Brands
Saffola’s latest campaign 40 under 40 inspires India to eat better and live healthier
Mumbai: Saffola, a leading legacy brand synonymous with healthy living and heart health, has launched the Saffola 40 Under 40 campaign. A health movement spread over eight weeks; this movement is aimed at inspiring young Indians to prioritise their health. The movement commences with 40 young achievers from varied fields, all of whom are under 40 years of age, taking part in the journey of health by adopting Roz Ka Healthy Step and inspiring India to eat better and live healthier. The 360-degree campaign encompasses TV, Print, OOH and Digital platforms to bring widespread awareness about celebrating success in health, as one would with the 40 under 40 milestone in one career.
The movement has been designed to continue to remind young and mid-career individuals to take note of their health, even as several other priorities of life such as jobs, careers, children, ageing parents, etc. demand their time. This lack of focus on health has led to a significant rise in lifestyle diseases like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes impacting young Indians. Conditions and health issues that were once commonly associated with individuals in their 60s are now affecting Indians much earlier, at the age of 40 and under.
Health is 80 per cent what we eat and 20 per cent exercise, with that in mind the movement aims to create awareness and educate young India to focus on eating better every day. As part of the movement, the 40 young achievers will be guided by experts to make modifications led by eating right and adding mild physical activity to their lifestyle. The participants share their journey and inspire young India to join them and start taking Roz Ka Healthy Step.
It all starts with taking the Saffola Lifestyle Score, a proprietary score that helps assess the impact that lifestyle choices have on an individual. The score helps build further on how the right choices can help have a healthier heart too.
Marico Ltd chief marketing officer Somasree Bose Awasthi said, “There is an increasing trend of young Indians falling prey to lifestyle diseases; In a young country like India, this trend is deeply concerning. Saffola has always focussed on a healthy lifestyle and as a thought leader in that space, we believe it is our responsibility to encourage young India to eat better and live healthier. Through the 40 under 40 campaign, Saffola is attempting to bring about a sustainable habit change which can better our consumer’s life. We believe in today’s hectic day and age, earning the consumer’s attention requires sustained effort and engagement which we will attempt to build using a multi-touch point model to bring the campaign alive.
The Saffola 40 under 40 campaign is spearheading the cause of inspiring India to take health seriously by participating in a health journey with 40 young achievers under 40 years, who will take India on a journey towards better health by adopting Roz Ka Healthy Step”.
Madison Media chief operating officer Jolene Fernandes Solanki said, “Taking note of the rising incidences of lifestyle diseases amongst young people; together with Saffola, we at Madison Media take pride in creating this health journey with 40 young achievers and their followers across India. Saffola has always been at the forefront of promoting a healthy lifestyle, and through this campaign, it attempts to make a change and bring forth the focus on healthier living. Backed by months of conceptualising and strategic excellence, along with all the stakeholders we look forward to driving and promoting the health journey for the upcoming days.”
Mullen Lintas chief creative officer (CCO) Ram Jayaraman said, “While the world (rightly) celebrates professional young achievers, we wanted to encourage all Indians to think deeply about another kind of achievement: good health. Saffola ’40 under 40’ Roz ka Healthy Step is a social-first, interactive campaign that recruits 40 influencers under the age of 40 as real, fallible brand ambassadors to inspire the rest of us towards taking that decisive first (second, and third) step towards mindfully healthy living.”
Start by checking your Saffola Lifestyle Score and Join the Movement today!
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/spotlight/saffola-40under40/survey
Brands
Microsoft faces worst quarter since 2008 financial crisis
Cloud giant battles soaring AI costs and fierce competition from nimble startups.
MUMBAI: When the tech titan starts looking a little wobbly, even the Magnificent Seven can feel the tremors because Microsoft is currently starring in its own sequel, “Clouds and Doubts.” Microsoft is on track for its worst quarterly performance since the 2008 global financial crisis, according to Bloomberg, as investors grow increasingly uneasy about rising capital expenditure and intensifying competition from nimble AI firms. The company has been pouring money into AI infrastructure, yet markets are questioning when these hefty investments will finally deliver stronger revenue growth.
At the same time, investors are shifting away from traditional software stocks amid fears that AI startups such as Anthropic and OpenAI are developing autonomous agents capable of replacing established products, including those from Microsoft. Jonathan Cofsky, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors, noted growing concern that customers may bypass Microsoft and deal directly with AI vendors, potentially disrupting its core business and putting pressure on pricing and margins.
Microsoft’s stock has tumbled 25 per cent in the first quarter, putting it on course for its largest drop since a 27 per cent fall in the fourth quarter of 2008. It has also emerged as the weakest performer among the so-called Magnificent Seven technology stocks, while a broader index tracking the group has fallen 14 per cent over the same period. The shares slipped a further 1.7 per cent after markets opened on Friday, marking a potential fourth consecutive session of declines.
Cofsky pointed out that Microsoft has become more capital intensive and that improved investor confidence will hinge on assurances that software growth will not slow materially. Despite the sell-off, the stock is now trading at less than 20 times projected earnings over the next 12 months, its lowest valuation level since June 2016. Its valuation remains slightly above that of the S&P 500 Index, although it has recently traded at a discount to the broader benchmark for the first time since 2015.
Bloomberg data shows Microsoft’s capital expenditure, including leases, is expected to surge to $146 billion in fiscal 2026, up around 66 per cent from $88 billion in fiscal 2025. Spending is projected to climb further to $170 billion in fiscal 2027 and $191 billion in fiscal 2028, based on average estimates. Investors are growing cautious about such levels of spending without clearer signs of stronger growth.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud division has reported a slight slowdown in growth compared with the previous quarter, while its Copilot AI product has seen limited user traction, prompting internal changes aimed at improving performance. Ben Reitzes, an analyst at Melius Research, warned in a March note that Microsoft’s upside in Azure could be constrained as the company works to address challenges related to its AI models and Copilot offering, adding that these issues are unlikely to be resolved in the short term.
Of the 67 analysts covering Microsoft, 63 maintain buy ratings, three hold ratings and one a sell rating. The average 12-month price target of $592 implies a potential upside of more than 64 per cent, the highest on record based on data going back to 2009. The stock is also trading below its 200-day moving average by the widest margin since 2009.
Reitzes suggested the dominance of buy ratings may indicate complacency among analysts, while highlighting risks in Microsoft’s productivity and business processes segment as well as its More Personal Computing division. In contrast, Tal Liani of Bank of America reinstated coverage with a buy rating, citing durable multi-year growth prospects across cloud and AI. Jake Seltz, portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, maintained that Microsoft retains strong long-term value and that its AI strategy is likely to be validated over time, viewing near-term concerns as a potential opportunity for longer-term investors.
The report highlights a growing divergence in market sentiment, with optimism around long-term AI potential weighed against immediate execution risks and investor uncertainty. In the world of big tech, even the mightiest clouds can have silver linings but right now, Microsoft’s investors are scanning the horizon for clearer skies.
