Online gaming in India is among the world’s most vibrant, says MoS I&B Dr L Murugan at Storyboard18 DES 2025

Opinion Trading platform is betting and gambling: MC Sarangan of TNOGA  at Storyboard18 DES 2025

Digital adex now accounts for over 55% of India’s M&E spend: MIB's Sanjay Jaju at Storyboard18 DES 2025

Game on! Gaming creators bets gaming being India’s next creative economy

Digital Entertainment Summit 2025 to debut in Delhi as India stakes its claim on the future of global media

Nobody’s Perfect Retro Porsche Ad

In Conversation With Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard

Shahid Kapoor And Varun Ganjoo Speaks On PokerBaazi's Campaign

In conversation with IHCL’s Puneet Chhatwal & GroupM’s Kate Scott-Dawkins

Why are brands including e-sports in their sports marketing itinerary?

Storyboard18 x The English Nut: How to pronounce these 10 brand names

Experts' Take On Reinvention Of Ad Campaigns Through Technology

Experts Speak On Key Emerging Trends In Cannes Lions Entries

Leaders of the future have to be outstanding human beings: Nestle MD

In conversation with VMLY&R’s Hari Ramanathan

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has ramped up its digital media investment to drive "social-first" demand generation. The maker of Dove, Horlicks, and Lifebuoy brands increased its influencer spending by 40% (approx.) in fiscal year 2025.

In a video message, Rohit Jawa, Managing director and CEO of HUL said, "We have significantly ramped up our digital media investments to drive social-first demand generation and amplified our influencer spends by circa 40% to increase impact generated by engagement and digital awareness of our brands".

HUL has over 12,000 influencers with whom the company collaborates with its 50-plus brands across 15 categories. Last year, the company had a roster of 700 influencers--1,614% rise year-on-year. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/hul-boosts-digital-media-spending-to-40-of-total-ad-budget-68081.htm">HUL boosts digital media spending to 40% of total ad budget</a>

"We have a roster of 12,000+ influencers with whom we engage on influencer campaigns," the company said. 

According to the company, the in-house tool uses category-specific data to customize media spending across platforms for different brands and consumer cohorts.

"To connect with this group of digital native consumers, we are adopting a social-first approach in our marketing and creating engaging content," HUL mentioned in its annual report.

The company cut its advertising and promotional expenses by 5.5% in FY25 year-on-year. The FMCG major adex stood at Rs 6,028 crore in FY25 compared to Rs 6,380 crore in FY24. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/hul-chief-rohit-jawas-pay-rises-3-75-to-rs23-23-crore-amid-workforce-decline-67966.htm">HUL chief Rohit Jawa’s pay rises 3.75% to Rs23.23 crore amid workforce decline</a>

HUL has also stepped up its investment in the 'Channel of the future' as consumer prefers shopping from quick commerce platforms. According to Jawa, HUL doubled its assortment to meet the diverse needs on these platforms.

Additionally, HUL is also accelerating the future-proofing of its portfolio as fiscal 2025 witnessed subdued demand trends. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/hul-steps-up-digital-advertising-media-spends-to-drive-growth-for-key-brands-63999.htm">HUL steps up digital advertising, media spends to drive growth for key brands</a>

The FMCG brand launched its ASPIRE strategy last year that pushes for building for the future amid the opportunities. 

"We look forward to unlocking access to brands that are the sweet spots of the premiumisation," according to HUL.

HUL's annual turnover surged to Rs 60,680 crore in FY25, with profit after tax surging to Rs 10,644 crore--up 5% year-on-year.

HUL hikes influencer spends by 40%, ropes in 12,000 creators in FY25

Colgate-Palmolive India has decided to step up its media and marketing spending while ramping up automation to save costs amid the volatile macroeconomic environment. Prabha Narasimhan, the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Colgate Palmolive India said, the company has increased advertising spend by 7% in fiscal year 2025 to support innovation and drive brand health and household penetration.

