Brands
Transteel and Tata Steel unveil eco-smart graphene jute-cotton office fabrics
MUMBAI: Transteel, has teamed up with Tata Steel to introduce graphene-enhanced jute and cotton fabrics to India’s commercial furniture landscape. This cutting-edge upholstery material, designed to boost durability and wellness, supports a circular economy model and significantly reduces reliance on plastics.
Unveiled earlier this year at FM and CRE World Hyderabad and CE Worldwide, the collaboration showcased Transteel’s new bio chairs collection, upholstered in Tata Steel’s advanced graphene-treated natural fibres. As event sponsor, Transteel highlighted its vision of eco-conscious design that doesn’t compromise on performance.
Bio chairs incorporate Tata Steel’s proprietary Graphene ink technology, enhancing the strength, water and stain resistance, and antibacterial qualities of natural fabrics. By integrating these materials, Transteel underlines its commitment to ergonomic comfort, quality craftsmanship, and environmental stewardship.
“At Transteel, we are committed to designing workspaces that are both functional and sustainable. The introduction of Graphene enriched jute and cotton fabrics in our bio chair collection allows us to offer high-performance office seating solutions that support environmental responsibility while maintaining the highest standards of comfort and durability,” said, Transteel managing director Shiraz Ibrahim.
Targeted at corporate and commercial spaces, the bio chairs offer a durable and eco-friendly alternative to synthetic upholstery. As the go-to-market partner for upholstery-grade graphene, Transteel is currently in talks with Tata Steel for a Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) agreement signalling a long-term alignment on sustainability goals.
The partnership exemplifies both companies’ shared mission to reduce plastic use, support farm-to-business sourcing, and champion circular economy practices in the office furniture industry.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
