Brands
TCS announces Rs 57 dividend alongside December quarter results
MUMBAI: Tata Consultancy Services has given investors something to smile about, announcing a chunky payout even as the global tech mood stays cautious.
India’s largest IT services firm on Monday declared a total dividend of Rs 57 per share, combining a third interim dividend of Rs 11 with a special dividend of Rs 46. The payout will be credited on February 3 to shareholders on record as of January 17.
The announcement came alongside the company’s financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. TCS reported consolidated revenue of Rs 67,087 crore for the quarter, up from Rs 63,973 crore a year earlier. Net profit stood at Rs 10,720 crore, reflecting steady performance amid a testing environment for global technology spending.
For the nine months ended December, revenue rose to Rs 1.96 lakh crore, while profit came in at Rs 35,670 crore. Banking, financial services and insurance continued to anchor growth, remaining the company’s largest and most profitable segment.
There were a few bumps along the way. Profit was impacted by one-time costs linked to restructuring, the financial effect of India’s new labour codes, and a provision made towards an ongoing legal case in the United States. Together, these exceptional items weighed on the bottom line, though TCS maintained that its core business remained resilient.
The company also stayed busy on the deal front. It completed the acquisition of ListEngage, a Salesforce-focused firm, and announced plans to buy US-based Coastal Cloud for $700 million, reinforcing its push into cloud-led digital services.
Despite global uncertainty, the board’s decision to announce a special dividend signals confidence in cash flows and balance sheet strength. For shareholders, it was a reminder that while the tech cycle may ebb and flow, TCS still knows how to share the spoils.
As the year gathers pace, the IT major appears set on a familiar path: cautious optimism, steady execution, and the occasional sweetener along the way.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
