MakeMyTrip Reports Gross Bookings of $10.4 Billion for FY26
MakeMyTrip announced FY 2026 gross bookings of $10.4 billion, a 10.4% constant‑currency increase year‑on‑year and the highest ever for the company. Full‑year revenue rose 10.7% to $1 billion, while adjusted operating profit reached $189 million. All verticals posted double‑digit margin growth, led by bus ticketing (29.3%) and a 37.1% jump in the “Others” segment. CEO Rajesh Magow highlighted AI‑driven assistant Myra’s role in expanding tier‑two city usage and resolving over half of post‑booking queries.
Reliance Retail Names Sandeep Karwa as Ajio CEO; Vineeth Nair Gets Expanded Role
Reliance Retail has appointed Sandeep Karwa, former Coupang Taiwan country head and ex‑Flipkart Ads vice‑president, as CEO of Ajio, Shein and other online fashion platforms. Current Ajio chief Vineeth Nair will now supervise the broader fashion and lifestyle portfolio across...
PepsiCo India to Invest Rs 5,700 Crore by 2030 on Capacity Expansion
PepsiCo announced up to ₹5,700 crore (≈ $687 million) of capital spending in India through 2030, focused on expanding its foods manufacturing capacity. The plan includes a new concentrates plant in Madhya Pradesh and snack‑production facilities in Assam and Tamil Nadu. In FY2025 the Indian...
Eating Out or Ordering Online May Soon Cost More: Food Services Set to Become 5–10% Costlier Starting Next Week Amid...
India’s state‑run oil firms lifted petrol to about $1.18 per litre and diesel to $1.09, prompting restaurant operators to add a 5‑10% surcharge to dining‑out and delivery menus starting next week. Executives cite higher transportation, packaging and raw‑material costs, compounded...
West Bengal Tax Body Rejects Flipkart’s GST Exemption Model for Delivery Charges
West Bengal's Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling has reversed a prior decision that exempted Flipkart's delivery charges from GST, classifying the service as a courier rather than a goods transport agency (GTA). The authority ruled that the company's logistics chain—hub...
Amazon’s Quick Commerce Blitz Rattles Blinkit’s Playbook
Amazon is accelerating its 10‑minute delivery push in India with Amazon Now, now handling 450,000‑500,000 orders daily from roughly 500 dark stores. The service’s orders are growing 25% month‑on‑month and Prime members are tripling their purchase frequency. Blinkit, the sector’s...
Ambani’s Cola War with Coke, Pepsi Spurs Fridge Bonanza in India
Mukesh Ambani's low‑price Campa soda has ignited a fierce cola war with Coca‑Cola and Pepsi in India, prompting all three to fund a wave of commercial refrigerators, known as visi‑coolers, for small retail outlets. The Indian commercial‑fridge market is projected...
Tata Consumer Banks on Strong Brands, Selective Price Hikes to Fuel Double-Digit Growth
Tata Consumer Products is aiming for double‑digit revenue growth in fiscal 2027 by leveraging its strong brand portfolio and selective 3‑7% price hikes to offset rising fuel, freight and packaging costs. The company’s latest earnings beat estimates, prompting the stock...
FMCG Companies Bracing for Another Round of Price Increases Amid Inflation
India's top FMCG firms—including Dabur, Britannia, HUL, Pidilite and Varun Beverages—are gearing up for another round of price hikes as crude‑linked inflation, soaring fuel and packaging costs, and a weakening rupee squeeze margins. Companies have already lifted prices between 2%...
Turning 70 in November, Noel Gears up to Retire From Tata Company Boards
Noel Tata, who turns 70 in November, is preparing to step down from several Tata‑group board positions, including chairmanships at Tata Investment Corp, Tata International, Trent and Voltas, and vice‑chair roles at Titan and Tata Steel. The group follows a...
Retail Chains Like Reliance Retail, DMart Go on Store Expansion Spree as Demand Recovers
India’s ten largest listed retailers added a net 2,182 stores in FY26, the highest three‑year total, driven by recovering consumer demand and tax cuts. Expansion focused on smaller towns where shoppers still favor brick‑and‑mortar. Reliance Retail led with 820 net...
Bullish on Quick Commerce, Says Walmart CEO John Furner at Flipkart Townhall
Walmart CEO John Furner told a Flipkart town‑hall in Bengaluru that the retailer is bullish on India’s quick‑commerce market. He highlighted that Walmart has already sourced more than $40 billion of goods from Indian manufacturers and is meeting Prime Minister Narendra...
