Brands
Vidyut Tech rebrands to Vidyut
Mumbai– Vidyut Tech (VT), a Bengaluru-based EV financing startup, has announced an extensive rebranding to reflect its vision of building a full-stack EV ecosystem. Its new brand identity as Vidyut includes a comprehensive suite of products aimed at making EV ownership more accessible, convenient, and worry-free for its customers. While Vidyut’s financing solutions had already lowered the barriers to EV ownership, the company recognized that there were still issues preventing its customers from adopting EVs. To address these issues, Vidyut has expanded its services and rebranded to resonate with its mission of comprehensively supporting customers in their EV ownership journey.
The company has also unveiled its new tagline, “EV now on your terms,” which encapsulates its commitment to providing flexible, customer-centric solutions across all aspects of EV ownership. The new positioning not only highlights the immediate benefits Vidyut offers but also builds trust in the brand’s ability to adapt to individual customer needs.
As part of Vidyut’s rebranding initiative, the company has introduced a new logo and color palette aimed at embodying its innovative and customer-centric ethos. The refreshed visual identity symbolizes Vidyut’s renewed mission, featuring an electric bolt seamlessly integrated with the letter ‘V’. The vibrant purple color of the letter ‘V’ symbolizes new-age trust and technological innovation, while the bright golden ‘bolt’ represents well-being and optimism. Overall, the new identity showcases energy, power, and the company’s unwavering commitment to advancement and innovation in the EV sector.
Highlighting on the larger vision of the brand, Vidyut co-founder Xitij Kothi said, “As we have evolved over the years, we’ve consistently pushed the boundaries to embrace a customer-centric approach within our business model. Today is another step in that direction. We are thrilled to unveil our new identity, which allows us to effectively communicate our mission to build a full-stack trusted EV ecosystem. Our new logo represents more than just a name change; it symbolises our dynamic and compassionate brand, deeply committed to enhancing every aspect of our customers’ journey. This rebranding underscores our values and commitment to providing comprehensive services that ensure a seamless and worry-free EV ownership experience.”
In February, Vidyut secured $10 million in its Series A fundraiser, led by 3one4 Capital and saw participation from Saison Capital, Zephyr Peacock, Force Ventures, the venture debt fund Alteria Capital, and Udaan’s co-founder Sujeet Kumar. New funding round enabled Vidyut to advance its vision of enhancing EV ownership for SMBs and support India’s clean energy transition.
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.
