Brands
Quarter Pounder, Not Quarter Loss Westlife bites back in Q3 scorecard
MUMBAI: When numbers are served hot, even a tough quarter can come with a twist. Westlife Foodworld Limited, which operates McDonald’s restaurants in West and South India, posted a mixed but telling set of results for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, with exceptional gains cushioning pressure on its operating performance.
For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 667.22 crore, compared with Rs 637.48 crore in the preceding quarter and Rs 650.24 crore in the year-ago period. Including other income of Rs 7.42 crore, total income for the quarter rose to Rs 678.13 crore.
Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 666.43 crore, driven largely by employee benefit expenses ofRs ₹102.69 crore, cost of materials consumed at Rs 218.25 crore, depreciation and amortisation of Rs 56.24 crore, and other expenses of Rs 252.27 crore. As a result, profit before exceptional items and tax stood at Rs 11.70 crore.
However, exceptional items played a decisive role. A gain of Rs 81.11 crore from a redevelopment transaction was partly offset by an impairment of investment amounting to Rs 71.19 crore, resulting in a net exceptional impact of Rs 20.12 crore. After factoring these in, profit before tax for the quarter stood at Rs 20.12 crore.
Following a tax expense of Rs 10.20 crore, Westlife reported a profit after tax of Rs 9.92 crore for the quarter, compared with a loss in the preceding quarter. Total comprehensive income for the period stood at Rs 5.66 crore, after accounting for other comprehensive losses.
On a nine-month basis, the story was steadier. For the nine months ended December 31, 2025, revenue from operations stood at Rs 1,970.21 crore, up from Rs 1,888.05 crore in the corresponding period last year. Total income for the period came in at Rs 1,995.12 crore.
Expenses during the nine-month period rose to Rs 1,997.62 crore, resulting in a marginal loss before exceptional items and tax of Rs 2.49 crore. Exceptional items, including gains from redevelopment and the impact of new labour codes, helped swing the numbers, taking profit before tax to Rs 40.63 crore.
After accounting for a tax outgo of Rs 29.97 crore, profit after tax for the nine months stood at Rs 10.67 crore. Total comprehensive income for the period was reported at Rs 29.39 crore.
For the full year ended March 31, 2025, Westlife had reported consolidated revenue of Rs 2,491.19 crore and a profit after tax of Rs 11.55 crore, underlining the volatility that continues to mark the quick-service restaurant business amid inflationary pressures, wage costs and store-level investments.
Earnings per share for the December quarter stood at Rs 0.07, while nine-month EPS was reported at Rs 1.92.
While operating margins remain under watch, the latest numbers underline how redevelopment-led gains and balance-sheet discipline are helping cabsorb short-term pressure. In a business where consistency is hard-earned, the quarter shows the company finding ways to keep the grill warm even when the heat is on.
Brands
ITC Sunfeast Farmlite launches Sugar Free Cookies range
New variants offer guilt-free indulgence for health-conscious snackers.
MUMBAI: ITC Sunfeast Farmlite is sweetening the deal for biscuit lovers who want to have their cookie and eat it too without the sugar. The better-for-you biscuits range from ITC Foods has expanded its portfolio with the launch of an all-new Sugar Free Cookies line, aligning with the company’s vision of ‘Help India Eat Better’. The range is designed for consumers who are rethinking sugar in their daily snacking but refuse to compromise on taste and indulgence.
The collection debuts with two tempting variants: Choco Nut Cookies and Hazelnut & Oats Cookies. Both are a source of protein and contain no trans-fat, while the Hazelnut & Oats variant is also lactose-free.
ITC Ltd. vice president (marketing), biscuits, foods division, Suraj Kathuria said, “At Sunfeast Farmlite, we believe mindful snacking should never come at the cost of indulgence. With this launch, we are catering to the growing need for guilt-free snacking while delivering a rich, satisfying cookie experience.”
ITC Ltd. vice president & head of food sciences for foods division Dr Shantanu Das added, “We have applied robust food science to develop cookies that are sugar-free while preserving the taste and texture consumers love.”
Each cookie comes in convenient single-serve packs to maintain texture and freshness. Both variants are available in 100g packs priced at ₹100 and can be found on quick-commerce platforms including Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto.
In a market increasingly leaning towards healthier choices, ITC Sunfeast Farmlite’s new Sugar Free Cookies prove that cutting sugar doesn’t mean cutting joy. For the health-conscious yet indulgent snacker, this could be the perfect bite-sized solution.
