Brands
L’Oréal Professionnel forays into the metaverse
Mumbai: L’Oréal Professionnel, the leading brand in professional hair tech, has forayed into the Metaverse, embracing cutting-edge technology and elevating self-expression in the realm of hair beauty. As pioneers in the field of hair tech, L’Oréal Professionnel recognizes the immense potential of the Metaverse and is committed to revolutionizing the industry by offering more inclusive, diverse, and creative hair looks for virtual identities. Having successfully launched and implemented the metaverse across the globe, the brand has now brought its latest innovation to India.
According to a research by Grand View Research, Inc., the global metaverse market is all set to grow at a CAGR of 41.6 per cent which will lead the market to amount to an estimate of US$ 936.6 billion by 2030. For India, Arthur D. Little, the strategy and management consulting company, India’s Metaverse market is projected to reach $200 billion by 2035. Metaverse resonates with current trends in self-expression and digitalization. It provides an immersive space for users to create digital identities, experiment with avatars, styles, and experiences, reflecting their real-world personas. As digitalization blurs physical and virtual boundaries, the metaverse enables global access to products, services, and social interactions, enhancing connectivity.
L’Oréal Professionnel’s important pillar for this year’s Metaverse initiative includes – More Hair Looks with Hair Drops for Multiple Platforms. The brand aims to provide an extensive collection of diverse and playful hair looks, ensuring that users can find the perfect style for their virtual identities. The brand has premiered five hair looks in collaboration with a CGI artist, Evan Rochette on the world’s biggest cross-game avatar platform Ready Player Me. Additionally, these hair drops will be available on Robox and Zepeto. The brand has dropped 16 playful and avante garde looks on several platforms like Ready Player Me, Roblox and Zepeto.
Sharing her thoughts, L’Oréal Professionnel India general manager Mathilde Barthelemy-Vigier said, “We are the first professional hair tech brand to enter the Metaverse end of last year. The brand’s vision of ‘Professional hair tech that elevates you’ has been the driving force behind this momentous journey into the Metaverse. We’re now accelerating, leveraging the avatar as an entry point. In the rapidly evolving Metaverse, avatars have become an artistic canvas for self-expression. As users immerse themselves in this digital realm, their avatars become a reflection of their personality, style, and identity, with hair being a prominent feature to craft their unique virtual persona. L’Oréal Professionnel stimulates this connection, offering experiences through diverse and inclusive hair looks that empower users to authentically express themselves in this limitless virtual world. Indeed, research shows that within 5 to 10 years, people will have up to 10 avatars as virtual identities that represent them.”
L’Oréal Professionnel’s metaverse entry extends its brand equity, showcasing innovation in hair beauty. A globally recognized pioneer in beauty, the brand adapts to evolving trends by embracing the metaverse, leveraging its reputation and demonstrating agility in meeting consumer preferences and technology. The metaverse’s focus on self-expression and digital engagement aligns seamlessly with L’Oréal Professionnel’s values. Empowering unique styles through hair has been central to the brand, now extended to the metaverse. With virtual tools and experiences, L’Oréal Professionnel’s creativity flourishes, enabling authentic expression. This reinforces the brand’s equity as a beauty trailblazer, adept at foreseeing trends and creatively engaging consumers.
Brands
Bombay Dyeing threads profit through tough quarter
Q3 net at Rs 1.83 crore on Rs 324.02 crore revenue.
MUMBAI: The fabric may have thinned, but the stitch still holds. The Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company Ltd reported a standalone net profit of Rs 1.83 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, a sharp turnaround from a loss of Rs 9.92 crore in the preceding September quarter. However, profit remained below the Rs 70 crore clocked in the corresponding quarter last year.
Revenue from operations for the December quarter stood at Rs 324.02 crore, compared with Rs 362.63 crore in the September quarter and Rs 414.81 crore a year earlier. Including other income of Rs 26.60 crore, total income came in at Rs 350.62 crore, down from Rs 453.62 crore in the year ago period.
For the nine months ended December 31, 2025, revenue from operations stood at Rs 1,064.49 crore against Rs 1,246.41 crore in the previous year. Net profit for the nine month period rose to Rs 5.67 crore, compared with Rs 478.35 crore in the corresponding period last year, reflecting the absence of large exceptional gains seen earlier.
The quarter’s profit before tax stood at Rs 3.02 crore for the nine month period and Rs 588 crore for the comparable nine month period last year, driven by exceptional items of Rs 552.70 crore in FY25. In the December quarter this year, exceptional items were marginal at negative Rs 0.90 crore, compared with Rs 50.71 crore in the year ago quarter.
Total expenses for the December quarter were Rs 362.43 crore. Cost of materials consumed stood at Rs 204.10 crore, while other expenses were Rs 73.91 crore. Finance costs were contained at Rs 2.62 crore, down from Rs 3.61 crore in the September quarter and Rs 3.30 crore a year earlier.
Segment wise, the Polyester business remained the mainstay, contributing Rs 305.93 crore in quarterly revenue, compared with Rs 395.99 crore a year ago. Retail and Textile delivered Rs 14.83 crore, while Real Estate revenue was negligible in the quarter, against Rs 3.15 crore in the corresponding period last year.
Segment results before tax and finance costs showed Polyester reporting a loss of Rs 26.34 crore in the quarter, versus a profit of Rs 22.47 crore last year. Retail and Textile posted a profit of Rs 2.94 crore, while Real Estate recorded a loss of Rs 5.05 crore.
On a consolidated basis, the numbers mirrored the standalone performance. Consolidated net profit for the quarter stood at Rs 1.92 crore, against a loss of Rs 9.85 crore in the preceding quarter and a profit of Rs 70.06 crore a year ago.
Other comprehensive income for the quarter was Rs 22.53 crore, largely due to fair value changes in equity investments. Total comprehensive income for the period stood at Rs 12.61 crore on a standalone basis and Rs 12.68 crore on a consolidated basis.
As of December 31, 2025, total segment assets were Rs 2,894.42 crore on a standalone basis, with net capital employed at Rs 2,348.98 crore. Paid up equity share capital remained at Rs 41.31 crore, with earnings per share for the quarter at Rs 0.09, compared with Rs 3.39 in the corresponding quarter last year.
With revenue under pressure and polyester margins fluctuating, Bombay Dyeing’s latest numbers reflect a business navigating cyclical headwinds. The profit may be modest, but after the previous quarter’s loss, the company has at least managed to keep its weave intact.
