The Temasek and SoftBank-backed company’s operating margins also grew significantly, with Lenskart clocking an Ebitda of Rs 856 crore in FY24, against Rs 403 crore in the previous fiscal. In an interview with ET in October, Lenskart’s founder and chief executive officer Peyush Bansal had said the company is making a $200-million investment in its new manufacturing facility in southern India.

Raymond Lifestyle witnessed a significant 69.72% drop in its consolidated net profit for Q2 FY'25, reaching Rs 42.18 crore. This decline is attributed to subdued demand and inflationary pressures. Despite this, the company remains optimistic about the future, citing recent positive trends in the festive and wedding season and plans for retail expansion and new product launches.

Pernia's Pop-Up Shop is raising funds for its initial public offering. The company plans to use the funds to expand its retail network and become debt-free. The retailer aims to open more stores in Mumbai and Delhi. Pernia's Pop-Up Shop sells designer wear from various brands. The company achieved significant revenue growth in the last financial year.

Page Industries, the company that holds the license for Jockey and Speedo in India, saw its profit increase by 30% in the second quarter. The company's profit reached 1.95 billion rupees. This growth was driven by higher sales of premium athleisure wear. Despite a general slowdown in consumer spending, demand for these products remained strong.

Trent Limited, a Tata Group company, witnessed a 40% rise in net sales for the quarter ending in September. The retailer's revenue reached Rs 4036 crore, while net profit saw a 46% increase to Rs 423 crore. Despite the growth, consumer sentiment remained subdued. Trent opened 43 new stores during the quarter, expanding its presence to 184 cities.

Safari Industries India reported a 25.40% YoY decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 29.66 crore in Q2 FY25, despite a 23.72% YoY increase in revenue to Rs 457.79 crore. The luggage maker's profit before tax also fell by 27.07% YoY to Rs 37.84 crore, primarily due to a significant rise in total expenses, including a 53.

Richemont, the owner of Cartier, fell short of profit projections for the first half of the year and expressed caution regarding China's recovery, causing a decline in European luxury stocks. The company's sales were impacted by a downturn in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in China, where consumer confidence remains low.

Relaxo Footwears recorded a 17 percent drop in net profit to Rs 37 crore for the second quarter ending September 30. Revenue also decreased by 5 percent to Rs 679 crore. The company attributes the decline to lower demand and increased competition from unorganized players. Relaxo plans to add more distributors and optimize operations for future growth.

The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) on Monday said the return of Donald Trump as the next US President will bolster India's textile and apparel trade with its largest international market.

Driven by strong demand from the US and growth in the domestic market, India's home textile industry is poised for a 6-8% growth this fiscal year. Despite economic concerns in the EU, the industry's credit profiles are expected to remain stable, supported by healthy cash accrual and moderate capital expenditure plans.

Kalyan Jewellers saw a 3.3% dip in consolidated net profit, reaching Rs 130.32 crore in Q2 FY25, compared to the same period last year. Despite this, revenue from operations rose to Rs 6,065.4 crore, contrasting with Rs 4,414.53 crore in Q2 FY24. Ramesh Kalyanaraman, executive director of the company said, "We recorded SSSG in excess of 20 per cent for the Diwali minus 30 days period when compared to the base year. ​​We are upbeat about the ongoing wedding season across the country and hope to end the calendar year on a very strong note."​​​​

Mankind Pharma is spinning off its consumer brands business into a wholly-owned subsidiary, aiming to increase its revenue contribution. Similar moves by Sanofi, Cipla, and Zydus Lifesciences have yielded benefits. Mankind Pharma seeks to unlock investor value through focused marketing and potential stock market listings.

He further claimed that the product is launched at a 15 per cent lower price compared to the existing products in the market. “We are retaining lower margins than other brands and it works for us, as we spend much less in marketing,” commented Shreyans Jain, co-founder, Nutrabay.

Beauté Secrets, a D2C beauty tools firm, has secured Rs 1.6 crore in debt from Velocity to expand its presence on quick commerce platforms and introduce new products. Founded in 2010, the company plans to enter major retail outlets and launch new beauty tools, leveraging its sustainable profits for growth and expecting a festive season boost.

The beauty giant, which manufactures makeup, skincare, perfumes, and hair care products, has been in India for close to 20 years now. It had first launched MAC in the country, followed by Clinique, Estee Lauder and recently The Ordinary—its premium affordable range aimed at recruiting younger consumers.

