MAM
Water Interbrand makes a steady start
MUMBAI: DDB Mudra Group‘s strategic branding outfit Water Consulting, a merged entity of Omnicom‘s Interbrand and erstwhile Mudra‘s strategic branding and design consultancy Water, has posted an encouraging start in the quarter ended June.
In its first three months of operations, the agency has not only expanded its client base but also the scope of its operations. It added new projects like PepsiCo GNG brands Quaker and Tropicana, Asian Paints PPG‘s corporate branding and environment design, XLRI rebranding, MoneyGram brand expression, and EMMBI‘s brand strategy, identity and engagement assignment.
With the new assignment, the agency now has a total of three overseas clients – Etisalat, PepsiCo and MoneyGram.
Interbrand London CEO Graham Hales said, “The emphasis on all assignments being carried out now is in line with Interbrand‘s commitment to creating and managing brand value in a benchmark way.”
Water Interbrand business head and head of strategy Ashish Mishra said, “Significantly, Water‘s central philosophy of creating brand‘s that resolve socio cultural conflicts has found great resonance with Interbrand‘s inspirational belief that brands have the power to change the world.”
Hales added, “Being a pioneer and a leading global brand consulting network, we would like to create a clearer understanding of how brands are living business assets which when managed well across touch points, create identification, differentiation and value.”
The agency also expressed its intent to grow the Indian market as well by providing an approach that demonstrates the measurable value of brands.
Water joined the global Interbrand network when Omnicom acquired majority stake of 51 per cent in Mudra last October. The global brand consultancy is represented in India through Water.
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.
