MAM
Times of India wins the ‘Green Brand of the Year’ at IAA’s Olive Crown Awards 2024
Mumbai: The India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) hosted the 14th edition of its annual property, the Olive Crown Awards 2024, on 5 April at the ITC Grand Central, Parel, Mumbai. The awards acknowledged the remarkable work of those individuals and corporations who drove the message of sustainability or ‘green advertising’.
The event was attended by senior marketing, media, and advertising professionals from across the country. The event was supported by The Hindu Group & ZEE News; Blue Star Ltd was the cooling partner; Radio City was the radio partner; while Vijay Sales, Rajasthan Patrika, ASUS and News18 were the associate partners for the event. Laqshya Media Group was the outdoor partner & Awardor the strategic partner.
An eminent jury comprising renowned professionals such as Anupama Ramaswamy (Chief Creative Officer, Havas Worldwide India), K.V. Sridhar (Global Chief Creative Officer Nihilent Limited & Hypercollective), Prateek Bharadwaj (Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas India), Tista Sen (Creative Brand Consultant), Carlton D’Silva (Co-Founder, Musemakers & House of Awe) & Mukund Olety (Chief Creative Office, VML) shortlisted the winners through a rigorous process.
Jury members being felicitated at the event (L-R) Tista Sen, Avinash Pandey (President IAA India Chapter), Mukund Olety, Janak Sarda (Chairperson, IAA Olive Crown Awards), K V Sridhar
Avinash Pandey, President IAA India Chapter said “I believe these awards are not just unique but also very special. Unique because they are a symbol of intra-industry collaboration. Even though this is an IAA India Chapter property, it was launched 14 years ago at the GoaFest which is jointly run by the Advertising Club and the Advertising Agencies Association of India. Even now, it is associated with the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations, thereby being the only property with a real reach in both the Eastern and the Western parts of the world.
Special, because these awards symbolize the commitment of the Marcom industry to be not just guardians of their respective brands, but also guardians of Brand Earth..”
Avinash Pandey, President, IAA India Chapter
Adds Janak Sarda, Chairperson, IAA Olive Crown Awards “Any awards are only as good as the jury that judges them. So let me begin by thanking our jury members who were a real asset to us.
Our event could never have been held without the help of our supporters. Some have supported us for the second and third time. This marks them as loyal supporters of the environment.
And then I would like to thank those who have sent in their entries from all over the world. Their active participation shows that the marcom industry is indeed populated with people who believe that what’s good is also good for business. Finally, I would like to thank each one who is here today. All true friends of the environment. Planet Earth needs you.”
Janak Sarda, Chairperson IAA Olive Crown Committee 2024
VML bags 9 awards across categories including the ‘Green Agency Of The Year’ & Green Campaign of the Year’- for ‘#UnplasticIndia’
Teams from VML receiving the ‘Green Agency Of The Year’ trophy
The Times of India wins the ‘Green Brand of the Year’- Gold
Team from The Times of India along with presenters
‘Corporate Crusader Of The Year’ – Gold bagged jointly by Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Co. Ltd for the work ‘Mathrubhumi SEED’ & The Times of India for their work ‘#UnplasticIndia & Saving Our Stripes’
Mayura Shreyams Kumar, Director-Digital Business, Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Company Ltd receiving the trophy
The awards were presented across 17 different categories, including the coveted title ‘Green Crusader of the Year’ award, which was presented to Padma Shri Jadav Payeng for his life’s mission to put the green agenda on not just top of their list but to make sure that the people around them have stood up and taken notice. He has a forest spread over 550 hectares after him – the Molai Forest in Jorhat, Assam. Popularly known as the Forest Man of India, Jadav “Molai” Payeng is an environmental activist and forestry worker from Majuli. Over the course of several decades, he has planted and tended trees on a sandbar of the river Brahmaputra turning it into a forest reserve.
(L-R): Avinash Pandey (President IAA India Chapter), Bittu Sahgal (environmental activist, writer, and Founder, Sanctuary Nature Foundation), Jadav Payeng, Srinivasan K Swamy (Chairman – AFAA) & Janak Sarda (Chairman – IAA Olive Crown Awards 2024)
Malhar Kalambe gets the ‘Young Green Crusader of the Year’. He has been conducting beach clean-ups in Mumbai for the past five years at Dadar Beach, Mithi River & Airoli Mangroves, Elephanta Caves & Carter Road at Bandra. He uses social media to draw attention towards his cause, create awareness about environment conservation and plastic pollution, and gather a community of volunteers to help him with on-ground clean-up activities every weekend. He is an environmentalist, founder of BeachPlease and has won accolades from the Government of India as well as is the recipient of U.N. “I am the change I want to see in the world.’
Malhar with presenters
Earth Brigade Foundation get Gold in the category ‘Green NGO of the Year’.
Team from Earth Brigade Foundation receiving the trophy
Ramesh Narayan honoured with the ‘Most Sustainable Marcom Personality Award’ by EARTHDAY.ORG
Karuna Singh of EARTHDAY.ORG honors Ramesh Narayan
The ‘International Green Campaign of the Year’ Gold was won by Grameenphone ltd & Grey Advertising from Bangladesh for their truly outstanding campaign – Green Solar Network.
A ‘Committee Special Mention Award’ was conferred upon an initiative that brought together singers, artistes, green custodians and actors to act on the menace of Plastic waste. Asif Bhamla (Bhamla Foundation), Neeraj Roy (MD, Hungama), Ricky Kej, Shankar Mahadevan and Armaan Malik are a few of those who contributed to the cause.
Brands
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.
