AI firms chase cricket sponsorships as RMG gap persists | Tata Consumer Q3 FY26 profit up 34% | Raymond Lifestyle Q3 profit down 33%

Storyboard18 presents FAST FIVE

We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.

AI firms rush to cricket sponsorships, but RMG sized hole in sports advertising remains

India’s cricket economy is witnessing a new class of advertisers step up to the crease. Artificial intelligence platforms, led by Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, are making high-profile entries into cricket sponsorships, signalling both the growing ambition of global AI firms in India and the enduring power of cricket as the country’s most scalable brand-building platform.

However, despite the splashy deals and marquee visibility, industry executives caution that AI brands — for all their financial muscle — are unlikely to fully compensate for the sponsorship vacuum left behind by real-money gaming (RMG) companies, which were once among the most aggressive spenders in Indian sports.

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Tata Consumer Q3 FY26 profit jumps 34% to Rs 403 crore on volume-led growth

Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL) on Tuesday reported a strong set of earnings for the third quarter of FY26, posting a 34% year-on-year jump in consolidated net profit after tax to Rs 402.79 crore, compared with Rs 299.75 crore in the same period last year.

Sequentially, profit rose marginally from Rs 397 crore in Q2 FY26, reflecting sustained momentum across its core and growth categories.

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Raymond Lifestyle Q3 profit falls 33% to Rs 42.86 crore on export pressure

Raymond Lifestyle Limited reported a 33% year-on-year decline in net profit for the third quarter of FY26, weighed down by pressure on its international business amid higher US tariffs, even as strong domestic demand supported revenue growth.

According to the company’s stock exchange filing, consolidated net profit fell to Rs 42.86 crore in Q3 FY26, compared with Rs 64 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. On a sequential basis, profit declined 44%, from Rs 75 crore in Q2 FY26.

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Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority blocks Telegram groups with over 13,500 members

The Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA) has blocked three Telegram groups and their administrators for promoting illegal online gambling activities, intensifying the state’s enforcement drive against unregulated betting platforms operating through digital channels. The groups collectively had a membership of 13,518 users, highlighting the scale at which offshore gambling operators continue to target Indian consumers through encrypted messaging platforms.

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Karnataka Labour Department sets up gig workers’ welfare board, mandates aggregator fee

The Karnataka Labour Department on Tuesday constituted a 16-member welfare board to extend social security benefits to gig workers, enabling platform aggregators to deposit their share of the welfare fee with the board, as reported by Deccan Herald.

Under the framework, all aggregators will be required to pay a welfare fee in the range of 1 to 1.5 per cent. The Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers Welfare Board has been established in accordance with provisions of the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers’ Social Security and Welfare Act, 2025.

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