Brands
Smartivity’s new ad urges parents to swap screen time for curiosity time
MUMBAI: Curiosity may have killed the cat, but screens are slowly smothering the kids. Smartivity, India’s leading Stem-based educational toy brand, has launched a poignant new commercial that spotlights a growing parenting dilemma: children losing their natural sense of wonder as screens take over their days and their questions.
Released in November 2025 and crafted by Motima Films, the ad captures the quiet heartbreak of curiosity fading. A child asks questions, a distracted parent half-answers, and the spark dims. With no one left to respond, children retreat to passive screen content: bright, noisy, and endlessly distracting, yet offering little to think about or explore.
Smartivity’s film flips the script by showing what happens when screens give way to screws, gears and hands-on play. As the child assembles a Smartivity Stem toy, curiosity returns: eyes widen, fingers move, gears turn and wonder comes rushing back in. The brand’s philosophy, “build. play. learn.”, shines through every frame.
The film nudges parents to rethink screen habits and choose experiences that encourage discovery, presence and purposeful play. Because, as the film gently reminds, curiosity grows when children feel heard, engaged and free to tinker their way into understanding the world.
Co-founder Ashwini said the film mirrors what many families witness daily.
“Kids’ curiosity is being diverted to screens. Smartivity was created to change that. Our toys help children explore, build and discover answers through hands-on play, the way curiosity is meant to grow.”
Marketing head Sumedha added, “Children now turn to screens for answers. Through this film, we want to inspire a shift from passive screen time to purposeful play. Smartivity’s toys give kids a hands-on way to stay curious.”
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