The Indian arm of a US-based personal care company spent Rs 822.4 crore on advertising and promotional activities in FY25. In the previous fiscal, Colgate expended Rs 760.4 crore.

"Colgate is optimizing media spending and promotion planning, and saving costs through automation," Narasimhan mentioned in the company's annual report.

In the past decade, Colgate has scaled up its net profit after tax by 147% from Rs 581.7 crore in FY16 to Rs 1,436.81 crore in FY25. The company's market capitalisation currently stands at Rs 64,626.51 crore on the Bombay Stock Exchange. In FY25, Colgate's revenue of operations stood at Rs 6,040 crore, and PAT surged by 8.5% year-on-year.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/colgate-palmolive-eyes-india-as-global-growth-engine-plans-brand-influx-and-digital-first-push-71531.htm">Colgate-Palmolive eyes India as global growth engine, plans brand influx and digital-first push</a>

"India is many markets, not just one. Our ability to win lies in our tiered approach, sharpening focus by segment, geography, and price point," Narasimhan said.

The CEO emphasized the importance of investing in brand building to drive premiumization and expand the product portfolio in fiscal 2026.

"Accelerate premiumization through science-led innovation, and will continue leveraging technology, data, and AI to stay agile and precise," said CEO Narasimhan.

While the broader FMCG players witnessed headwinds in the second-half of FY25, the oral care market showcased substantial headroom for growth. The toothpaste category is valued at approximately Rs 18,000 crore currently in the country. Colgate's rival Hindustan Unilever, which owns brands like Close up and Pepsodent, saw 3% drop in turnover in personal care segment in FY25.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/colgate-ceo-bullish-on-indian-market-says-middle-class-is-everything-69137.htm">Colgate CEO bullish on Indian market, says 'Middle class is everything'</a>

According to the FY25 annual report, Colgate India said it made significant strides in digital commerce, with e-commerce contributing over 19% share of business. For FY2026, Narasimhan outlined Colgate's key priorities as large scale investments, driving thoughtful innovation, and ensuring disciplined execution.

"Committed to building and nurturing both the Colgate and Palmolive brands, ensuring deeper emotional connect and stronger recall. This includes sustained high investment in advertising and omnichannel media," Narasimhan stated.

Colgate India ramps up brand building, automation; Ad spends hit Rs 822 crore in FY25

Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz, popularly known as 'H&M', reported a 3% rise in sales at $5.99 billion in the second quarter (1 March 2025 – 31 May 2025). The gross profit of the marquee apparel brand surged to $3.32 billion in the same period. In contrast, the operating profit declined to $7.098 billion. 

Notably, H&M has reported slightly a stronger second quarter compared to rival Spanish brand Zara. Inditex, owner of Zara, reported a 12% decline in revenue growth to 6% in Q2 (April-June 2025).

H&M has eyed a 3% rise in sales in June 2025 compared with the same month the previous year. The sales increase of 3 percent is impacted by a negative calendar effect of around one percentage point, the fashion retailer said.

<a href="https://stgwww.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/hm-india-appoints-helena-kuylenstierna-as-director-for-hm-india-45510.htm">H&M India appoints Helena Kuylenstierna as Director for H&M India</a>

“Our plan, with its focus on the product offering, the shopping experience, and the brand, is again confirmed by the progress we see. The positive development in important areas such as online, H&M womenswear, and H&M Move, as well as continued focus on good cost control, will contribute to a profitable sales development,” says Daniel Ervér, CEO.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/france-plans-to-ban-ads-for-chinese-fast-fashion-giants-shein-temu-70212.htm">France plans to ban ads for Chinese fast fashion giants Shein, Temu</a>

Amid the global macroeconomic uncertainty and cautious consumer sentiments, Ervér said that the clothing brand is focusing on offerings in both online and offline verticals. While, the brand has reduced its physical stores, it is vigorously expanding in Latin America. H&M is opening its first stores and online in Brazil in the second half of 2025.  H&M is also opening its first store in El Salvador and in Venezuela in 2025. Paraguay will become a new H&M market, with the first store opening in 2026. 

