New Delhi, Mar 25 () The nationwide lockdown for next 21 days amid spread of coronavirus will severely impact residential real estate as housing sales have almost come to a standstill, which could affect builders' cash flow and lead to default in repayment of bank loans, according to property developers and consultants. Market experts also fear that existing customers might delay payments of their instalments to developers, who in turn could default in repayment of principal and interest on bank loans. Developers may hold on to apartment rates, but prices in the secondary or resale market could fall, they said. To mitigate the impact, developers and brokers are adopting digital marketing tools to reach out to prospective home buyers. When contacted, realtors' apex body CREDAI President Satish Magar said the lockdown will greatly impact the sales transactions and new launches will be deferred. "There are chances of many customers defaulting on their instalments because of tough economic conditions. These will have a cascading effect on developers-who will be battling with servicing their debts as cash inflows will be strained," he added. NAREDCO President Niranjan Hiranandani said overall sales numbers have dropped. The lockdown has opened up opportunities for digital platforms for sales and marketing activities, as also payments, he said. Bengaluru-based Puravankara MD Ashish R. Puravankara said: "At this point, no property registrations are taking place and all new project launches are postponed". As all construction sites are under lockdown, there will be a delay in completion leading to an increase in the interest cost, he added. "Additionally the lockdown could hamper the cash flow cycle of the developers' balance sheets and could result in bank defaults", said Ashish. Anarock Chairman Anuj Puri said the lockdown will have a negative impact on housing sales and new launches during the auspicious festivals of Gudi Padwa, Akshaya Tritiya, Navratri and Ugadi. "This is a time when AV technology to enable virtual site visits and walk-throughs will gain increased relevance and use," he said. Anshuman Magazine, Chairman &amp; CEO (India, South East Asia, Middle East &amp; Africa), CBRE said: "It is too early to comment on the impact of Covid 19 given that the situation is still evolving ... We are confident that once the situation normalises, sales will resume". Dhruv Agarwala, Group CEO, Housing.com and PropTiger.com, said the lockdown will have an adverse impact on real estate. "We too have begun to see a dip in traffic on all our platforms," he said, adding that the company has come out with innovative schemes for builders and brokers to advertise on its websites. Siva Krishnan, MD (Residential Services and Developer Solutions), JLL India said the lockdown will definitely have an impact on housing sales, but briefly. Shalin Raina, MD- Residential Services, Cushman and Wakefield, said the complete lockdown means lesser sales since most of the transaction closures happen only after site visits. Housing prices have corrected by 15-20 per cent in the last few years and further decline is unlikely, Raina said. Savills India CEO Anurag Mathur said: "Housing sales may see a sharp dip for at least the next one quarter... Even if the situation settles down quickly, it may take time for homebuyers to come back to the market." "Price elasticity is not a concern under the circumstances since the transaction activity is at a standstill anyway. Depending upon the duration and depth of the current crisis, prices may or may not see a downward movement," he said. Omaxe CEO Mohit Goel said the recovery in the housing segment has been halted. "As for real estate prices, there will be no change as transactions are not taking place. The prices will resume at the level it has halted," he said. Gaurs' MD Manoj Gaur said, "The sales are impacted, but it is temporary." Supertech Chairman R K Arora said, "housing sales have completely gone". There are no buyers in the market. Pune-based Gera Developments MD Rohit Gera said, "Real estate sales are at a standstill. So far there has not been any reduction or crash in prices of homes." "In the absence of some relief from the government, more real estate developers with debt obligations will default on account of the stop in cash flows thereby impacting the economy and jobs," he added. M3M Director Pankaj Bansal said housing sales would get impacted during this period of crisis, but it would also create a pent up demand once things get back to normal. Experion Developers Senior ED Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi said, "Sales closures are temporarily getting pushed ahead. Prices won't change." Raheja Developers ED Nayan Raheja said the sales and construction are badly impacted and at standstill. ABA Corp Director Amit Modi said the sales velocity has definitely been slow. Gulshan Homz Director Deepak Kapoor said, "People are deferring property buying decisions." PropEquity MD Samir Jasuja said: "For the real estate sector, this is a tough situation as it was just finding green shoots of recovery. We believe for the next few weeks, we will not see any new transactions for housing sales". Ambience President (Sales &amp; Marketing) Ankush Kaul said: "Housing sales will be impacted for the next few weeks." Ekta World Chairman Ashok Mohanani said the lockdown has affected the business cycle deeply. Wadhwa group, Head - Sales, Marketing Bhasker Jain said the lockdown has impacted sales and the company is offering cashback on online bookings. Brokerage firm 360 Realtors Ankit Kansal said the activities have come to a standstill after lockdown. Sales were down by 30-40 per cent during the first three weeks of March. Investors Clinic Founder Honeyy Katiyal said sales would be impacted but not the price. Wealth Clinic CMD Amit Raheja said, "It will hamper sales to a large extent, but we expect a good turnaround once the situation returns to normalcy." MJH MRMR