L'Oreal's third quarter sales rose by 3.4% but missed expectations due to low consumer confidence in China. North Asia sales declined 6.5%. Reduced demand for suncare and dermatological products also slowed growth. Chief Executive Nicolas Hieronimus highlighted the need to excite consumers with new innovations, especially targeting young GenZs.

Adwaita and Anchit Nayar, leaders at Nykaa, highlight their complementary roles in driving the company's success. They share insights on India's consumer tech and quick commerce growth, Nykaa's rapid expansion in warehouse capacity, and plans for same-day or next-day delivery, leveraging their efficient capital use and market competition to build the category.

Claypond Capital, Manipal Group chairman Ranjan Pai’s family office, also participated in funding for the health and wellness startup, formerly known as Healthifyme. To date, the company has raised $125 million in primary equity.

9Skin, co-founded by actress Nayanthara, partners with Reliance Retail's Tira to expand into offline retail in India. This collaboration launches the exclusive Skinderella Hydrogel Mask. The partnership aims to offer innovative, natural skincare solutions, now available both online and offline through Tira's network.

Marico Limited finalized its acquisition of Just Herbs in September 2024, securing the remaining 40% equity in Apcos Naturals Private Limited, which owns the Just Herbs brand. With this acquisition, Just Herb's expansion momentum is poised to accelerate.

Highlighting the brand’s expansion trajectory in terms of physical retail presence, Sanjay Sharma, Country Head of Shiseido India said that since launching with 15 touchpoints last year, NARS has already doubled its reach to 30 points in India and plans to double again in the next two years.

Coty expects lower annual profit than previously forecasted. Demand for beauty products is slowing down in the US and Australia. Consumers are choosing essential products over beauty items. Coty's prestige fragrance segment, however, reported a 9% rise in sales. This is due to new launches such as Burberry Goddess and Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild fragrances.

Net sales rose 40% to $301.1 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with analysts' average estimates of $285.8 million, as per data compiled by LSEG.

Luxury fragrance brand Nisara has appointed Beauty Brands Global DMCC as its exclusive distributor in the UAE. The partnership aims to leverage Beauty Brands Global's market expertise to establish Nisara's presence in the region. Nisara plans to offer its products through both online and offline channels, targeting the UAE's appreciation for luxury goods.

Revenue from operations in the reporting period rose 24% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 1,875 crore. The company posted an EBITDA growth of 29% YoY to Rs 104 crore in the reporting quarter, while margins improved 18 bps to 5.5%.

In his role, Dabas will foresee Nykaa Fashion’s online growth strategy, expand its global footprint, and build strategic partnerships—including current alliances with fashion retailers like Foot Locker and Revolve aiming at building brand presence in the fashion e-commerce space.

FirstCry’s IPO size will be the same, as per the IPO papers. It intends to raise $218 million (about Rs 1,815 crore) in primary funding through issuance of new shares and divestment of 54 million shares from existing investors.

FirstCry's CEO Maheshwari saw a 49% compensation drop. The company plans an IPO, approaching SEBI. Employee benefits decreased, with a Rs 23,000 crore valuation and an expected IPO of $3.5-3.75 billion.

India's toy exports saw a slight decline to USD 152.34 million in 2023-24 from USD 153.89 million the previous year. Despite quality control orders, exports did not benefit much. GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava suggested a more comprehensive strategy to develop the industry and boost exports.

Government initiatives, such as mandatory quality control orders and increased customs duties, have significantly boosted India's toy exports, but further efforts are needed, according to DPIIT Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. He mentioned ongoing efforts to include the toy sector in the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, with a proposed budget of Rs 3,489 crore, to enhance domestic manufacturing.

Jammbo, founded in 2023, presently has about 50 products in its portfolio, focusing on ride-on battery toys such as electric cars and bikes. It aims to expand its portfolio to over 200 products by the end of the current fiscal year. The startup has set up its global presence by entering the UAE market. Further, it plans to expand to the U.S. and the U.K. markets this fiscal.

Union Minister calls on domestic toy industry to back artisans and foster creativity at Toy CEO Meet. Global players like Walmart and Amazon join hands for collaborations. Government measures boost local manufacturing. Stakeholders discuss investment opportunities in India's growing toy market.

