Brands
Titan’s Q4-2014 q-o-q Ad expenses down 26 per cent
BENGALURU: Titan Company (Titan), formerly known as Titan Industries, reported a (-25.98) per cent drop in advertisement expenses (Advt Exp) in Q4-2014 at Rs 87.37 crore (3.12 per cent of Income from Operations or Op Inc) as compared to the Rs 118.04 crore (4.18 per cent on Op Inc) in the immediate trailing quarter Q3-2014, but 31.13 per cent more than the Rs 66.663 crore (2.55 per cent of Op Inc) spent in the year ago quarter of Q4-2013.
Note: Rs 100 lakh = Rs100,00,000 = Rs 1 crore = Rs 10 million
Titan has three revenue segments – watches with five major brands – Titan, Xylus, Nebula, Sonata and Fastrack; Jewellery (the largest segment in terms of revenue and consequently profits) with Tanishq, Zoya, Gold Plus from Tata, Mia and Fq teen diamonds; and ‘Others’ that include eyewear under the Titan EYE+ brand, apparel and eyewear also under Fastrack brand and precision engineering among others.
Over nine quarters staring from Q4-2012 until Q4-2014, Titan’s Advt Exp shows an upward trend in terms of absolute rupee value, but a drop in terms of Advt Exp as percentage of Op Inc.
During FY-2014, Titan spent 7.25 per cent more towards Advt Exp at Rs 404.43 crore (3.7 per cent of Op Inc) as compared to the Rs 377.09 crore ((3.73 per cent of Op Inc). Though the Advt Exp in terms of absolute rupees in FY-2014 was higher, in terms of percentage of Op Inc, the drop in Advt Exp was 0.03 per cent.
Please refer to Fig 1 and Fig 1A below for Titan’s Advt Exp trends.
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Titan’s Op Inc for Q4-2014 at Rs 2803.38 crore was 4.77 per cent more than the Rs 2675.77 crore in Q3-2014 and was 7.28 per cent more than the Rs 2613.24 crore in Q4-2013. In FY-2014, Titan’s Op Inc at Rs 10915.79 crore was 7.94 per cent more than the Rs 10112.67 crore in FY-2013.
PAT for Q4-2014 at Rs 206.44 crore (7.36 per cent of Op Inc) was 24.68 per cent more than the Rs 165.57 crore (6.19 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 11.61 per cent more y-o-y than the Rs 184.97 crore (7.08 per cent of Op Inc). PAT for FY-2014 at Rs 741.14 crore (6.79 per cent of Op Inc) was 2.2 per cent more than the Rs 725.18 crore (7.17 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Please refer to Fig 2 and Fig 2A for Op Inc and PAT details.
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The company says that weak consumer demand continues and this is affecting growth in both watches and jewellery. It claims that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given approval to it for hedging of its gold inventory on international commodity exchanges – brings back efficiency to hedging.
Titan says further that issues with gold supply in the market persist – high premium on gold continues encouraging smuggling and though the sale of gold coins has resumed the uptake has been very lukewarm.
It avers that Titan’s focus on retail network expansion continues – 39 stores (44000 sq. ft.) were added during
Q4-2014 across divisions. Year-to-date there has been an addition of 125 stores (180,000 sq. ft), including 30 TitanOne conversions.
Titan informs that it has entered into a JV agreement with Montblanc for single brand retail trade in India
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.