In 2025, H&M oplans to open around 80 new stores, primarily in growth markets. However, 200 stores are scheduled for closure this year in the established market.

"With a clear plan, a strong financial position, good cost control, and committed employees, we see good opportunities for long-term, sustainable and profitable growth," H&M CEO added.

H&M posts 3% rise in sales to $5.99 billion in March-May Q2 2025

Beauty and fashion e-retailer Nykaa, which made its debut in quick commerce service in October 2024, has now expanded it to seven cities. 

According to the regulatory filing, Nykaa's fast delivery venture, 'Nykaa Now' has more than 40 rapid store counts in seven metro cities. Nykaa's parent firm FSN E-Commerce has promised order fulfilment between 30-120 minutes. 

In the recently held Quarter 4 earning call, Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar said the company's focus is on 2-hour delivery at present.

"We are also building it in a way with a promise of within 2-hour delivery with most likely delivery timelines of 60 minutes, which is a better way to build a beauty quick commerce business," Nayar said.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/nykaa-reports-193-rise-in-profit-to-rs-20-crore-in-q4fy25-68125.htm">Nykaa’s adex climbs up by 31% to Rs 244 crore in Q4FY25</a>

Simultaneously, Nykaa is also bolstering its offline presence, with the opening of 237 stores in 79 cities to date. 

The beauty retailer has clocked significant sales, driven by premium brands. According to the company, it witnessed a 9-fold jump in premium customer annual consumption in fiscal year 2025. The average annual spending stood at $395 (Rs 34,120 approx) by the top 10% of customers, Nykaa mentioned in its latest investor report.


Nykaa's beauty vertical grew by 30%, about Rs 11,780 crore GMV in FY25. In contrast, the fashion growth came out at 12% on a year-on-year basis at Rs 3,800 crore of GMV.

	
<a href="http://Nykaa bets big on body care, fragrances; Offline sales gain momentum">Nykaa bets big on body care, fragrances; Offline sales gain momentum</a>


House of Nykaa, the brands owned by the company, clocked Rs 1,700 crore GMV in the beauty segment--a six-fold rise YoY in FY25. Nykaa-owned fashion brands registered Rs 430 crore GMV in the same period, driven by a surge in homegrown D2C brands, occasion-led demand, and spending on brands outpacing unbranded products.

GenZ is driving major growth for the lifestyle category, according to Nykaa. In FY25, GenZ's spending stood at $0.9 trillion, which is estimated to jump to $1.4 trillion by 2030.

According to Redseer's report, the Beauty & Personal Care and Fashion segments account for a quarter of discretionary spending in India FY25. However, the lifestyle categories are projected to drive the e-commerce industry's growth from $23 billion in FY25 to $70-75 billion in FY30. 

Nykaa's quick commerce venture expands to 7 cities, promises order delivery in 30-120 min

Brands across sectors are making a beeline to temples as spiritual tourism gains momentum in the country. With Odisha's Jagannath Rath Yatra around the corner and the ongoing Pandharpur Yatra in Maharashtra, brands have begun tapping into the emotional and cultural resonance of the large-scale events to build visibility and trust.

According to Rajesh Radhakrishnan, Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer at Vritti Mindwave Media, a rural marketing & activations company, FMCG, BFSI, healthcare, automobile, steel, and cement companies have bolstered their presence at spiritual events like Maha Kumbh, Jagannath Rath Yatra, Char Dham, and Pandharpur Wari this year.

Radhakrishnan said, "These pilgrimages offer unmatched footfall, cultural context, and consumer engagement opportunities that traditional advertising platforms often fail to provide".

Soft drink giant Coca-Cola India is one of the many brands, that is tapping into the spiritual fervor of Jagannath Rath Yatra. According to Vinay Nair, Vice President of Franchise Operations, at Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, "We are enabling access at every touchpoint through cooler walls, hydration carts, and mobile units at the Rath Yatra".

