MAM
Neeraj Chopra’s social media valuation reaches Rs 428 cr: JSW Sports
Mumbai: More than a month after Olympic sensation Neeraj Chopra created history by bagging the sole gold medal for India in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the athlete’s stock has been on a perpetual upward trajectory. The win has turned Chopra into a household name overnight across the country. His stellar on-field performance has now spilled over seamlessly onto the digital arena, catapulting the 23-year old javelin-thrower into the social media spotlight.
According to a report by research consultancy firm YouGov Sport, Neeraj Chopra recorded over 2.9 million mentions from over 1.4 million authors, making him the ‘most mentioned’ athlete globally on Instagram during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. These numbers also represent a whopping 1401 per cent and 2055 per cent increase in his mentions from separate authors online, respectively. As a result, Chopra’s reach on social and digital media has come to a staggering 412 million, spanning several geographies over the world. These numbers have combined to take the athlete’s social media valuation to a total of Rs 428 crore.
“Neeraj has been a consistently outstanding performer in his discipline over the last five to six years, resulting in his phenomenal success at the Tokyo Olympics. He has now become a recognisable personality for the Indian masses on a scale that was hitherto unseen. This, in turn, has brought about a growing interest from brands and institutions looking at a long-term sustainable collaboration,” said JSW Sports head of sales and marketing Divyanshu Singh.
The agency which represents the javelin thrower and manages Chopra’s endorsements shared that the athlete has created inroads into mainstream commercial success as a result of his performances on the field, and his growing popularity off it.
According to the report by YouGov Sport, Chopra’s total interactions on social media since bagging the gold medal have risen to 12.79 million, at a rate of 86.3 per cent. A key factor in the increased engagement on the athlete’s profile has been the steady increase in his video views, which is recorded at 4.05 million, nearly thrice the average for an elite Indian athlete on social media. Naturally, the number of account followers for Neeraj Chopra has also seen a swift upswing, with his Instagram following now recorded at 4.4 million, representing a 2297 per cent increase in his followers.
Chopra has presently eclipsed even established international cricketers like KL Rahul and Rishab Pant in terms of total interactions and overall reach on social media, as per JSW Sports.
The Olympic gold medallist last week signed his first set of endorsement deals after the Tokyo Games, which include edtech firm Byju’s, Tata AIA Life Insurance, and a top pharma brand. Welcoming Chopra on board, Tata AIA Life Insurance executive vice president and chief distribution officer Venky Iyer said, “As a VSM awardee in the army and a national icon today, Neeraj symbolises incredible passion for excellence and a great commitment to serving the nation. For us at Tata AIA, his sports journey echoes greatly with our vision of enabling dreams and inspiring healthier and happier lives.”
According to reports, JSW Sports is in advanced talks to finalise more deals with luxury auto and apparel brands in the coming weeks and a series of digital-only pacts, at fees ten times higher than what Chopra charged before the Games.
The fact that the 23-year-old can deliver value has been well established in the days since his remarkable success. This has opened a new opportunity with brands that can innovate with strategies built around the young sensation.
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
