Brands
Ratnaafin unveils its new brand identity
Mumbai: Ratnaafin Capital, a rapidly growing RBI-registered Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), proudly announces its comprehensive rebranding initiative in collaboration with ABND, a leading branding agency in Mumbai. This strategic partnership was forged after thorough evaluation of multiple firms, with ABND’s emphasis on aligning brand strategy with business objectives being pivotal to Ratnaafin’s decision.
The rebranding process involved an extensive stakeholder study at Ratnaafin’s headquarters in Ahmedabad, along with a detailed analysis of channel partners, customer pain points, and expectations. ABND’s comprehensive approach led to the new brand positioning as an “NBFC for Business Owners” and the introduction of the promise ‘Possible Hai,’ which now stands at the heart of Ratnaafin’s brand communication.
The rebranding exercise has refreshed Ratnaafin’s visual and verbal identity while reiterating its core objective: ‘We are in the business for business owners.’
Ratnaafin’s refined portfolio includes a wide range of MSME loans, such as business loans, corporate loans, working capital loans, machinery loans, and loans against property. The primary aim is to empower SMEs, fuel entrepreneurial growth, and support diverse business needs.
Ratnaafin director Malav Desai expressed his enthusiasm for the rebranding initiative, stating, “This transformation marks a significant milestone in Ratnaafin’s journey. Our new brand identity reflects our commitment to empowering business owners with the financial solutions they need to achieve their goals. We are confident that through our newly identified positioning and our partnership with ABND, we will be able to communicate that timely and flexible financial solutions are not a luxury but a key to sustainable growth, to all our stakeholders.”
ABND founder-partner Kunal Vora said, “Our vision for this project was to achieve seamless brand and business alignment. By targeting the specific needs of business owners, we have carved out a unique position for Ratnaafin in the NBFC sector. This strategy is already in effect and driving meaningful outcomes where it matters most.”
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.