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/brands-ride-jagannath-yatra-wave-in-expanding-spiritual-tourism-market-fmcg-bfsi-agri-healthcare-brands-take-the-lead-70735.htm">Brands ride Jagannath Yatra wave in expanding spiritual tourism market; FMCG, BFSI, agri, healthcare brands take the lead</a>

The Atlanta, Geogria-based company served 180 million servings during the course of the Mahakumbh, the company said in its Quarter 1 earnings 2025. 

<strong>'Advertising cost at religious spots'</strong>

Advertising spending in the spiritual tourism space varies widely depending on the scale of the event and the brand’s engagement model. 

Typically, a Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firm or a Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) company allocate between Rs 25-Rs 50 lakh per event on advertising and promotions, Vritti Media told Storyboard18.

However, the brands may expand their budget for larger pilgrimages like Jagannath Yatra and Maha Kumbh.

On the other hand, auto and healthcare players are likely to splurge an average capital of Rs 15-Rs 30 lakh, and regional brands may shell out between Rs 5-Rs 10 lakh.

For Jagannath Rath Yatra, which is set to begin on June 27 in Puri, marketing spends have surged to an estimated Rs 20-Rs 30 crore from Rs 3-4 crore last year, Shruti Chaturvedi, Founder of branding and marketing agency Chaaipani said.

"While the specific ad spends by sector are not publicly disclosed, current brand activations range between Rs 15 lakh to Rs 2.5 crore for a 10-day presence, depending on the involvement level," Chaturvedi added.

	
<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/coca-colas-says-marketing-strategy-fuels-double-digit-growth-in-india-in-q1-2025-63762.htm">Coca-Cola says marketing strategy, Maha Kumbh fuel double-digit growth in India in Q1 2025</a>

Notably, traditional advertising, such as hoardings and signages, has taken a backseat to the Puri's Rath Yatra. Brands are optimizing service-led interventions, instead. 

"Swiggy, Campa, ACC Cement, Ultratech Cement, Fortune, Cipla, Delhivery, Coca-Cola, Bisleri, and Reliance Foundation are supporting various pilgrim-first civic infrastructure including water kiosks, changing rooms, fans, and crowd assistance zones," according to Chaturvedi.

FMCG major AWL Agri-Business Ltd has opted for a wide array of marketing mediums to engage with consumers. For instance, the company has designed changing stations near the beach, launched a fleet of Fortune-branded e-rickshaws, and product sampling counters, and installed LED displays by the beach along with backlit Fortune product units.  

Sarabjit Singh Puri, Chairman of rural marketing firm, Fateh Rural Ltd said that the estimated kiosks & product display booth ranges between Rs 1.5-Rs 5 lakh for the Jagannath Rath yatra. The estimated cost of hoardings is Rs 2 lakh to Rs 7 lakh, mobile LED vans are Rs 5-Rs 12 lakh, beach or temple wrap branding Rs 5-Rs 10 lakh, rickshaw branding is Rs 50,000-Rs 2 lakh, and sponsorship and cultural nights are between RS 10-Rs 25 lakh, respectively.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/hul-itc-dabur-among-fmcg-giants-betting-big-on-maha-kumbh-advertising-56736.htm">HUL, ITC, Dabur among FMCG giants betting big on Maha Kumbh advertising</a>

For the Pandharpur Yatra in Maharashtra, Radhakrishnan expected that marketing kiosks may range between Rs 50,000 and 1.5 lakh, bus stand audio Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising may cost between Rs 25,000-Rs 75,000, and promotions via  LED vans between Rs 3 lakh for a 10-day campaign, respectively.

<strong>'The high returns'</strong>

Spiritual tourism has become a crucial opportunity for brands who are seeking both reach and recall. According to Radhakrishnan, brands have reported 3 to 7-fold returns on ad spending, especially when campaigns are rooted in local culture and involve consumer engagement.

