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AWL Agri Business Ltd, formerly known as Adani Wilmar, has reported a 113% year-on-year spike in its quick commerce sales volume in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025. 

According to the company, the quick commerce performance was driven by a strategic focus on operational improvements—particularly in product assortment, availability, and promotions and advertisements. 

The FMCG firm's revenue from alternate channels increases to more than Rs 3,600 crore than the overall sales. Fortune brand registered the highest market share in alternate channels across other categories, such as besan, flour, sugar, and poha in the March quarter.

The south region sales volume grew by 25% YoY, contributing more than 10% to the branded sales, AWL Agri said in a stock exchange filing. This growth was fuelled by improvements in distribution infrastructure, sustained marketing efforts and adoption of regional packaging.

Overall, the company's profit after tax for the Q4 FY25 stood at Rs 191 crore, up 22%. In the previous fiscal year, AWL Agri registered a profit of Rs 157 crore. 

The company's revenue jumped 38% YoY to Rs 18,230 crore in Q4 FY25 from Rs 13,223 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal.

The revenue of the edible oil segment saw a 45% jump to Rs 14,769 crore in the March quarter FY25, while food & FMCG's revenue stood at Rs 1,464 crore, up 9% YoY.

The company said that branded edible oils grew by 6% YoY in FY25, led by improved distribution and sustained marketing efforts.

"To capture market share from regional players, we’re investing in advertising for the Kings brand, specifically targeting social media platforms widely used in smaller towns," AWL Agri added.

In the FMCG segment, the company's wheat flour sales grew in double digits in both the Q4 and full fiscal year. Additionally, soap grew by 19% YoY in FY 25, registering a revenue of around Rs 130 crore.

AWL Agri's quick commerce sales volume jumps 113% in Q4, driven by ads and promotions

Consumer products multinational corporations (MNCs), with operations in India, have experienced higher-than-FMCG industry growth between 2018 and 2023.

According to a report by Bain & Company, of the 30 top global MNCs based in India, 19 have reported higher growth than the FMCG industry in this span.

The report observed that the Indian affiliates delivered a total shareholder return of between two and six times that of their global parents. 

Additionally, the report found that 60% of the Indian affiliates’ revenues are growing at least double their parent companies’ growth rate.

India is the third-largest contributor to consumer product growth among emerging markets over the past decade.

“Companies already investing in India are benefiting from accelerated growth, higher shareholder returns, and opportunities to shape globally relevant products, said Ravi Swarup, head of Bain’s Consumer Products practice in India. 

While India has traditionally been considered a difficult market for MNCs, it has made tremendous improvements to barriers. Rapid digital adoption and widespread smartphone and internet penetration have enabled companies to effectively reach India’s diverse population. E-commerce and quick commerce have grown 2–3 times faster in value than traditional and modern trade channels, diminishing the need for an extensive traditional trade network to enter the market. Digital payments are also gaining popularity, with 45% of Internet users adopting them for transactions.

“What we are seeing is a market where both legacy players and new entrants can win, but only if they rewire their approach to be truly India-centric," Nikhil Ojha, head of Bain’s Strategy practice in the Asia-Pacific region said.

Consumer MNCs in India deliver 2-6 times higher returns than global parents: Bain & Co

Nestlé India on Thursday announced its 4th quarter result for the fiscal year 2025. The maker of Nescafe and Maggi-like brands reported a 6.53%  decline in profit in the March quarter of fiscal year 2025 on a consolidated basis. 


According to the Q4 earnings report, Nestlé India registered a profit of Rs 873 crore between January-March FY 2025 compared to Rs 934 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal (FY24).

The company's standalone profit for Q4 FY25 stood at Rs 885 crore versus Rs 934 crore in Q4 FY24.


Notably, the net profit for the fiscal year 2025 stood at 3,314.5 crore versus 3,196.2 crore in FY24. While the company registered total sales of Rs 20,077.5 crore in FY25.


The KitKat chocolate maker's consolidated revenue saw an increase of 4.4% to Rs 5,503 crore in Q4 FY24 compared to 5,267 crore in Q4 FY24.

According to Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director of Nestlé India, the Q4 FY25 witnessed double-digit growth in Beverages and Confectionery, with 3 out of 4 product groups delivering healthy growth. 


Narayana added, "Our domestic sales crossed the Rs 5,235 crore mark, the highest ever in any quarter supported by improving volume growth".

According to the Q4 earning report, Nestlé India attributed the growth to mainly beverages sales which posted "high double-digit" growth. 

On the other hand, confectionery grew at a high single-digit pace both in value and volume driven by KitKat, the FMCG major said.

Further, prepared dishes and cooking aids posted mid-single-digit growth with Maggi returning to volume growth and Maggi Masala-Ae-Magic also demonstrated positive growth.