FirstCry, a baby and mother care product retailer, will list likely at a $3-3.5 billion valuation, sources in the know told ET. FirstCry's IPO will be the second major new-age company to debut on Dalal Street this year, after Ola Electric. The company's offer size remains the same as mentioned in its draft papers.

FirstCry reported a 15% increase in operating revenue to Rs 6,481 crore and reduced losses by 34% in FY24. The Pune-based firm's international business, which is seeing faster growth than domestic operations, reported a revenue of Rs 753 crore, growing by over 50%. The firm plans to use a significant portion of its IPO proceeds for expansion in Saudi Arabia.

The IPO of Brainbees Solution, known for its kidswear brand FirstCry, will open on August 6. It comprises a fresh issue of Rs 1,666 crore and an OFS of up to 5.4 crore shares. The anchor investor round will commence on August 5, a day before the IPO. The price band will be announced later in the week, as per the company's red herring prospectus RHP filed with Sebi.

Founded by Supam Maheshwari and his colleague from a previous business, Amitava Saha, FirstCry has been the darling of investors which include SoftBank, Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata, Premji Invest, Mahindra & Mahindra and TPG Growth.

Baby food startup Bebe Burp shared that it will utilise 60 per cent of the fund for growth, 20 per cent for operations, 10 per cent for product development, and the remaining for team building for a coherent production.

We'll continue to invest in our brand, technology, products, and grow our offline online touchpoints. We are going to open around 350 stores over the next three years and grow our multi-channel competitive strengths. We will also enhance our in-house brands and their distribution through pharmacies and grocery stores. We also plan to invest in manufacturing, international markets and Globalbees, our brand aggregator platform,Supam Maheshwari, cofounder and CEO of FirstCry said.

According to a circular upload on BSE, Brainbees Solutions allotted 4.05 crore equity shares to 71 funds at Rs 465 apiece, which is also the upper end of the price band. This takes the transaction size to Rs 1,886 crore. The IPO, with a price band of Rs 440-465 a share, will open for public subscription on August 6 and close on August 8.

“Subscription, oversubscription, listing gains, do not matter much to me, personally. What matters is this milestone of launching the IPO, which gives a feeling of accomplishment to all our families, and extended families. I am sure performance will always proceed when it comes to the outcome in terms of numbers on the stock market. So, that is okay,” Supam Maheshwari, cofounder and CEO of the Pune-based company, told ET on the sidelines of the listing ceremony.

Floods in the UAE and early Eid, which saw festival season purchases being advanced to early April, hit order volumes for Brainbees Solutions, the parent firm of the baby and mother care product retailer. However, order volumes are now back on track, said CEO Supam Maheshwari.

Millennium Babycares Ltd announced the closure of a Rs 122 crore private placement round with Bharat Value Fund (BVF), which acquired a significant minority stake. BVF is managed by Pantomath Capital and targets a corpus of Rs 2,000 crores. The funds will be used for market expansion in India and internationally.

Shares of FirstCry fell 4.5% after the GST department initiated an investigation at its Mumbai head office and Pune warehouse. The company assured normal operations, with no details on alleged violations.

Lauren Byrne Color Guard Instructor LAUREN BYRNE began her color guard career in 2013 with the Blue Springs Golden Regiment Marching Band and winter guard. She continued her performance career […]

Riley McCallum Color Guard Instructor RILEY McCALLUM is an interdisciplinary performance artist originating from rural Texas. He has a broad background of movement experiences, ranging from martial arts, musical theatre, […]

I think Buzzsprout is the easiest-to-use podcast-hosting provider, and now they've made monetizing easy, too! Plus, you can use this to grow your own podcast!

The post Monetize and Promote Your Podcast with Buzzsprout Ads first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.

With experience in professional film and TV writing, Podcast Studio Pro has been built specifically for the planning and organization needs of podcasters.

The post Plan Your Podcast Better with Podcast Studio Pro first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.

Libsyn has partnered with AdvertiseCast to launch Libsyn Auto Ads, allowing any Libsyn-hosted podcast to monetize with programmatic ads in your podcast!

The post Monetize Your Podcast on Libsyn Regardless of Audience Size first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.

The podcasting industry has grown a lot since its birth in 2004, but the core of what a podcast could be and what it could do hasn't changed much. Now, Podcasting 2.0 revolutionizes the industry with highly requested innovations that will help everyone on all sides of the RSS feeds.

The post What Is Podcasting 2.0 and Why Does It Matter? first appeared on The Audacity to Podcast.