Brands
OYO launches OYO Wizard to give discounts to members
MUMBAI: South Asia’s largest hotel chain OYO has launched OYO Wizard, a new membership program designed to recognise and reward frequent customers.
OYO Wizard is a one of a kind, benefit membership program that aims to deepen and strengthen customer relationships by providing highly rated and curated hotels to its loyal guests at the best price. The newly launched program comes with unique benefits, including guaranteed discounts, upgrades and benefits and is currently available at an early bird membership fee of Rs 99.
OYO chief of strategy Maninder Gulati says, “With 95 per cent of our revenue coming from repeat and organic customers, we knew it was time to give back. OYO Wizard will enable us to take the OYO experience a step further by making it possible for us to engage with customers in a more personal and meaningful manner. We believe that this initiative is an important milestone in our efforts to streamline our customer offerings across our global hospitality network.”
The membership entitles its members for 5 per cent instant discount on current booking and instant rewards in the form of OYO Money. With super OYO benefits, members will also get a 10 per cent discount on their next stay at the same OYO hotel, while they have the option to avail 5 per cent discount across all other partner hotels.
These benefits are applicable across OYO’s diverse portfolio including OYO Rooms, OYO Townhouse, OYO Home, SilverKey, Capital O and Edition O.
The benefits will soon be extended to OYO hotels in international destinations like China, Malaysia and Nepal.
OYO Hotels is South Asia’s largest hospitality chain operating in more than 160 cities across India, China, Malaysia and Nepal. With over 5500 exclusive hotels in its chain and 100,000 rooms, OYO works in close proximity with its asset partners while exercising full control over the hotels for ensuring a quality experience for travellers. Its network includes major metros, regional business hubs, top leisure destinations as well as pilgrimage towns.
Brands
Lotus Chocolate FY26 profit drops sharply, Q4 slips into loss
Revenue steady at Rs 579.55 crore, Q4 loss at Rs 4.47 crore
MUMBAI: Sweet on the top line, slightly bitter on the bottom Lotus Chocolate’s FY26 numbers tell a story that’s more dark cocoa than milk. The company managed to hold its revenue steady for the year, but profitability took a visible hit, capped by a loss-making fourth quarter. Lotus Chocolate Company Limited reported revenue from operations of Rs 579.55 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, marginally up from Rs 573.75 crore in FY25. Total income rose to Rs 615.61 crore, compared with Rs 574.56 crore in the previous year, supported by a sharp jump in other income to Rs 36.06 crore from just Rs 0.81 crore.
However, the gains at the top did little to cushion profitability. Net profit for FY26 fell dramatically to Rs 0.10 crore, down from Rs 17.23 crore in FY25, reflecting significant cost pressures across the business.
The March quarter proved particularly challenging. The company reported a net loss of Rs 4.47 crore in Q4 FY26, compared with a profit of Rs 0.14 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 1.42 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 138.01 crore, down from Rs 150.21 crore in Q3 FY26 and Rs 157.52 crore in Q4 FY25.
Expenses remained elevated throughout the year. Total expenses rose to Rs 614.44 crore in FY26 from Rs 551.50 crore in FY25, eating into margins. A key swing factor was the cost of materials consumed, which stood at Rs 304.44 crore, while changes in inventories also reflected volatility, with a negative impact of Rs 62.44 crore in the previous year reversing to a positive Rs 52.93 crore this year.
Employee benefit expenses nearly doubled to Rs 34.00 crore from Rs 17.98 crore, while finance costs surged to Rs 16.31 crore from Rs 7.11 crore, indicating higher borrowing and funding costs. Depreciation and amortisation expenses also increased to Rs 3.92 crore from Rs 1.81 crore, reflecting ongoing investments.
On the balance sheet front, total assets stood at Rs 275.96 crore as of March 31, 2026, slightly higher than Rs 270.34 crore a year earlier. Borrowings remained significant, with current borrowings at Rs 89.00 crore, highlighting continued reliance on external funding.
Cash flow dynamics showed improvement in operations, with net cash generated from operating activities at Rs 93.23 crore, compared with a negative Rs 129.60 crore in FY25. However, financing outflows remained high at Rs 74.90 crore, driven largely by repayment of borrowings and interest costs.
Despite stable revenue, the sharp drop in profitability underscores the pressure of rising input costs, higher finance expenses and operational adjustments. The contrast between steady sales and squeezed margins leaves Lotus Chocolate at a crossroads proving that in business, as in confectionery, the real test isn’t just in the sweetness of sales, but in the richness of returns.
