News Broadcasting
DY Works gives Amul Kool Lassi a Makeover
MUMBAI: Amul, India’s apex organization for dairy products has roped in renowned brand strategy and brand design firm DY Works to reinvent the look and packaging of Amul Kool Lassi to attract the young Indian demographic.
Being a brand that gives significant emphasis to their image and marketing, it was felt that the tetrapack that Amul Kool Lassi has been sporting since its launch needed to be revamped to a contemporary pet bottle.
Speaking about the project, Alpana Parida, President of DY Works remarked, “The brief was very interesting, and based on our preliminary research we realized that most of the companies in the peer group, whether it was colas or mineral water, had already moved to pet bottles, thus the need was to design packaging that was not only up to date with current trends but one that capitalized on gaining popularity as a healthy and natural beverage.”
An extensive cross-category study of beverages and customer preferences revealed that the biggest strategic challenge was to re-establish the relevance of lassi in a modern context where alternative beverages like colas and juices dominate the consideration set. Hence, the design objective was to put lassi in the modern, contemporary space with the product USPs of health coming in as supporting factors. Accordingly DY Works chose the route of cashing in on the idea of ‘cool’ manifested through a youthful and vibrant splash of colors. The team at DY Works felt that is was important to use the white background with a balance of colors but at the same time not come across as cluttered. The new packaging has helped appeal to a younger audience by emphasizing much more on style. It has revitalized the brand corresponding to a dramatic uptake in sales.
Remarking on the effective packaging and design instituted by DY Works, Mr. R.S. Sodhi, Managing Director, – GCMMF Ltd. commented, “The strategy to rebrand Amul Kool Lassee to Amul Lassi and redesigning the look to attract youth along with the message of health has really paid well in the market. There is a rising demand of lassi in new pack design which has helped us increase penetration of lassi by 50% in the market.”
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