According to Mukesh Mishra- Joint President, Sales & Marketing – AWL Agri Business, they achieved strong returns in both brand sales and consumer goodwill during the engagements for 'Ayodhya Ram Mandir Consecration' and ‘Mahakumbh 2025’.

However, sometimes the promotional activities at such spiritual and cultural events are not purely transactional, the ROAS (return-on ad-spend) is also measured through 'trust & recall, penetration, photo or video virality, emotional goodwill, offline sampling & trials', the Chaaipani founder said.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/maha-kumbh-2025-travel-platforms-up-ad-spends-by-40-as-bookings-skyrocket-54486.htm">Maha Kumbh 2025: Travel platforms up ad spends by 40% as bookings skyrocket</a>

Mishra acknowledged that AWL's initiatives helped in building a lasting bond by placing Fortune at the heart of moments that truly matter. "We believe that when a brand’s presence is rooted in genuine purpose, the value created goes far beyond any simple number or conventional marketing metrics," Mishra added.

Chaturvedi has projected that Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra is likely to generate over Rs 50 crore in brand value, with the model poised to cross Rs 200 crore in the coming years, as brands shift from conventional advertising to service-led public participation.

Divine marketing: Brands flock to temples as spiritual tourism booms

Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo is set to open its first physical store in Bengaluru. With this, the subsidiary of Fast Retailing Co will expand its store presence to 16 in India.

According to the casual wear company, it will open its 16th store on 29 August at Orion Mall, Brigade Gateway.

Uniqlo entered the Indian market in October 2019, with the highest number of stores in Delhi-NCR, Lucknow, and Chandigarh. It opened its first store in Mumbai in 2023. 

"Bengaluru marks the next significant milestone in our India expansion. Over the past few years, we've seen strong demand and brand affinity from Bengaluru through our e-commerce platform, and we look forward to welcoming customers in person to experience Uniqlo LifeWear," Uniqlo said in a media statement.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/uniqlos-parent-registers-33-rise-in-profit-to-1000-million-in-q2-2025-62023.htm">Uniqlo's parent registers 33% rise in profit to $1000 million in Q2 2025</a>

In a 2024 interview with PTI news agency, Uniqlo India's Chief Operating Officer Kenji Inoue said that the fashion brand has planned to touch the Rs 1,000 crore sales mark in the 2025 fiscal year.

Additionally, it is also planning to elevate its local sourcing to 18% by 2025 from 15.5% last year.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/advertising/japans-ftc-slaps-dentsu-and-five-firms-with-3-3%e2%80%afbn-yen-penalty-over-tokyo-olympics-bid-rigging-71757.html">Japan’s FTC slaps Dentsu and five firms with 3.3 bn yen penalty over Tokyo Olympics bid-rigging</a>

Inoue said he sees a huge potential in the Indian market.

"We at Fast Retailing just achieved 3 trillion yen sales and we are now targeting 10 trillion yen, which is three times, and definitely, this market would be one of the very important markets to (achieve) that," he told PTI news agency.

Uniqlo India reported a 31% rise in revenue to Rs 814.84 crore and a 25% increase in total profit to Rs 85.17 crore in fiscal year 2024.

Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo set to debut in South India, to open 1st store in Bengaluru in August

Shoppers Stop, a department store chain elevated its advertising and publicity expenses in fiscal year 2025 by 18.12%. The shopping store spent Rs 88.26 crore on ad and promotional activity in FY25 compared to Rs 74.72 crore in fiscal year 2024.

According to the company, marketing has been a significant catalyst for growth and long-term value creation for the fashion-to-home decor shopping chain. Shoppers Stop has continued to optimize AI-powered analytics and digital marketing to drive sales.

According to the FY25 annual report, Shoppers Stop's revenue from direct marketing remained flat at Rs 269.52 crore.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/myntra-onboards-shoppers-stops-venu-nair-as-the-chief-of-strategic-planning-and-omnichannel-24002.htm">Myntra onboards Shoppers Stop’s Venu Nair as the chief of strategic partnerships and omnichannel</a>

However, pinning hopes on India's evolving consumption landscape, and demand for premium products, outgoing Chairman BS Nagesh said that Shoppers Stop will be capitalizing on premiumization, strategic expansion, digital acceleration, and customer-first innovation in the upcoming years.

