Brands
New age careers are becoming number one choice for youth today: Nipun Marya
Mumbai: iQOO has launched ‘The Quest Film’ directed by Shoojit Sircar featuring Bhuvan Bam which was premiered at the PVR Directors Cut, Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. Conceptualised by Ogilvy India, “Keep Questing” aims to inspire the youth to explore their passions, and follow their dreams and aspirations. The film further delved into the quest of the youngest boy of the family who aims to make it big in his life despite multiple hurdles.
Futhermore the brand has also unveiled The Quest Report 2024’ which encapsulates insights from 6,700 respondents, aged between 20-24 years, 7 countries- India, United States of America, United Kingdom, Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The report covers three broad areas: Gen Z Questers’ spirit & motivation to fulfil their dreams, obstacles & barriers that disrupt their quest for passion, and career choices that drive their interests.
Executed by iQOO with CyberMedia Research (CMR), the report decodes Questers’ drive, passion and ambition through a quantitative metric- Quest Index, or “QI”. The results showcase India’ s QI as 9.1 followed by Malaysia with 8.7 QI, Thailand & USA with 8.2 QI, Indonesia with 8.1 QI, United Kingdom with 8 QI, and Brazil with 7.8 QI.
Indiantelevision.com at the sidelines of this event, caught up with iQOO India CEO Nipun Marya, where he shared some vital details into the process of making this film, some additional insights on the report and much more.
Edited excerpts
What inspired you to create The Quest Film and collaborate with Shoojit Sircar?
We prepared this film on the back of the findings which we got from the Quest report. In which we talked and surveyed 6,700 people across seven countries in the age group of 20-24. When we asked them, we found some very interesting findings. First is new age careers. They are really shaping up and becoming the number one choice for the youth of today. Second that we saw was that at one level, new age careers are becoming prevalent amongst the youth, but they still find very high societal pressure. So when we saw that, we thought why don’t we combine the two and make a film. We discussed with our creative agency Ogilvy and we were able to create a film which also depicts at one level what is the interest amongst the youth and at the same time how do they feel challenged when they express their choices.
What are the key trends about Gen Z did the report uncover?
Lot of trends actually! Firstly how audacious your dreams are. We found out that Indian youth are among the highest in the world in dreaming big. What is more heartening is even though dreaming big is one thing, the Indian youth are also hustling twice the global youth. Which means they are taking double the amount of steps to reach their goal. It also means whether they are taking courses or internships etc, whatever they are doing, they are trying to somehow learn more. Then gender also came out where we found out that women expressed the cause of the gender difference. Twice the number of women feel more challenged than men. Lastly societal pressure is still quite high and as a society if we can do something around it, I think it would be better.
How does the research in the global report inform iQOO’s strategy and product development?
When we discussed about this report, it gives us more insights into when we are communicating with Gen Z, like how we should do it and what are the aspects which we should touch upon when we communicate with them. At the product development level, it also shows us what are the key areas we should focus on when we have to think about our products like how new age careers are becoming important and critical and how can we enable better usage through our phone. Esports is one example, content creation is another example.
How do you plan to leverage the findings of this report in its future marketing and product strategies?
Firstly, this campaign is not necessarily for product marketing. We don’t intend to sell more products through this report. It is more about sharing our brand’s perspective.
Any specific outcome you hope to achieve with The Quest Film and the report?
We believe its a long journey. But its a first step towards taking this journey. We are just hoping we put our best foot forward and let’s see how the results come.
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.
