Brands
Naukri.com leads the charge as Info Edge clocks 12 per cent Pat jump in Q3
Recruitment business drives growth as company posts higher profits and declares dividend
MUMBAI: If job markets could speak, they might say business at Info Edge is still hiring growth, just not fast enough to keep the market smiling.
The parent of Naukri.com reported a 12 per cent year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit for the December quarter, with profit after tax (Pat) attributable to equity holders coming in at Rs 272 crore, up from Rs 243 crore a year earlier. Revenue from operations rose 13 per cent to Rs 819 crore, compared with Rs 722 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.
Yet, the quarter wasn’t all upward arrows. Sequentially, Pat fell 14 per cent from Rs 316 crore in Q2, while revenue inched up just 1.7 per cent from Rs 805 crore. Investors responded with caution: Info Edge shares slipped about 4 per cent on Friday to a day’s low of Rs 1,104.20 on the NSE.
The company also announced an interim dividend of Rs 2.40 per share for FY26, with February 20, 2026 set as the record date. The payout is scheduled on or after March 9.
Naukri, Info Edge’s flagship recruitment business, continued to carry the load. The segment reported billings of Rs 548 crore and an operating profit of Rs 341 crore, translating into a robust operating margin of 59.3 per cent for the quarter. Cash flow from operations stood at Rs 373 crore, underscoring the division’s role as the company’s primary earnings engine.
The real estate arm, operating under the 99acres brand, posted billings of Rs 117 crore in Q3FY26, marking a 14.5 per cent year-on-year increase. Operating profit for the segment came in at Rs 20 crore, with cash flow from operations at Rs 10 crore.
Jeevansathi.com, the company’s matrimony platform, recorded 29 per cent revenue growth in the quarter, with revenue reaching Rs 36 crore. The segment reported an operating profit of Rs 2 crore and cash flow from operations of Rs 5 crore, signalling steady traction in a competitive market.
The Shiksha business continued to broaden its digital catalogue, hosting more than 5.5 lakh course listings and serving 1,600 unique clients during the quarter.
Overall, the quarter reflected a familiar Info Edge story: a recruitment powerhouse driving profits, smaller verticals chelling in with growth, and the market keeping a close eye on the pace of expansion. For now, the company seems to have no shortage of job offers, but investors may still be waiting for the next big promotion.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