"India’s evolving consumption landscape, rising affluence, and increasing demand for premium products create a favourable environment for sustained growth. Your Company remains committed to capitalizing on these trends through continued premiumization, strategic expansion, digital acceleration, and customer-first innovation," Nagesh added.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/wipro-scales-up-brand-building-expenses-up-by-rs-359-crore-in-fy25-71514.html">Wipro scales up brand-building expenses by Rs 359 crore in FY25</a>

Shoppers Stop increased premium products' share from 61% to 64% in FY25 by adding brands like Armani Exchange, True Religion, and Gant to its portfolio. The sales for apparel stood at 60.7% in departmental stores and for non-apparel stood at 39.3% in FY25.

Beauty business remained one of the key pillars for Shoppers Stop business growth in FY25.  During the year, Beauty delivered sales of Rs 1,095 crore, including distribution of Rs 236 crore.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/vishal-mega-mart-promoter-sells-19-36-stake-in-rs-10220-crore-block-deal-70870.html">Vishal Mega Mart promoter sells 19.36% stake in Rs 10,220 crore block deal</a>

India's retail industry contributes over 10% of the GDP and 8% of employment. The retail market is projected to surge to an estimated US$ 2 trillion by 2032.

Shoppers Stop scaled up its SS Beauty standalone stores, including  MAC, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, etc. According to the annual report, global SS Beauty Brands Limited sales doubled from Rs 95.73 crore in FY24 to Rs 226 crore in FY25.

Shoppers Stop consolidated profit dropped from Rs 77.25 crore to Rs 10.89 crore--a drop of 86% year-on-year. The annual sales jumped by 7.20% to Rs 4,627.64 crore in FY25.

Shoppers Stop boosts ad spend by 18% to Rs 88.26 crore in FY25; Profit drops by 86%

IT major Wipro has marginally scaled up its marketing and brand-building expenses by 1.01% in fiscal year 2025. The Bengaluru-based company spent Rs 359.1 crore on brand building in fiscal year 2025 compared to Rs 355.5 crore in FY2024. 

In FY2023, Wipro's marketing and brand-building expenses stood at Rs 295 crore.

However, Wipro slashed its selling and marketing expenditures for two consecutive years in a row. In fiscal year 2025, Wipro's selling & marketing expenses declined to Rs 6,437.8 crore as compared to Rs 6,997.2 crore in FY24--a 5.92% drop year-on-year.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/wipro-cuts-selling-marketing-expenses-to-rs-6437-crore-in-fy25-67105.htm">Wipro cuts selling, marketing expenses to Rs 6,437 crore in FY25</a>

The consulting and business process services said that the selling and marketing expenses stood at 7.23% of the total revenue in FY2025. In absolute terms, selling and marketing expenses decreased by 7.99% primarily due to a one-time employee restructuring cost of Rs 152 crore in fiscal year 2024, Wipro mentioned in its annual report.

However, the selling and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenue from the IT Products segment increased marginally from 2.16% for FY24 to 2.19% in FY25. In absolute terms, selling and marketing expenses decreased by Rs 30 million.

The consolidated revenue of Wipro witnessed a 0.74% drop to Rs 89,088 crore in FY25.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/wipro-adds-10000-freshers-in-fy25-remains-cautious-on-wage-hikes-amid-global-uncertainity-62561.htm">Wipro adds 10,000 freshers in FY25, remains cautious on wage hikes amid global uncertainity</a>

Wipro Chairman Rishad A Premji emphasized boosting the consulting and Artificial Intelligence (AI) portfolios in the compnay. he said the IT major is building an AI-first workforce and has trained over 87,000 employees in GenAI.

