MAM
Sonal Dabral starts second innings at Ogilvy India
MUMBAI: Ogilvy India has announced apointment of Sonal Dabral as the group chief creative officer and vice-chairman.
Ogilvy south Asia executive chairman and creative director Piyush Pandey said, “This is a first-time designation at Ogilvy & Mather in keeping with Sonal’s stature. Sonal was my first partner in building the creative reputation of Ogilvy India as it stands today. I am sure we will have a great partnership again to take Ogilvy to even greater heights.”
Dabral worked at Ogilvy India from 1991 to 1999. He then took over as the Creative Head of Ogilvy Malaysia and within three years made it the No. 1 Creative Agency in that country. Thereafter he took on the reins of creativity in Ogilvy Singapore as its leader and raised the flag even higher, after which Ogilvy India wooed him back to India as the chairman India and regional creative director for Bates Asia-Pacific. He then took on the responsibility at DDB Mudra as Chairman and Chief Creative Officer.
Pandey added, “As my partner in the 90s, he hired more creative talent than I have done in my life. He not only hired them, but inspired them and gave them wings to fly on their own. Sonal is a popular speaker around the world and a favourite jury member on every international award show. There is so much to Sonal’s achievements, that if I write them all, his joining us will get delayed.”
This appointment is welcomed and celebrated by John Seifert, Chairman & CEO of Ogilvy Worldwide, ThamKhai Meng, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer and Co-Chairman of Ogilvy Worldwide, Kent Wertime, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Ogilvy Asia-Pacific and Eugene Cheong, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Asia-Pacific. The Ogilvy leadership looks forward to Sonal injecting additional energy to the creative powerhouse for which Ogilvy India is well known around the world.
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.
