Brands
Phillips opens Innovation Campus in India
MUMBAI: A few days ago Phillips opened a new campus in India. This marks a stage – wise migration from its current location in Ulsoor to this upcoming 500,000 square feet state-of-the-art facility spread over 12.5 acres.
Philips Semiconductors CEO Frans van Houten says, “Philips Innovation Campus (PIC) is elementary to Philips technology strategy and will become its global competence center to fuel growth and create value in the business areas of healthcare, lifestyle and technology. In the domain of lifestyle, it will significantly contribute to Digital TV and Blu-ray. Connectivity will be the key area of contribution under the Technology domain.”
Specifically referring to the activities of Semiconductors R&D team in PIC Van Houten said, “We are working on cutting-edge 65nm SoC designs and libraries, IP modules and are investing heavily in our Nexperia Home and Mobile platforms using the skills of the India design team. Additionally, a large number of global design-ins for our DTV and advanced cell phone programmes are being supported from here.
“India has become a major growth opportunity for us both from consumer and technology points of view and the investment in this Campus reflects our commitment to expanding our presence here. PIC’s growth plans are concrete and realizable.” Van Houten says that PIC expects to have 2500 employees by the of 2007.
“PIC has emerged as a critical partner in the development of strategic and futuristic technologies for Philips worldwide. It contributes around one-third the software content for our products worldwide and has established itself as a key center of excellence. It houses R&D activities under one roof in order to bring about synergy, cross-fertilisation of ideas and sharing of best practices” he added.
PIC CEO Dr. Bob Hoekstra said, “Phillips conducted a survey on expectations of the future workplace. The new Campus is designed around its employees, facilitating an easy to experience work environment with advanced features. This flows from the three brand pillars of Philips – Designed around you, Easy to experience, and Advanced. It is designed to offer a dynamic innovation environment.”
Brands
Bajaj Consumer Care FY26 profit rises to Rs 193.7 crore
Revenue climbs to Rs 1,092 crore as profit grows 49 per cent YoY
MUMBAI: Hair today, growth tomorrow Bajaj Consumer Care Limited seems to have found its shine again, posting a sharp jump in profitability even as it doubled down on brand spends and expansion. The company reported a net profit of Rs 193.7 crore for FY26, marking a strong 49 per cent rise from Rs 130.1 crore in FY25. Revenue from operations also grew to Rs 1,092.2 crore, up from Rs 942.8 crore a year earlier, signalling steady demand momentum across its portfolio.
For the March quarter, profit stood at Rs 64.1 crore, compared to Rs 31.5 crore in the corresponding period last year, while revenue rose to Rs 308.3 crore from Rs 243.5 crore.
The performance came despite a notable increase in spending. Advertising and sales promotion expenses climbed to Rs 168.3 crore in FY26, up from Rs 137.8 crore in FY25, reflecting continued investment in brand building. Other expenses also rose to Rs 151.3 crore from Rs 134.2 crore, indicating a broader push towards growth.
Operating efficiency, however, held firm. Profit before tax increased to Rs 234.8 crore in FY26 from Rs 157.7 crore a year earlier, supported by disciplined cost management across materials and inventory.
On the balance sheet, the company’s total assets expanded to Rs 959.1 crore as of March 31, 2026, compared to Rs 931.9 crore a year earlier. Other equity rose to Rs 780.3 crore, reinforcing a stronger financial base.
Cash flow from operations saw a significant uptick, reaching Rs 196.9 crore in FY26, nearly three times the Rs 67.9 crore recorded in FY25, highlighting improved working capital management.
However, the year also saw aggressive capital allocation. The company spent Rs 190.2 crore on share buybacks, contributing to a net cash outflow of Rs 196.5 crore from financing activities. Cash and cash equivalents stood at Rs 6.8 crore at the end of the year, down from Rs 25.6 crore.
Even as investments in subsidiaries and assets continued, the numbers suggest a company balancing growth ambitions with shareholder returns keeping one eye on expansion and the other on efficiency.
With margins improving and revenue steadily climbing, Bajaj Consumer Care appears to be combing through the competition with renewed confidence.
