Brands
Mangaldeep by ITC enhances celebrations at Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya with Khushboo Path
Mumbai: On the momentous inauguration of the Lord Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on the 22 of this month, Mangaldeep, ITC’s Agarbatti brand, is spearheading a series of initiatives to actively be a part of and enrich the celebrations of devotees during the inauguration and beyond. Mangaldeep has joined hands with the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra to implement various initiatives in honour of the proud occasion – Nutan Vigrah Pran Prathisthra of Shri Ram Lallaji.
As part of the association Mangaldeep has donated its flagship dhoop, the “Mangaldeep 3 in 1 Dhoop,” for six months from the Temple’s opening date. This gesture aims to facilitate the daily puja rituals for the pandits, ensuring a seamless and aromatic devotional experience.
On the day of the inauguration, Mangaldeep will be enhancing the devotees’ spiritual experience by installing a unique “Khushboo Path” within the Temple premises. This fragrant corridor, adorned with 5-foot tall agarbattis, has been meticulously crafted to diffuse the auspicious fragrance of Mangaldeep agarbatti throughout the Temple. Visitors passing through these corridors will be immersed in the pure and divine aroma of the agarbatti, providing them with a truly uplifting and spiritual experience during their Temple visit.
Two agarbatti stands have also been installed at ‘Ram Ki Phedi’ where devotees can light incense sticks and offer their prayers to Lord Ram. Mangaldeep has also provided platforms for Pujaris at river ghats as well as pooja outlets, hawker setups and umbrellas for shade in the markets of Ayodhya. To facilitate the management of large crowds and ensure a smooth flow of devotees, Mangaldeep will be also providing 300 barricades at the main Temple and over 100 barricades at the Temple entrance.
Speaking about Mangaldeep’s initiatives in the run-up to the inauguration of the Lord Ram Temple, ITC’s Agarbatti Business chief executive Gaurav Tayal said “For us at Mangaldeep, it is indeed an honour to be a part of this historic and sacred event. Our mission is to serve as the enablers of devotion in Temples as well as at devotees’ homes. We are fully committed to ensuring a harmonious and enriching experience for all those participating in the festivities of the Ayodhya Lord Ram Temple. We express our sincere gratitude to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra for entrusting us with the opportunity to serve the devotees.”
For the grand inauguration, Mangaldeep initiated the “Mangal Aarambh” campaign, the objective of which was to empower and train the key stakeholders in Ayodhya—priests, shopkeepers, and hotel owners—who play pivotal roles in welcoming devotees, both from within India and abroad.
This comprehensive campaign comprised five rounds of Sabhas, focusing on crucial themes such as tourism packages, pooja variants, product knowledge and storytelling. Through these sessions, a total of 490 participants were meticulously trained to become proficient guides, pujaris, hawkers and caretakers. Their expertise is geared towards providing an enriching and beautiful experience to visitors to the pious city of Ayodhya.
The inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir on 22 January will indeed mark a momentous occasion for devotees, establishing it as one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in India. The Temple is anticipated to emerge as a major religious and cultural centre, attracting millions of devotees from India and around the world. ITC’s incense stick brand Mangaldeep is honoured to be a participant in this auspicious beginning.
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.