Raymond Lifestyle's Q4 Loss Widens to Rs 52 Cr; FY26 Revenue Rises 10.6 Pc
Raymond Lifestyle reported a widened Q4 net loss of ₹52.06 cr (≈$6.3 m) despite an 18.9% revenue jump to ₹1,777.45 cr (≈$21.4 m). EBITDA surged 53% to ₹152 cr (≈$1.83 m) with an 8.4% margin, reflecting higher marketing spend and digital‑transformation costs. For FY26, profit rose...
FMCG Major Emami to Acquire Majority Stake in Vedix, SkinKraft Parent Co IncNut
Indian FMCG group Emami Ltd is buying a 60% stake in IncNut Digital, the direct‑to‑consumer beauty platform behind Vedix and SkinKraft, for Rs 321 crore (~$38.7 million) in cash. The remaining 40% will be acquired over the next 4.5 years based on performance. IncNut...
‘We Are Not Going to Do Charity’: Kingfisher Beer Maker United Breweries to Exit Unprofitable States
United Breweries (Kingfisher) announced it will pull back from Indian states where strict price caps and soaring input costs erode margins. The brewer projects a ₹400‑₹500 crore ($48‑$60 million) profit hit this year, driven by higher glass, aluminium, fuel and logistics expenses....
On Their Toes: Brands Step up Anti-Counterfeit Drive as Fake Products Flood Markets
Consumer brands in India are intensifying anti‑counterfeit initiatives as fake toothpaste, food, dairy and tobacco products flood markets. Companies such as Haleon, Nestlé, Mother Dairy and Amul are redesigning packaging with raised watermarks, adding traceability layers and tightening distributor audits....
Radico Khaitan Profit Nearly Doubles to Rs 179.46 Cr in Q4
Radico Khaitan Ltd reported a near‑doubling of Q4 consolidated profit to Rs 179.46 crore (≈ $21.6 million), up from Rs 93.07 crore a year earlier. Revenue rose 15.5% to Rs 5,180.23 crore (≈ $624 million) and gross margin expanded to 48%, a 453‑basis‑point year‑on‑year gain. For FY26 the company posted...
Zappfresh in Talks for Majority Stake in GM Foods
Zappfresh, the direct‑to‑consumer meat and seafood delivery platform owned by DSM Fresh Foods, is negotiating to acquire a majority stake in Haryana‑based GM Foods for roughly Rs 20 crore (about $2.4 million). The acquisition would add GM Foods’ ready‑cook breakfast, spice and dessert‑mix...
India Throws Diet Coke Parties as Iran War Disrupts Supplies
India’s bars and influencers are capitalising on a sudden Diet Coke shortage caused by shipments stalled in the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran‑Houthi conflict. Because Diet Coke is sold only in cans in India, the supply chain is especially...
Zee Sues Nykaa over Alleged Copyright Misuse of Songs on Instagram Reels
Zee Entertainment has filed a Delhi High Court lawsuit against beauty retailer Nykaa, accusing the brand of using Zee‑owned songs in Instagram reels to market products. Zee claims its licensing agreement with Meta permits only non‑commercial use, while Nykaa allegedly...
Croma Bets on Health-Tech Push, Brings in Smart Rings, Partners Oura
India’s leading electronics retailer Croma, part of the Tata Group, announced a strategic push into health‑tech, adding smart rings to its portfolio and formalising a partnership with Finnish wellness brand Oura. The retailer aims to offer advanced wearables that provide...
Nestle India Looks for Volume-Led Growth Despite Price Volatility Amid Geopolitical Uncertainties
Nestle India is steering its FY27 plan toward volume‑led growth despite a volatile pricing environment driven by rising raw‑material costs and geopolitical tensions. The company posted FY26 revenue of Rs 23,194.95 crore (≈ $2.8 billion), up 14.5% year‑on‑year, and Q4 profit of Rs 1,110.9 crore (≈ $134 million)....
In Major Escalation, Tata Trusts to Review Its Representation on Tata Sons’ Board
Tata Trusts, the majority owner of Tata Sons, announced it will review its representation on the holding company’s board at a meeting on May 8. The agenda includes a possible removal of vice‑chairman Venu Srinivasan, whose recent comments favoring a public listing...
Magnum Plans Three More Factories to Cash in on India's Ice Cream Craze
Unilever’s demerged ice‑cream arm, The Magnum Ice Cream Company, announced plans to increase its Indian manufacturing base from one to four factories as it chases the country’s rapidly expanding ice‑cream market. The move follows a strategic overhaul that shifted the...
India's Consumption Stands Its Ground Amid Gulf War Tremors
India’s consumption engine kicked off the fiscal year with record GST collections of ₹2.43 lakh crore (≈ $29 billion), an 8.7% year‑on‑year rise, while passenger‑car sales jumped 25% to 445,417 units in April. Digital payments via UPI surged 21% to ₹29 lakh crore (≈ $350 billion), underscoring robust...
