Brands

Nestled in controversy, brand Maggi in a soup

Published

11 years ago

June 3, 2015

MUMBAI: Nestled in controversy over the presence of lead beyond permissible limits in its popular noodle brand Maggi, Nestle India has found itself in a soup. As Barkha Dutt tweeted, it could well be “The Two Minute death of a brand #Maggi.”

What’s more, a domino effect followed immediately with the recent detection of creepy-crawlies in Nestle’s other food product Nan Pro-3.

A brand being embroiled in controversy is not something new with the likes of Cadburys and cola companies having faced similar problems in the not so distant past. About a decade ago, there was uproar over worms being found in Cadbury chocolates. On that note, the company said that most stores in India at that time didn’t have refrigerators and that had affected the product. Similarly cola brands were hit with the pesticide crisis in early 2000, which wiped off their growth for over two years.

In testing times like these for brand Maggi, the big question on everyone’s lips is… could this hullabaloo well sound the death knell for the brand, which has been around in India for decades?

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com about the controversy, Kwan Entertainment & Marketing Solutions COO Indranil Das Blah strongly believed that if Maggi is being held accountable, so should the government, for the simple reason that it has been approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is a government body.

“I don’t think it’s the death of the brand in India. They’ve been around for about two decades now. A lot of brands have faced similar controversies, be it the cola brands or various food companies. Having said that, it has been approved by the FSSAI, which is why it is available in the market in the first place. Maybe a certain batch had certain excess content of lead and that is something that the judiciary should decide,” Blah said.

Harish Bijoor Consultants CEO Harish Bijoor opined, “It’s a big shock for Maggi. The trauma is for the consumers as well because they love the brand so much.”

According to Blah, while the controversy will definitely cause immediate damage to the brand, in the long run the brand is strong enough to survive if the allegations are proven false. “Unless there is firm evidence and a court order is passed, which is not in favour of Maggi, I don’t think it’s the death of the brand,” he added.

Pertinent to note here is that all FMCG products especially food items go through stringent manufacturing processes as well as government approvals. Blah is of the opinion that it never hurts to be extra careful and hence the Maggi fiasco should serve as a wakeup call for other FMCG giants.

While there have been discussions about the nutrition value of Maggi for years now, it hasn’t really hurt the brand and Nestle India has gone about producing it without a hitch riding on its taste quotient.

What’s more, with the involvement of big celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit as brand endorsers, the matter has been highlighted even more. It is a well-known fact that celebrities are soft targets whenever there is a controversy brewing.

When queried about whether it was fair to drag celebrities into the controversy, renowned photographer and founder of celebrity management firm Bling! Entertainment Solutions, Atul Kasbekar said, “I believe it’s an irrational act to go after the endorsers. While stars and their managers question the brand fits and ask relevant questions at the beginning of any relationship, it’s unreasonable to hold an endorser responsible for episodes like this. Already contracts have strong two way indemnity clauses in place; I guess they’d be stronger now and spend more billable legal hours in the process. I cannot imagine that there’s a single celeb out there who would’ve declined a Nestle brand to be honest. I don’t imagine that’s going to change very much.”

Concurring with Kasbekar, Blah said, “When a celebrity is endorsing a product, he is lending his name and his image to it. He is not involved in any other activity of the product. All he is doing is attracting eyeballs for the brand. If he were involved in the making of the product, then it would have been justified. But after they endorse a finished product, one can’t hold them responsible. If one batch goes wrong then it is not the celebrity’s responsibility, it is the company’s and the government’s responsibility as they have approved the product. It’s not fair to drag celebrities in this,” he said.

Bijoor is of the opinion that the first thing that Nestle India will do is sort out the issue with the regulators and various states. “After that they will start addressing the consumer and that is when a lot of credibility building advertising will come from Maggi. Maggi is a highly evolved brand in India. They need to communicate with a different degree of tenacity with the consumers and they will do that,” he voiced.