Nationwide lockdown to impact housing sales, say realtors

<keyword id="1392572" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="automobile-dealers">Automobile dealers</keyword>' body FADA on Tuesday said <keyword id="762866" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="passenger-vehicle">passenger vehicle</keyword> (PV) retail sales in November witnessed a year-on-year increase of 4.17 per cent to 2,91,001 units as <keyword id="8202952" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="diwali-dhanteras">Diwali-Dhanteras</keyword> period led to rise in <keyword id="815780" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vehicle-registrations">vehicle registrations</keyword>. According to <keyword id="9396466" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-federation-of-automobile-dealers-associations">the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations</keyword> (FADA), which collected vehicle registration data from 1,265 out of the 1,472 regional transport offices (RTOs), PV sales stood at 2,79,365 units in November 2019. Two-wheeler sales, however, declined 21.4 per cent to 14,13,378 units last month, as compared to 17,98,201 units in November 2019. Commercial vehicle sales also slipped 31.22 per cent to 50,113 units, as against 72,863 units a year ago. Similarly, three-wheeler sales fell 64.98 per cent to 24,185 units last month, from 69,056 units in the year-ago period. Tractor sales, however, grew by 8.47 per cent to 49,313 units last month, against 45,462 units in the same month last year. Total sales across categories declined 19.29 per cent to 18,27,990 units last month, compared to 22,64,947 units in the year-ago period. "While registrations during Navratri were tepid, people came out in good numbers to purchase their dream vehicles during the Dhanteras - Diwali period," <keyword id="9993894" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="fada-president-vinkesh-gulati">FADA President Vinkesh Gulati</keyword> said. New launches and specially compact SUV's continued to show good demand in the PV segment, he added. The two-wheeler segment continued to witness a shift from 100cc to 125cc and above category due to good harvesting coupled with Dhanteras-Diwali and marriage season, Gulati said. Commenting on small goods commercial vehicles, he said the segment continued to see good demand with increased level of transportation and last-mile connectivity needs. With schools and colleges continuing to remain closed, demand for buses remains weak. Similarly, the medium and heavy commercial vehicle (M&amp;HCV) segment continues to play spoilsport with excessive capacity, high prices of BS-VI models, finance issues and high fuel price, Gulati noted. "FADA once again urges the government to increase infrastructure spending, including timely payment to vendors and introduce attractive incentive based scrappage policy to revive the M&amp;HCV segment," he added. On sales outlook, Gulati said with the festive season coming to a close, demand revival now solely depends on year-end schemes. "If the supply chain issues in the passenger vehicle segment are controlled, we may see continued growth in December," he added. Gulati also cautioned the two-wheeler Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs) and dealers to keep a check on vehicle inventory as post festivals, demand may remain subdued. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/bharat-biotech-applies-for-emergency-use-approval-for-its-covid-19-vaccine-covaxin/articleshow/79617391.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Bharat Biotech applies for emergency use approval for its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/covid-19-vaccine-in-india-expert-panel-to-review-pfizer-serum-and-bharat-biotechs-emergency-use-application-tomorrow/articleshow/79617336.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">COVID-19 vaccine in India: Expert panel to review Pfizer, Serum and Bharat Biotech's emergency use application tomorrow</a>

Passenger vehicle retail sales rise 4%, two-wheelers decline 21% despite festive boost: FADA