Digital Gold Sector Takes Shine to Govt’s Formal Framework Signal
India’s digital gold market, now handling roughly ₹3,000 crore ($360 million) in monthly inflows and $1.8‑$2.4 billion in assets, is drawing formal regulatory attention after fintech founders met senior finance‑ministry officials. Industry leaders, including Safegold, Gullak and payment platforms Google Pay and PhonePe, are...
From Chatpata Flavours to Home Cooking: Here's What 2026 Food Trends Indicate
The Godrej Food Trends Report 2026 was launched at the Tasting India festival in New Delhi, unveiling five headline trends that will shape India’s culinary landscape. The report, now in its ninth edition and based on insights from more than 200 chefs,...
Banana Leaf Targets Rs 100 Crore Revenue, Plans 40 Outlets with 10–15 Pc EBITDA
Banana Leaf, a Mumbai‑based South Indian restaurant chain, aims to surpass Rs 100 crore (≈$12 million) in revenue this fiscal. The company currently runs 20 outlets—12 owned and 8 franchised—and plans to expand to 30 by year‑end and 40 the following year, with...
Consumer Companies Feel Summer Wedding Glow as Jewellery, Appliances, Staples Sales Outpace Winter Gains
India’s summer wedding season is fueling a consumer surge, with staple items such as edible oil and rice posting 12‑15% year‑on‑year growth in May and mass‑market appliances climbing 20‑30%. Jewellery sales are booming, highlighted by Titan’s 52% YoY increase and...
Future Coupons to Pay Rs 11 Crore in Amazon Settlement
Amazon and Future Coupons Pvt Ltd (FCPL) have settled their long‑running dispute, with FCPL agreeing to pay more than 10% of the SIAC award—Rs 11 crore (about $1.3 million)—out of a total award of over Rs 105 crore (~$12.6 million). The settlement resolves a six‑year legal...
HUL to Take Calibrated Price Hikes Amid Cost Pressures; Demand Situation Stable: CEO Priya Nair
Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) will implement calibrated price increases of roughly 3‑5% to offset an 8‑10% rise in input costs driven by higher raw‑material and crude‑linked packaging prices. CEO Priya Nair said demand remains stable, with a positive trend in...
Reliance Retail Acquires Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s Anomaly to Scale Beauty Play
Reliance Retail announced the acquisition of Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s hair‑care brand Anomaly, taking full ownership of its trademarks, brand assets and digital properties. The deal enables Reliance to leverage its extensive offline network of over 20,000 stores and its e‑commerce platform Tira...
Global Consumer Companies Stay Bullish on India
Global consumer giants are bullish on India, with Mondelez, Coca‑Cola, Pernod Ricard, Reckitt Benckiser and Carlsberg reporting double‑digit growth in the March quarter. Reliance Industries’ consumer‑goods arm posted about ₹8,800 crore (≈$1.06 billion) revenue for FY26, driven by daily essentials and beverages. Recent GST...
PepsiCo Bets on Zero-Sugar Drinks, Digital Push to Drive India Growth
PepsiCo aims to shift 90‑100% of its Indian beverage portfolio to zero‑sugar or mid‑calorie drinks, up from the current 55‑60%. The company is using digital tools such as the Pep Genie WhatsApp app and quick‑commerce data to guide product and...
Every System Has to Compound: Kumar on Meesho's First 100 Days as a Public Company
Meesho’s AI‑driven discovery feed now initiates 73% of its orders, delivering 690 million purchases in Q3 FY26—a 36% year‑on‑year rise across 251 million transacting users. The platform processes over four billion daily data signals, using a 100‑300 ms latency engine that personalises feeds in...
The 9 Pm Rule Inside India’s Predictable Summer Shopping Pattern
India’s Instamart Summer Trends 2026 report reveals a striking 9 PM peak for ice‑cream orders, with demand more than doubling between 6 PM and 9 PM nationwide. Curd tops overall sales, while mangoes, cold beverages and frozen desserts surge up to 300% week‑on‑week as...
India Contributes to Coca-Cola's Global Volume Growth in Jan-Mar
The Coca‑Cola Company posted a 12% rise in first‑quarter 2026 net revenue to $12.5 billion and a 3% increase in unit‑case volume, with India among the markets driving growth. In the Asia‑Pacific zone, volume rose 5% and revenue reached $1.5 billion, helped...
