured notes during the quarter and announcing a 5 per cent increase in its dividend to $0.22 per share, payable in June 2026.
With AI at the centre of its growth engine and cloud demand surging, Alphabet appears to be scaling both innovation and profitability. As its core businesses remain resilient and newer bets gain traction, the company is positioning itself strongly for the next phase of digital and AI-led expansion.