While celebs have been a part of the controversy, Bijoor thinks that the first thing celebs will do and have done in the past is to indemnify themselves from any collateral damage that the brand faces. “Without doubt they will be more careful and diligent henceforth,” he added.

Will this one controversy also open doors to other and put other brands under the scanner? To this, Bijoor said, “This is just one category. If you look at the other categories like tea, frozen food, fresh vegetables, fish, poultry and meat that we eat; you will be shocked to find that the content of chemicals and metals is much higher than permissible limits across the world. So this is a major reaction on Maggi. This paints the entire industry with the same brush.”

Sharing her thoughts on the controversy, PromaxBDA Africa and Asia Pacific country head Rajika Mitra said, “For the brand Maggi, it has created a huge setback and for Nestle, the brand integrity has been hugely impacted. The brand image of Maggi has witnessed a major dent in its popularity.”

Mitra further added that Nestle would have an uphill task to build customer confidence and re-launch the brand in a completely new avatar, which might take years.

“Celebs have been drawn into this controversy in a big way. Big brands and celebrity associations have always been a popular feature and they do feel responsible for the brands that they accept and endorse. Henceforth, they will be more cautious when accepting such brands in future,” she said.

It may be recalled that as part of its damage control exercise after the worm controversy, Cadburys India came up with new packaging, which would keep the product fresh and intact without refrigeration. However, it is a known fact that chocolates need to be refrigerated, the question is: Why did Cadbury wait for the worm controversy to change its packaging?

While Kasbekar believes that this controversy will be a blip in the progress of this superbrand, the fact remains that the communication path that Nestle India will have to take for brand Maggi following this unprecedented controversial blaze will no doubt have to be powerful enough to dowse the flames.

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Brands

Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

Brands

BCCL profit jumps 53 per cent in FY25 as tax bill shrinks

Revenue rises 4.3 per cent to Rs 10,209.33 crore while deferred tax gain lifts bottom line sharply

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: Bennett, Coleman and Company (BCCL) has posted a sparkling set of financial results for the year ended 31 March 2025, proving that there is still plenty of ink and gold left in the ledger.

Revenue from operations climbed a steady 4.3 per cent, reaching Rs 10,209.33 crore compared to Rs 9,786.44 crore the previous year. When you sprinkle in other income, which rose 8.9 per cent to Rs 949.36 crore, the total income for the media behemoth hit a healthy Rs 11,158.69 crore.

While the income grew at a modest pace, the bottom line tells a far more dramatic story. The real headline is the 53 per cent surge in annual profit. How did they pull off such a feat? While Profit Before Tax (PBT) saw a gentle nudge upward of 2.7 per cent to Rs 1,610.00 crore, it was a vanishing act by the taxman that really did the trick.

Total tax expenses plummeted by 32.4 per cent, dropping from Rs 468.76 crore down to Rs 316.97 crore. This was largely thanks to a swing in deferred tax, moving from an expense of Rs 156.02 crore in FY24 to a benefit of Rs 39.44 crore this year.

Total income rose from Rs 10,658.55 crore in FY24 to Rs 11,158.69 crore in FY25, marking a 4.7 per cent increase. Total expenses grew at a slower pace, up 3.0 per cent from Rs 9,306.06 crore to Rs 9,581.45 crore. Profit before tax inched up 2.7 per cent, moving from Rs 1,567.02 crore to Rs 1,610.00 crore. However, the standout figure was net profit, which jumped sharply by 53.0 per cent, climbing from Rs 1,042.03 crore in FY24 to Rs 1,594.73 crore in FY25.

Despite the rising costs of doing business across the globe, BCCL kept a tight grip on the purse strings. Total expenses rose by just 3.0 per cent to Rs 9,581.45 crore. By keeping costs lower than the rate of income growth, the company ensured that the final figure, a net profit of Rs 1,594.73 crore, was nothing short of a front-page sensation.

In a world of shifting digital tides, it seems the BCCL ship is not just steady, but sailing into significantly wealthier waters.