Quick Commerce Firms Face Heat as Riders Stay Off Peak Hours
India's quick‑commerce firms are grappling with a rider shortage as extreme heat deters couriers from working peak afternoon hours. To retain staff, companies are offering extra pay of roughly $0.10‑$0.18 per delivery on top of a base $0.24‑$0.36 per order....
Blinkit Flags Growth Moderation as Quick Commerce Firm’s Profitability Improves
India’s quick‑commerce leader Blinkit signaled a slowdown in its growth trajectory, projecting net order value (NOV) to rise just over 60% over the next three years versus a 104% CAGR from FY23‑FY26. The firm posted its second straight quarter of...
House of Chikankari Raises Rs 25 Crore in Series A, Eyes 3x Growth with Offline Foray and Omni-Channel Push
House of Chikankari, a women‑led ethnic wear brand, secured a Rs 25 crore ($3 million) Series A round led by Cap Alpha Ventures. The funding will finance a rollout of exclusive brand outlets in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad and expand its SKU...
Varun Beverages Q1 Results: Cons Profit Jumps 20% YoY to Rs 879 Crore; Revenue Rises 18%
Varun Beverages, the primary PepsiCo bottler in India, posted a 20% year‑on‑year rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 879 crore (≈$107 million) and an 18% jump in revenue to Rs 6,574 crore (≈$802 million) for the March quarter. EBITDA climbed 21% to Rs 1,529 crore (≈$187 million), lifting...
Platforms, Brands Accelerate Agentic Commerce Push as Fintechs Plug Payment Gaps
Digital platforms and brands such as Flipkart, Bigbasket, Ajio and Firstcry are building AI storefronts to enable agentic commerce—AI‑driven shopping where agents autonomously search, select, order and pay. Fintechs like Razorpay and Cashfree have introduced payment protocols, with Razorpay piloting...
Essentials, Staples Drive Reliance's FMCG Business, Qcomm Push Hits Retail Margins
Reliance Industries' consumer products arm posted FY26 FMCG revenue of ₹22,000 crore (~$265 bn), with daily essentials and staples contributing ₹8,800 crore (~$1.06 bn), or 40% of the segment. The soft‑drink brand Campa led the portfolio with ₹4,700 crore (~$57 m) sales, making it the fourth‑largest...
Paradise Biryani Plans ₹100-Crore Fundraise
Paradise Biryani, the Hyderabad‑based biryani chain, is raising roughly ₹100 crore (about $12 million) by diluting a 10‑12% stake. The capital will fund an aggressive rollout of 100 new outlets, expanding the network from 57 to about 160 stores across major Indian...
Tech Investor Lachy Groom in Talks to Back Pronto; Valuation Set to Double at $200 Million
US tech investor Lachy Groom is negotiating a $15‑20 million investment in Indian instant house‑help platform Pronto, which would lift its valuation to about $200 million, twice its March round. Pronto previously raised $25 million at a $100 million valuation from Epiq Capital, General...
Reliance Retail Expands 2-Hour Delivery Network; JioMart Daily Orders Rise 300% in Q4
Reliance Retail’s Q4 FY26 results show hyper‑local commerce exploding, with JioMart’s average daily orders surging 300% year‑on‑year and 29% sequentially. The retailer posted roughly $12 billion in gross revenue and $845 million EBITDA, delivering a 7.9% margin while expanding its footprint to...
Reliance Retail Q4 Profit Flat at Rs 3,563 Cr
Reliance Retail posted a marginal 0.5% rise in profit after tax to Rs 3,563 crore (≈$429 million) for the March quarter, while gross revenue jumped 10.84% to Rs 98,232 crore (≈$11.8 billion). The retailer expanded its footprint with 333 new stores in the quarter, reaching a...
Nykaa Pushes House of Brands Beyond Its Own Platform; Two New Labels in Pipeline
Nykaa is scaling its House of Brands strategy beyond its own e‑commerce site, treating each label as a standalone brand rather than a private label. The company plans to launch at least two new beauty brands, which may not carry...
Ethnic Wear, But Make It Cool: The 'Gen Z-Fication' Of Traditional Wear Brands
India’s ethnic wear market is pivoting from wedding‑centric, high‑ticket items to everyday, affordable fashion driven by Gen Z. Legacy brands such as BIBA, Libas and Rangita have launched sub‑brands—BIBA NXT, Gerua and a dedicated Gen Z line—priced between roughly $4 and $30 to...
Jubilant in Talks to Sell India Rights of Dunkin' To Its US Owner Inspire
Jubilant FoodWorks (JFL) is negotiating with Inspire Brands to sell its India franchise rights for Dunkin' as the current agreement ends in December. Inspire, which owns Dunkin' globally, plans to pass the rights to another local partner to revive the...