The petcare business reported high double-digit growth – the highest ever, since its integration into the Nestlé India business.

"Out-of-Home (OOH) business also delivered double-digit growth and is emerging as one of our fastest growing businesses", the filing mentioned.

Nestlé India's FY25 net profit stands at Rs 3,314.5 crore, Q4 profit declines 6.6%

Fast-moving consumer Goods (FMCG) giant Hindustan Unilever announced its quarter 4 result for the fiscal year 2025 on Thursday. The maker of brands like Dove and Horlicks reported a 3% decline in its consolidated profit to Rs 2,475 crore in Q4 FY25 compared to Rs 2,561 crore in the corresponding quarter in FY24.

The company's standalone profit in Q4 stood at Rs 2,493 crore--an increase of 4% year-on-year.

HUL reduced its consolidated advertisement and promotion expenses by 6.5% to Rs 1,510 crore in the March quarter FY25 YoY.

In Q4 FY24, HUL's ad expenses were Rs 1,616 crore.

On a sequential basis, the consolidated ad expenses saw a marginal rise of 0.19%. HUL spent Rs 1,507 crore on ads and promotion in the December quarter (Q3) FY25.

On a standalone basis, HUL's ad expenses saw an 8.3% decline YoY to Rs 1,454 crore in Q4 FY25 compared to Rs 1,586 crore in the same period last fiscal. 

<strong>HUL's standalone Q4 FY25 earnings:</strong>

The FMCG major registered a total income of Rs 15,513 crore in the January-March quarter in FY25 versus Rs 15,077 crore in Q4 FY24.

The home care segment's revenue saw an uptick of 1.80% YoY to Rs 5,818 crore in Q4 FY25 versus Rs 5,715 crore in Q4 FY24. The beauty and well-being segment's revenue surged to Rs 3,113 crore in Q4 FY25 (up 4.21%) compared to Rs 2,987 crore in Q4 FY24. The personal care segment's revenue stood at Rs 2,124 crore in Q4 FY25, up 3% YoY. However, the revenue of food segments saw a decline of 0.38% to Rs 3,896 crore in Q4 fiscal year 2025 YoY.


<strong>HUL's consolidated Q4 FY25 earnings:</strong>

HUL's consolidated total income stood at 15,979 in January-March (Q4) FY 25 compared to Rs 15,441 crore in Q4 FY24.

The home care segment's revenue saw an uptick of 1.85% YoY to Rs 5,815 crore in Q4 FY25 versus Rs 5,709 crore in Q4 FY24. The beauty and well-being segment's revenue surged to Rs 3,265 crore in Q4 FY25 compared to Rs 3,062 crore in Q4 FY24. The personal care segment's revenue stood at Rs 2,126 crore in Q4 FY25, up 3.05% YoY. In contrast, the revenue of food segments saw a decline of 0.35% to Rs 3,896 crore in Q4 fiscal year 2025 YoY.

"We delivered a competitive performance, further strengthening our market leadership during the year. This year
marked a step up in our portfolio transformation with increased innovation in high-growth spaces, amplified investments in channels of the future, acquisition of Minimalist, divestment of Pureit, and the decision to demerge Ice Cream business. Looking ahead, we anticipate demand conditions to gradually improve over the next fiscal year," Rohit Jawa, CEO and Managing Director said. 

HUL cuts ad expenses by 6.5% in Q4 FY25, consolidated profit drops by 3%

Ahead of the Quarter 4 result for the fiscal year 2025, Marico said it has witnessed a sequential uptick in volume with an improvement in market shares across its key franchises between January and March.

According to the company, the consolidated revenue growth surged to high teens on a year-on-year basis, while the consolidated business delivered a low double-digit revenue growth in the same period.

Marico anticipated maintaining the double-digit revenue growth momentum in FY26.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/marico-to-continue-shrinkflation-for-few-more-quarters-ceo-saugata-gupta-56152.htm">Marico to continue ‘shrinkflation’ for few more quarters: CEO Saugata Gupta</a>

According to the company, Parachute Coconut Oil witnessed transient sluggishness in volumes amid the steep rise in consumer pricing and impact of ml-age reduction in certain packs.

The company has expected an uptick in volume in coconut oil as the stress on the consumer wallet eases, driven by the seasonal moderation in copra prices. Notably, the brand recorded high teen revenue growth, driven by the pricing intervention of the company.

In contrast, Saffola Oils registered revenue growth in the twenties. Value Added Hair Oil witnessed improvement on a sequential basis led by mid and premium segments. Foods and Premium Personal Care (incl. digital-first brands) sustained their robust momentum.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/anticipated-threat-of-d2c-brands-as-early-as-2020-marico-md-saugata-gupta-56140.htm">‘Anticipated threat of D2C brands as early as 2020’: Marico MD Saugata Gupta</a>

Marico's international business delivered mid-teens constant currency growth in Q4 FY25, with Bangladesh registering double-digit constant currency growth. MENA and South Africa also reported robust double-digit growth momentum in the same period.

