Brands
TVS and Petronas extend lubricating sponsorship in high-octane motorsport deal
MUMBAI: TVS Motor Co has revved up its partnership with Petronas Lubricants International, extending their slick collaboration for another three years of motorsport dominance across India’s racing landscape.
The oil giants will continue as title sponsors of TVS Racing – India’s pioneering factory racing team that has maintained a scorching 80 per cent win rate across multiple racing formats – supporting their campaigns in supercross, rally and motorcycle championships nationwide.
“TVS Racing has played a pivotal role in democratising motorsports in India,” said TVS Motor Co head business – premium Vimal Sumbly, whose Apache series motorcycles benefit directly from the team’s racing pedigree. “Petronas expertise in fluid technology, combined with our racing heritage, will continue to shape the future of two-wheeler racing in India.”
The partnership goes beyond mere branding, with Petronas continuing as the official supplier of after-market oils to TVS’s sprawling dealer network. Its TVS TRU4 range will keep offering premium synthetic lubricants designed to give TVS motorcycles maximum thrust and longevity – ensuring riders can keep their pistons pumping at peak performance.
Petronas Lubricants India chief executive officer Binu Chandy couldn’t contain his excitement about getting his hands dirty in India’s racing scene: “Our collaboration with TVS Racing has been instrumental in demonstrating the synergy between high-performance lubricants and motorsport excellence.”
TVS Racing continues to dominate both at home and abroad, with Aishwarya Pissay extending her winning streak at the Bajas Championship while the team has secured titles across national racing categories.
For petrolheads and speed freaks across India, this partnership promises to keep the nation’s motorsport scene well-oiled and running smoothly for years to come – proving once again that when it comes to racing success, proper lubrication is absolutely essential.
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.