"The top five digital priorities are anticipated to be AI and Machine learning (ML) (including GenAI), cybersecurity, cloud and edge, big data and analytics, and robotics and automation, accounting for 60-80% of the total digital spend. We expect increased interest in adopting AI and GenAI solutions from proof of concepts to production processes will accelerate enterprise investments in AI use-cases, digital and cloud transformation, and data modernization," the company said.

Wipro scales up brand-building expenses by Rs 359 crore in FY25

Online brokerage firm, Zerodha's co-founders Nikhil Kamath and Nithin Kamath have picked up a minor stake in InCred Holdings, a non-banking financial company (NBFC) focused on consumer, education, and SME lending.

The Kamath brothers purchased shares worth Rs 250 crore in the holding company of InCred Financial Services Ltd (IFSL).

Since the credit system is rapidly changing in India, Nikhil Kamath said, "InCred Group seems to get that. They’ve built a strong team, a technology-first approach, and a clear view of where the market is headed. Backing them is a bet on that broader shift—and the belief that responsible lending can scale without losing sight of fundamentals.” 

Founded in 2016 by Bhupinder Singh, InCred Group has built a diversified lending platform serving retail and MSME borrowers across India.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/agency-news/nikhil-kamath-invests-in-aib-founders-one-hand-clap-creative-agency-71092.htm">Nikhil Kamath invests in AIB founders' One Hand Clap creative agency</a>

Last week, Nikhil Kamath invested an undisclosed amount in One Hand Clap Media, a creative agency. 

The creative agency is founded by Mumbai-based comedy group company All India Bakchod (AIB)'s executives Aakash Shah and Naveed Manakkodan.

Kamath has actively supported young entrepreneurs and has invested in their ventures. The 38-year-old entrepreneur has formed WTFund under which he provides grants up to Rs 20 lakh, along with mentorship to startup founders.

In February, WTFund unveiled its second cohort consisting of 22 under-25 promising founders for grant funding and mentorship, including Bytes, Ai.gnosis, among others.

Nikhil, Nithin Kamath invest Rs 250 crore in InCred Holdings ahead of IPO

Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Limited (ABLBL) on Monday listed on the Indian stock exchanges, completing the demerger of Aditya Birla Group's fashion business into two independent listed entities.

The lifestyle brand houses brands like- - Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, Simon Carter, American Eagle, Reebok, and innerwear business under Van Heusen.

On the other hand,  Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail will include brands like Pantaloons, TCNS Clothing's ethnic wear, and designer labels such as Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani, Masaba, and Shantanu & Nikhil. Additionally, luxury ventures such as Tasva, Jaypore, and The Collective, along with the much-anticipated Galeries Lafayette launch.

By demerging the business, the Group said it would allow them to focus sharply on their business strategies. Also, the two entities will be able to address stronger capital market outcomes, the company claimed.

	
<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/aditya-birla-fashion-retail-appoints-vishak-kumar-as-ceo-of-lifestyle-brands-65034.htm">Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail appoints Vishak Kumar as CEO of Lifestyle Brands</a>

"The demerged ABFRL will focus on larger market segments (TAM) with high growth, leveraging its strengths in distribution," the Group said.


"This moment marks both a recognition of the progress we have made and a clear signal of the scale of opportunity that lies ahead. India stands at the cusp of a transformative growth phase, with consumption poised to be a primary driver," Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group said.

Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Limited (ABLBL) was listed at Rs 172.84 and Rs 167.75 on the NSE and BSE respectively.

	
<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/nclt-approves-amalgation-of-tcns-clothing-with-aditya-birla-fashion-and-retail-39980.htm">NCLT approves amalgation of TCNS Clothing with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail</a>

Separately, Aditya Birla Fashion narrowed its losses to Rs 23.55 crore in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2025. In the previous fiscal year. The fashion retailer's net losses stood at Rs 266.36 crore in the January-March quarter.  


And, in full fiscal 2025, the company's net losses stood at Rs 455.82 crore.

MARKETING