Brands
Tata Global Beverages looks at wellness segment
KOLKATA: Tata Global Beverages (formerly called Tata Tea) is mulling to explore options of entering into the wellness segment by launching tea for diabetes and cardiac patients. The company with this aims at improving its business.
That apart the beverage company is planning to expand its water portfolio to 10 per cent of its turnover by launching ‘Tata Gluco Plus’ and ‘Tata Water Plus’ stage-by-stage across the country.
“We are actually looking at functional teas as an area of future growth. I think this is a very interesting subject going into the future,” said Tata Global Beverages chairman Cyrus Mistry.
A functional beverage is a non-alcoholic drink and consists of ingredients such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids or additional raw fruits.
“A number of categories in tea and coffee are still unexplored and the geographic reach continues to give us opportunities,” he said.
He said the philosophy of the company is to invest in new categories and geographies.
On tea price, he said, “Tea prices are volatile, but we are making all emphasis on innovation and improvement in procurement process to minimise the impact of rising tea prices in the future.”
According to Mistry, the water division currently accounts for just one per cent of the company’s turnover. During the last financial year consolidated total revenue of the company stood at Rs 7,819 crore, higher by five per cent as compared to the previous fiscal.
TGBL will continue to invest in NourishCo Beverages, a joint venture with PepsiCo India Holdings, despite it not being profitable in the short-term. “But we see revenue growth from this business significantly,” he emphasised.
The company is also looking at capacity expansion for its premium water brand Himalayan. “We have to invest significantly in building the brands in India and globally,” he said.
Tata Water Plus, a fortified water product was also bought by the Tatas after it signed a 50:50 JV with PepsiCo in the year 2010.
Tata Global has already shifted its headquarters to Mumbai from Kolkata.
Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
