MAM
Niranjan Jayaram appointed head of CRM, Wunderman
NEW DELHI: Direct marketing major Wunderman India has appointed Niranjan Jayaram as the head of customer relationship management (CRM) and loyalty management.
Jayaram will lead the database marketing team to develop and execute data-driven marketing strategies.
“Globally, Wunderman is looking at strengthening their competencies in the area of database management and analytics. In India, we see Jayaram and his team performing a large role in achieving this objective,” said Wunderman general manager Ajay Sood.
Jayaram has earlier worked with Result McCann and OgilvyOne Worldwide, contributing to the various programmes executed for clients like General Motors, Microsoft, Bank of America, ABN AMRO Bank, Ponds Institute, Lakme Levers, and OKS Speciality Lubricants.
“He comes with a rich experience of having designed and developed the back-end logistics and support systems for the Hero Honda Passport Programme, which today has grown into one of the main relationship programmes in the automotive space. Jayaram is a strong advocate of quality management and has already started contributing by providing wonderful insights on customer information systems,” Sood said.
The development follows recent acquisition of new business by Wunderman. The new accounts include the direct communication business of enterprise software company Oracle India and cellular service provider Airtel. Besides these wins, managed by the Delhi office, Wunderman’s Chennai office won the British Council account and the Mumbai office bagged the WNS BPO account for CRM activities recently.
Brands
Nestlé India posts Rs 45,641 crore profit before tax in FY26
Strong cash flow of Rs 50,475 crore offsets higher costs, payouts.
MUMBAI: If there’s one thing brewing stronger than coffee this year, it’s Nestlé India’s balance sheet. The FMCG major closed FY26 with a solid financial performance, serving up steady growth even as costs and cash outflows kept the pressure simmering. For the year ended March 31, 2026, the company reported a profit before tax of Rs 45,641 crore, up from Rs 43,161 crore in the previous year. The numbers reflect resilience in core operations, supported by a strong consumption backbone across domestic and export markets.
Cash, meanwhile, was anything but idle. Nestlé India generated Rs 50,475 crore in net cash from operating activities, a sharp jump from Rs 29,345 crore last year highlighting robust underlying demand and improved working capital efficiency. Inventory reductions alone contributed Rs 2,809 crore, while trade payables rose by Rs 5,878 crore, adding further liquidity support.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. On the investing side, the company deployed Rs 8,297 crore towards property, plant and equipment, even as overall investing cash outflow stood at Rs 6,236 crore. Financing activities saw a significant drain, with Rs 31,794 crore flowing out driven largely by dividend payouts of Rs 23,139 crore and repayment of short-term borrowings.
The balance sheet tells a story of expansion with caution. Total assets rose to Rs 1,31,824 crore from Rs 1,21,933 crore, while equity climbed to Rs 51,569 crore, reflecting improved reserves and retained earnings. Cash and cash equivalents surged to Rs 13,205 crore, a sharp rise from Rs 761 crore a year ago, underscoring stronger liquidity despite heavy outflows.
Operationally, depreciation and amortisation expenses increased to Rs 6,992 crore, while finance costs and provisions continued to shape the cost structure. At the same time, working capital movements especially in inventories and receivables played a key role in boosting cash generation.
The broader takeaway? Nestlé India’s FY26 performance is less about headline growth and more about financial muscle. With strong cash flows cushioning rising investments and payouts, the company appears to be balancing expansion with discipline keeping its books as carefully measured as its recipes.
