MAM
Vikram Sakhuja is Maxus global CEO
MUMBAI: Vikram Sakhuja, CEO of GroupM for India and South Asia, has been appointed as global CEO of Maxus at a time when it has pocketed a string of new accounts including the prized NBC Universal and SC Johnson.
Interestingly, this will be the first time that the CEO of Maxus will be based out of India.
Sakhuja will succeed Kelly Clark who will now be in charge of the Group‘s operations in North America.
Continuing to be based in Mumbai, Sakhuja will take over the new responsibility after the agency finds his replacement at GroupM.
GroupM, WPP’s media agency, has carried out a number of changes including GroupM North America CEO Rob Norman who has been named as the chief digital officer of the agency in a newly created position.
Sakhuja, Clark and Norman will report to GroupM global president Dominic Proctor. Each will begin his new role later this year.
“Vikram is the perfect candidate to take on the Maxus role from Kelly. Maxus has a great management team and a lot of momentum. I have no doubt that Vikram will continue to build a great agency,” Proctor said.
He added that Sakhuja will remain in his current role until his successor is announced.
Sakhuja told Indiantelevision.com, “It is a very exciting opportunity to be leading Maxus which is a young and energetic brand. Being named as global CEO is very humbling.”
Sakhuja has over 28 years of experience in the industry. He had joined GroupM in 2002 as MD Fulcrum. He was later promoted as MD of Mindshare South Asia and then to CEO for GroupM South Asia. Prior to joining GroupM, he has also worked with Star TV as EVP-marketing, Coca-Cola India as marketing manager brands and Procter & Gamble.
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