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/54290089.cms" /> 
 
 We can say that it’s probably the first time a western ¬style quick service restaurant (QSR) is converting to a Navratri menu on such a large scale. Domino's Pizza will turn half of its outlets all¬ <keyword id="17818" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="vegetarian">vegetarian</keyword> during the auspicious nine¬ day Navratri festive period starting early next month in an unprecedented move to draw more customers as the Indian unit of the US pizza giant seeks to recover from its slowest same ¬store sales growth in almost two years. Starting October 1 for nine days, about 500 Domino's stores across north and central India and parts of the west will stop serving non ¬vegetarian food. 
 Food outlets and QSRs typically see dwindling sales during the Navratri period, which ends 21 days before <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword>. In the past, too, Domino's has served vegetarian food during this festive period, but only at select stores and not for delivery orders. "Consumption of non¬ vegetarian food reduces significantly during this time. This move is an acknowledgement that though we are a global brand, we are conscious about consumer needs. It's about making a statement to consumers," Domino's <keyword id="3644838" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="pizza-india">Pizza India</keyword> President Dev Amritesh told ET. With many people abstaining from meat, wheat, garlic, onions and processed foods, the Navratri menu will include pizza bases made of singhara atta (water chestnut flour), saabudana crispies and dumplings and cheese and sauces with only rock salt. The pizza chain will not use garlic and onion and will do away with grains that aren't consumed during the period. "Pizza being a very versatile product, we have been able to create this menu," Amritesh said. Turning all ¬vegetarian for such a large number of stores was a huge initiative involving logistical challenges and aligning with suppliers, he said. With 1,062 restaurants in 248 cities, Domino's leads the organised pizza market with a more than 70% share. 
 
By turning vegetarian, Domino's is hoping to attract more orders and boost sales growth, which had been slowing with consumers cutting back on discretionary spending.

Domino’s turn vegetarian for Navratri festival

<ul><li>Improved customer sentiment and competitive pricing are expected to play crucial roles in driving vehicle sales. </li><li>The two-wheeler segment has seen a demand boost, especially in rural areas, thanks to attractive promotions. </li><li>The <keyword id="762866" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="passenger-vehicle" source="Orion">passenger vehicle</keyword> (PV) category has enjoyed a resurgence with improved vehicle availability and the introduction of new models. </li></ul>As the festive season is upon us, there is a sense of eager anticipation and excitement that is sweeping through the automotive industry. In the two-wheeler (2W) segment, while the initial part of the month might be relatively quiet due to the observance of the Shraddh period, upcoming festivals like Durga Puja and Navratri are poised to inject a renewed energy into the sales environment, as per Vehicle Retail Data for Sep 2023 released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). The uptick in demand is supported by improved customer sentiment and competitive pricing strategies, both of which are expected to play a crucial role in driving sales. Additionally, the introduction of new models into the market is set to further enhance the overall optimism. In the passenger vehicle (PV) sector, the market is also poised to witness a sales boost during the festive season. This is fueled by the launch of new products, improved availability of popular models, and the continued success of recently introduced vehicles. Similarly, in the <keyword id="47608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="commercial-vehicle" source="Orion">commercial vehicle</keyword> (CV) sector, the conclusion of the monsoon season brings with it the prospect of a resurgence in infrastructure projects and the transportation of essential goods. This anticipated increase in demand is expected to strengthen the market. The availability of a wider range of vehicles and attractive financing options is likely to facilitate bulk purchases, adding to the positive outlook in this segment. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Growth recorded across segments" comment="Subhead" text="Growth recorded across segments">Growth recorded across segments</cmsannotation> Analysing the data when compared to the same period a year before, one sees broad-based growth across segments – In September, 2W sales increased by 22%, 3W surged by 49%, PV grew by 19%, and CV by 5%. Tractors sales, however, declined by -10%. Compared to pre-COVID benchmarks, the sector achieved a robust 14% increase, with the 2W category recording positive growth (2%) for the first time. Says Manish Raj Singhania, president, FADA, "September's Auto Retail celebrated a 20% year-on- year (Y-o-Y) leap, continuing the momentum from the previous month while marking a 3.5% month-on-month (M-o-M) increase, seamlessly transitioning into the festive period’s sweet spot set to unfold over the next 42 days.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Two wheeler sales hit record high" comment="Subhead" text="Two wheeler sales hit record high">Two wheeler sales hit record high</cmsannotation> Three-wheeler sales hit a new high in September, reaching 102,426 units, showing a 49% Y-o-Y and 3% M-o-M increase, surpassing the previous record set in August 2023 at 99,907 units. The two-wheeler (2W) sector saw a boost in demand as the festive season approached, thanks to new models and attractive promotions, especially in rural areas. This led to increased customer traffic and positive market sentiment, supported by better stock availability and the successful launch of entry-level products. The passenger vehicle (PV) category enjoyed a resurgence with improved vehicle availability and the introduction of new models. There was consistent demand for luxury cars and SUVs, supported by pending bookings and promising product launches, setting the stage for potential growth in the upcoming festive season. In September 2023, the commercial vehicle (CV) segment remained strong, driven by demand in coal, cement, and general market load sectors. The passenger carrier segment also experienced growth, attributed to government infrastructure investments and improved market sentiment post-COVID-19.