"The Company maintains its aspiration of delivering sustainable and profitable volume-led growth over the medium term, enabled by the strengthening brand equity of its core franchises and scale-up of new engines of growth," Marico said in an exchange filing.

Marico sees high-teen revenue growth in Q4, eyes double-digit expansion in FY26

The Retailers Association of India (RAI) reported a 4% growth in the retail sector from February 2025 compared to the same period last year. According to the RAI's 59th Retail Business Survey, food and grocery, QSR, and consumer durables have performed significantly well in February 2025.

However, on a month-on-month basis, the retailers saw a 1% drop in growth. In January 2025, retailers reported 5% growth. 

Further, the survey revealed that North India experienced the highest sales growth at 5%, while West India recorded a 4% increase followed by South India at 3%. East India showed a growth of only 2%.

In January, West India experienced the highest sales growth at 7%, while North and South India each recorded a 5% increase. East India showed a growth of only 4%.

In terms of categories, Food & grocery registered the highest growth of 11% in February 2025, followed by consumer durables and QSR each showing growth of 5% compared to the February 2024 period last year.

“Retail performance in India shows a modest 4% year-on-year gain for February 2025. Categories such as food and grocery, QSR, and consumer durables have reported specific upticks. Retailers are increasingly focused on protecting margins, with improved stock management becoming a clear priority. In the context of global tariff shifts and economic uncertainty, the sector is showing signs of steady adjustment rather than expansion,” said, RAI CEO Kumar Rajagopalan.

India's retail sector grows 4% in February 2025, says RAI

Singapore's investment firm Temasek has acquired a 10 percent stake in Haldiram's snacks business for $1 billion (Rs 8,500 crore), reported Reuters news agency. With this deal, the purchase price has increased the valuation of Haldiram's to $10 billion or Rs 85,000  crore.

Further, the snack-making company is likely to sell a 5 percent stake to Blackstone and consortium partners Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Singapore's GIC or Alphawave Global.

The talks have been stalled due to the disagreement over valuation. 

Last year, the Delhi and Nagpur branches of the business were merged into a new company called Haldiram Snack Foods Private Limited (HSFPL). The existing shareholders of HSPL (FMCG business of the Haldiram), and Haldiram Foods International Pvt Ltd (part of Haldiram's Nagpur Group) hold 56 percent and 44 percent of the stake, respectively. 

The Delhi business of Haldiram was led by Manohar Agarwal and Madhu Sudan Agarwal while Kamalkumar Shivkisan Agrawal, grandsons of Haldiram founder Ganga Bhishen Agarwal anchored the Nagpur business of the company.

The salted snack segment is the biggest driver of HSPL with over 75 percent of revenue earned through this segment. The group has established its restaurant business (12 percent of turnover). It has multiple outlets (owned and leased) in north India. Additionally, Haldiram's comprises more than 400 varieties of namkeen, ready-to-eat food, and confectionary across 100 countries. 

In fiscal year 2024, Haldriram's revenue surged to Rs 14,000 crore while the earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation or Ebitda margin stood at 20-21 percent. The company has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 16-17 percent.

Temasek buys 10% stake in Haldiram's snacks business for Rs 8,500 cr

Online food delivery platforms have made ordering meals easier than ever, but a recent complaint on social media has highlighted a frustrating experience for one customer. A woman alleged that she was repeatedly "scammed" by a restaurant listed on Zomato, as her order arrived incomplete three times in a row. She took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her grievance, expressing disappointment over missing items and the company's lack of response.

The user, Moni (@Moni848202), posted about the issue on Monday, 17th February, tagging Zomato’s official handle to seek a resolution. She claimed that despite ordering a full meal, the restaurant failed to deliver roti on multiple occasions.

"This is a complaint, yesterday I got scammed by restaurant thrice. How can this happen repeatedly man. And I have not got any response from your team. Yesterday I ordered the items in the attached photo but I didn't received all the items [sic].”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/zomatocare?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@zomatocare</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zomato?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@zomato</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/zomatoin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@zomatoin</a><br>This is a complaint, yesterday I got scammed by restaurant thrice. How can this happen repeatedly man. And I have not got any response from your team. Yesterday I ordered the items in the attached photo but I didn&#39;t received all the items. <a href="https://t.co/1uZzLChScd">pic.twitter.com/1uZzLChScd</a></p>&mdash; Moni (@Moni848202) <a href="https://twitter.com/Moni848202/status/1891545476140310720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Along with her complaint, she attached photos of the incomplete order and expressed frustration over being unable to contact customer support. She even said she would uninstall the app due to her negative experience.

