Brands
realme ropes in Shahid Kapoor as a product ambassador
Mumbai: realme, a smartphone service provider roped in Bollywood superstar Shahid Kapoor as a product ambassador for its upcoming NARZO 70 Pro 5G aims to set new standards in low-light photography. This strategic collaboration precedes the highly anticipated launch of the NARZO 70 Pro 5G, underscoring the brand’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and the seamless fusion of style and substance.
The partnership strengthens the brand’s dedication to inspiring the millennial & GenZ generations and will help set new standards in the smartphone industry. Shahid Kapoor, known for his spectacular performances and magnetic film presence, embodies the spirit of our NARZO Series and will set a new standard in photography with the NARZO 70 Pro 5G to provide a brand new camera experience in low light. The Narzo series, known for its vibrant and youth-oriented appeal, exemplifies realme’s commitment to offering consumers an unparalleled mobile experience.
Commenting on the association, realme India’s chief marketing officer Tao Zhang stated “We are excited to welcome Shahid Kapoor to the realme family as the face of our NARZO 70 Pro 5G. Shahid’s global appeal and dynamic energy complement realme’s underlying beliefs, resulting in a relationship that embodies elegance, substance, and refinement. We feel Shahid’s involvement will help further enhance Narzo’s overall brand appeal, and fortify our connection with India’s discerning youth, who are the heart of the Narzo Series.”
Shahid Kapoor shared, reflecting on the collaboration, “I’m thrilled to be a part of the realme’s Narzo family! realme is a technology leader that is strongly associated with innovation, style, and cutting-edge technology. I am equally excited to represent a brand that reflects the dynamic spirit of today’s youth. The brand’s constant commitment to pushing boundaries aligns with and complements my own relentless pursuit of perfection. I look forward to being the face of a brand that embodies the spirit of growth and reflects the goals of today’s youth.”
The official announcement coincides strategically with the upcoming introduction of the NARZO 70 Pro 5G, which is expected to set new standards in the smartphone industry. With powerful performance, cutting-edge features, and a stylish design, the NARZO 70 Pro 5G is ready to alter the smartphone landscape for a discerning audience.
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.
