MAM
Percept Media hires Raman as chief planning officer
MUMBAI: Percept Media, the media planning, buying and evaluation arm of Percept Ltd, has appointed Srikanth Raman as chief planning officer (CPO).
Raman joins from Starcom MediaVest, where he was general manager handling research and strategy for their clients. He spent six years in the company.
In his new role, Raman will be responsible for creating differentiated strategic based media solutions for the clients. These solutions will be sourced from research and consumer insights undertaken by him and his team, the company said.
Over and above developing media solutions for the company, he will also be leading Percept Media‘s strategic alliance with Pointlogic which was announced recently. He will be responsible for overseeing the integrated intelligence services offered under this association for marketers in India.
Raman comes with over 20 years of experience in the media industry in developing communication and media strategies for brands. He started his career in strategic planning in Enterprise and Nexus Equity. Later he joined Mudra Communications and spent close to seven years.
Raman has been a part of the leadership team in all his past organisations, overseeing macro level of communications for clients like Proctor & Gamble, Jet Airways, Asian Paints, Raymonds, Singapore Tourism, LIC, Indian Oil and Western Union.
Percept Allied Media CEO Shripad Kulkarni said, “Srikanth‘s varied background across critical branding portfolios will add tremendous value to Percept Media which is a young company growing at a break neck speed. He is the best person to take forward our exclusive tie-up with Pointlogic.”
Raman added, “Percept Media has successfully created a robust business model in a very short span of time and are the market leaders today in the media spectrum. I am extremely delighted to join them at their current diversification curve and do look forward to apply my learnings in building various successful verticals within the company.”
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