"Roti from the order was missing and I can't even speak to your executive. This happened thrice @zomatocare. Should I uninstall your app because same process is repeating or you can do something? Photos are attached [sic]."

<strong>Zomato Responds, But No Resolution Yet</strong>
Zomato acknowledged Moni’s complaint, assuring her that they were looking into the matter. However, as of now, no further update has been provided regarding any resolution.

"Hey Moni, we completely understand how frustrating it must be to receive an incomplete order. We’re committed to making this right for you. Please give us some time to look into this, and we’ll get back to you with an update shortly [sic].”

The incident has once again brought attention to issues of customer service and accountability on food delivery platforms, with users expecting quicker responses and stricter policies to prevent such errors. Whether Moni will receive compensation or a proper resolution remains to be seen.

Woman alleges Zomato ‘scammed’ her 3 times by repeatedly missing items from orders

The tournament, set to take place in Switzerland this summer (2–27 July), is anticipated to be the most viewed and attended UEFA Women’s EURO to date. With the game’s growing popularity, Unilever aims to leverage the platform to showcase its portfolio of brands – including Power Brands Hellmann’s, Knorr, Dove, and Rexona – with integrated campaigns that reach consumers in, at, around and away from the stadium.

Robbert de Vreede, General Manager Unilever Foods Europe said: “We are thrilled to partner with the UEFA Women's EURO 2025, enabling our Foods brands to connect with a large audience who come together enjoying the thrill of a football match with friends whilst sharing delicious foods. Just as a great BBQ brings people closer, football unites fans in a shared experience of passion and camaraderie. In this partnership we will create memorable moments that highlight the best of summer – good food, great company, and beautiful games.”

Fulvio Guarneri, General Manager Unilever Personal Care Europe said: “This is an exciting opportunity for some of our biggest brands to tap into a big cultural moment and connect with millions of consumers who will be watching the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. It’s a great time for women’s football, and this partnership fits perfectly with our Personal Care products which are all about feeling clean and confident, and taking part in sports.

“Together with our retail partners, we look forward to building on the success of last year’s men’s tournament, delivering unmissable campaigns across a variety of channels that celebrate the power of women’s football.”

Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Marketing Director said: “Building on the success of our collaboration last summer, we are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Unilever for UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. The support and interest in women’s football is on a sharp upward trajectory, and with Unilever’s portfolio of Food and Personal Care brands reaching billions of people every day, we look forward to celebrating the power of the game and bringing excitement to fans everywhere.”

The partnership will see the brands activate a range of initiatives designed to enhance the fan experience and promote the company's commitment to growing the women’s game, removing barriers to entry, and inspiring the next generation. Fans can expect to see Unilever's Foods and Personal Care brands prominently featured throughout the tournament, both on and off the pitch.

This announcement solidifies Unilever's strong presence in the global sports arena, following high-profile partnerships with the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, FIFA World Cup 2026, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, and the CONMEBOL Copa América.



Unilever backs women’s football as official sponsor of UEFA Women's EURO 2025

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) is reportedly planning to acquire Jaipur-based skincare startup brand Minimalist. According to an exclusive report by Moneycontrol, the FMCG giant is likely to acquire Minimalist in a Rs 3,000 crore ($350 million) deal.

HUL already owns well-known brands such as Dove, Lakme, and Lux. Last time, HUL forayed into the ‘Health & Wellbeing’ category through strategic investments in Zywie Ventures Private Limited (OZiva) and Nutritionalab Private Limited (Wellbeing Nutrition).

Post the acquisition, Minimalist's valuation may surge to Rs 3,000 crore from Rs 650 crore in just three years.

Founded in October 2020, Minimalist raised $15 million in a Series A funding round by Sequoia Capital India, with participation from Unilever Ventures. The company has raised $17 million so far. Co-founders Mohit Yadav and Rahul Yadav hold 62 percent of the stake in the company while Peak XV (formerly known as Sequoia Capital) holds 27.9 percent stake.

The Peak XV Partners-backed startup is the fastest-growing direct-to-customer (D2C) brand in the country at present. It's the only startup in the skincare industry that registered profit in fiscal year 2024. 

According to the data, Minimalist doubled its profit to Rs 10.83 crore in FY 24 from Rs 5 crore in FY 23. The company's revenue from operation surged to Rs 347 crore, up from Rs 184 crore in FY 23. 

Available on e-commerce platforms like Nykaa, Flipkart, Amazon, Myntra, and others, Minimalist has doubled its advertising expenses to Rs 117 crore in FY 24 from Rs 65 crore in FY 23.