Brands
Trent’s tills keep ringing as festive demand lifts Q3 numbers
MUMBAI: Retail therapy paid off this quarter, and Trent’s balance sheet shows it. Trent Limited posted a solid set of standalone numbers for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, riding festive demand, steady store performance and disciplined cost control. Revenue from operations rose to Rs 5,259.46 crore in Q3, up from Rs 4,724.06 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 4,534.71 crore in the same period last year.
Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 5,412.79 crore, supported by other income of Rs 153.33 crore. This helped the Tata Group retailer report a profit before tax of Rs 804.01 crore, after accounting for an exceptional expense of Rs 25.79 crore during the quarter.
Net profit for Q3 FY26 came in at Rs 639.71 crore, marking a clear improvement over Rs 450.77 crore in Q2 and Rs 469.33 crore a year ago. Net profit margin expanded to 10.36 per cent, reflecting operating leverage and tighter control over expenses.
Costs remained largely in check despite continued expansion. Total expenses for the quarter rose to Rs 4,582.99 crore, driven primarily by stock purchases of Rs 2,868.91 crore and occupancy costs of Rs 400.96 crore. Employee benefit expenses stood at Rs 310.72 crore, while depreciation and amortisation increased to Rs 354.49 crore as newer stores and assets were absorbed into the network.
For the nine months ended December 2025, Trent reported revenue from operations of Rs 14,764.77 crore, compared with Rs 12,562.01 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine-month period rose to Rs 1,513.07 crore, up from Rs 1,234.92 crore, underscoring consistent growth across quarters.
The company’s balance sheet remained healthy. Net worth improved to Rs 7,248.38 crore as of December 31, 2025, compared with Rs 5,914.40 crore a year ago. The debt-equity ratio moderated to 0.32, while the current ratio stood at a comfortable 2.15, signalling strong liquidity.
Operational efficiency also held firm. Operating margin improved to 11.76 per cent in Q3 from 11.10 per cent a year earlier, while interest service coverage remained robust at 17.19 times, reflecting Trent’s ability to comfortably service its borrowings.
Earnings per share for the quarter rose to Rs 18, compared with Rs 12.68 in the previous quarter and Rs 13.20 a year ago. For the nine-month period, EPS stood at Rs 42.56, reinforcing the retailer’s steady earnings trajectory.
Overall, Trent’s Q3 performance suggests that even in a crowded retail landscape, strong brands, tight execution and festive momentum can still make the tills sing.
Ola has a new voice. The ride-hailing giant has appointed Shirsha Majumder as senior manager for PR and communications, bringing in a seasoned hand to sharpen its brand narrative and media relations.
Majumder arrives from Acko, where she spent close to four years playing a central role in shaping the insurance company’s communications strategy. Before Acko, she built her credentials across a string of well-regarded organisations including HDFC Life, Adfactors PR and Edelman, accumulating over nine years of experience across reputation management, media relations, strategic messaging and stakeholder engagement.
At Ola, she is expected to bring that breadth of experience to bear on the company’s communications function at a time when the brand is navigating an increasingly competitive and scrutinised market.
For a company that has rarely been far from the headlines, getting the communications right matters. In Majumder, Ola has picked someone who knows how to manage a narrative under pressure.
