Brands
Uber flips the script with Gambhir and Ashwin in playful new campaign
MUMBAI: When Gautam Gambhir smiles in an ad, you know the commute must be smooth. Uber India has rolled out a fresh campaign featuring cricket stalwarts Gautam Gambhir and Ravichandran Ashwin, casting them not in their usual serious avatars but in refreshingly playful moods as they zip around in Uber rides.
The series of films, peppered with social-first content, shows how Uber Auto, Bike and Car rides can turn India’s daily grind of traffic snarls, heat and hassle into journeys that are reliable, affordable and surprisingly uplifting.
“We wanted to bring a fresh, fun lens to Uber’s role in removing everyday travel struggles. With the unexpected duo of Gambhir and Ashwin, we’ve created a light-hearted take on how Uber makes rides not just reliable and affordable, but also mood uplifting. Our aim is to be the go-to brand for young Indian aspirers, one that connects function with feeling and nudges even non-users to try Uber for the first time,” said Uber head of marketing for India and South Asia Ameya Velankar.
The campaign takes a culture-first approach, rolling out in multiple regional languages and markets, tapping into local humour, pop culture cues and everyday commuting insights. The wide rollout spans TV, digital, social platforms, and outdoor, ensuring Uber’s message is seen and felt across urban India.
Uber today operates across two-, three- and four-wheelers, along with buses and mass transit options, giving millions of Indians flexibility to pick rides that suit their budget, need and time. From the quick bike dash to beat gridlock, to a trusty auto or a comfortable car trip, Uber has woven itself into India’s urban fabric.
With creative duties handled by FCB India and media by Essence Mediacomm, the campaign underscores Uber’s positioning as more than just a ride, it’s a mood-changer. By making cricket’s most no-nonsense players break into grins, Uber hopes to convince even the most commute-weary Indian that travel can be a happy ride after all.
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.
