MAM
Srinivasan K Swamy is new ASCI chairman
MUMBAI: Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has appointed the industry stalwart Srinivasan K Swamy as the chairman, as the incumbent head Benoy Roychowdhury’s term comes to a close. R K Swamy Hansa BBDO chairman Sundar Swamy, as he is popularly addressed, was serving as the vice-chairman of the board of ASCI during the HT Media executive director Roychowdhury’s term.
About his primary focus as the chairman, Swamy said, “My focus will be to inform the world about ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) and its members, who preview every objectionable advertisement independent of the ASCI board of governors. These members hail from the civil society consisting of consumer activists, educationists and lawyers, etc. Basically, the decision taken by them reflects a consumer’s decision.”
His appointment as the chairman doesn’t come as a surprise given his contribution to the advertising community in India as the head of R K Swamy Hansa BBDO.
Apart from this, Swamy has played important roles in several industry bodies : International Advertising Association (IAA), Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA), Confederation of Asian Advertising Agency Associations, ll India Management Association (AIMA), The Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and the list goes on.
Recently, Swamy was conferred with this year’s AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI).
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Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
