Brands
Pulse Golmol imli goli brings tangy nostalgia for Just Rs 1 a pop
MUMBAI: Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group), has expanded its confectionery portfolio with the launch of Pulse Golmol imli flavour goli. This soft, tangy tamarind-based goli is priced at just Rs 1 per pouch and promises to spark nostalgia among Indian consumers.
Infused with natural tamarind, Pulse Golmol taps into the flavour profile that generations have grown up loving. The product also highlights tamarind’s Ayurvedic benefits, especially its role in aiding digestion.
DS Group business head – confectionery Jyotiroop Barua said, “DS Group is excited to unveil its newest offering, Pulse Golmol, adding to the Pulse product line. It’s more than just a goli; it’s a delightful journey down memory lane, reawakening the carefree joy and zest. Each tangy tamarind treat is bursting with the playful Pulse flavour. Pulse is market leader in HBC category and just like our core Pulse products, we’re confident that this new offering will be a favourite among our consumers and further strengthen our position in the market.”
To support the rollout of Pulse Golmol, the brand is launching a multi-faceted campaign across the country. The pre-launch phase includes impactful in-store displays, product sampling, and on-ground consumer activations. A wider media campaign will follow, crafted to evoke playful nostalgia and highlight the mischievous tang of tamarind.
DS Group’s confectionery division recently crossed Rs 1,000 crore in annual turnover for FY 2023-24. It holds a dominant position in the non-chocolate confectionery segment, particularly in the hard-boiled candy (HBC) and Indian ethnic confectionery (IEC) categories.
Sustainability also remains a key focus for DS Group. The company operates a fleet of over 800 electric vehicles for confectionery distribution, aligning with its ESG vision and commitment to ethical business practices.
DS Group continues to innovate across its diverse brand portfolio, which includes Pulse, Pass Pass, Rajnigandha Pearls, Chingles, Pulse Natkaare, and the recently acquired LuvIt. With a strong grip on evolving consumer tastes especially among Gen Z the group is modernising its ethnic offerings and embracing new-age marketing and digital strategies.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