With monsoon worries gone, auto sector bets on stellar festive revival

<ul><li>The rise in cheese and wheat prices affected the Q4 profits of companies that operate <keyword id="58553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pizza-hut" source="Orion">Pizza Hut</keyword>, Domino’s and <keyword id="6376241" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kfc" source="Orion">KFC</keyword>. </li><li>The companies say that consumer sentiment is weak, and do not see it changing in the near term either. </li><li>QSR companies are working on value products and have ruled out price hikes, especially in the pizza category. </li></ul>Indian quick service restaurant (QSR) operators – <keyword id="13306" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="devyani" source="Orion">Devyani</keyword> International and <keyword id="95677" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jubilant-foodworks" source="Orion">Jubilant Foodworks</keyword> both reported a year-on-year (YoY) fall in net profit in the fourth quarter, hurt by a rise in input costs. In the last one year, prices of the key ingredients of pizzas and burgers i.e. cheese and flour went up by 40% and 21%, respectively. The companies operate franchises of Pizza Hut, KFC, Domino’s, Costa Coffee and more. While KFC was able to raise prices marginally by 3.5% during the year to pass on some of the rise in poultry prices, pizza, which is a high-value category, leaves little room for price hikes. Operators of Pizza Hut and Domino’s have consciously not taken a price hike in the pizza category, and don’t see them going up in the next few quarters either. In addition to raw material inflation, the operators’ ability to increase prices during the same period were also low as Indians cut back on their discretionary spending. While Q4 is a seasonally weak quarter for QSRs due to the effect of festivals like Navratri and Ramadan – when people undertake fasting, the consumer sentiment is also weak, say analysts. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q4 Net Profit </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">YoY change </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q4 Revenue </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">YoY change </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jubilant Foodworks </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹28.54 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-70% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,269.85 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Devyani International </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹59.87 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-21% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹754.97 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">27.8% </td></tr></tbody></table> Source: PTI Pizzas harder hit than burgers Devyani’s same-store sales growth (SSSG) — which measures the sales of its stores that existed for over a year — went up a marginal 2% for KFC. For Pizza Hut, SSSG declined by 3.2% year-on-year, as per a research report by Nuvama. <keyword id="3742694" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sapphire-foods" source="Orion">Sapphire Foods</keyword>, which also operates Pizza Hut and KFC, showed similar growth in Q4. SSSG for its KFC outlets grew 2%, while Pizza Hut outlets saw it decline by 4%. The management has also guided for a tough year ahead in terms of growth. “Management expects 5-7% SSSG for Pizza Hut over next FY25-28 while FY24 would be challenging. Management expects Pizza Hut restaurant EBITDA margin would be in the range of 10-11% if SSSG stays positive,” says a Centrum report on Sapphire Foods. EBITDA refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation. The commentary from Jubilant Foodworks’ management is not encouraging either. “As per JFL, from a consumer sentiment perspective, things won’t change anytime soon,” said a Nuvama report. As the company expects <keyword id="17449721" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cheese-prices" source="Orion">cheese prices</keyword> to remain high in the coming future, it is working on a value range of products to tide over the dual impact of rising input costs and weakening sentiment. “The decline in average order value (AOV) is not driven by value launches but by inflation. This gives the company confidence that once sentiments improve, there will be natural up trending,” said Nuvama. Vijay Jain, the chief financial officer of Sapphire Foods, hopes for a recovery in the next one year. “While the demand conditions have impacted those transaction growth, we believe we are at the bottom of it. Hopefully, we believe that over the next 12 months, we should start seeing some small amount of recoveries where we can gain our restaurant EBITDA margins back up by a few basis points, if not more,” he said on an earnings call. Long-term opportunities seen In addition to these pressures, local competition who offer aggressive discounting and cannibalisation is also affecting the sales of high-value products across the QSR segment. Yet, analysts see all these factors only as short-term pain. “We believe there are strong long-term opportunities in QSR and Jubilant Foodworks with its moats is poised to take advantage of the same. After a steep stock price correction of around 25% from its peak, valuations appear reasonable,” says Motilal Oswal, reiterating its ‘Buy’ rating on Jubilant stock. A Nuvama report on Jubilant also hopes that its SSSG will improve as urban demand sentiment improves. Devyani is seeing a marginal improvement in demand over the last 45 days, the research firm says, adding that initial signs say that inflation is stabilising. Nuvama’s medium-to-long term outlook for Devyani’s SSSG is 5-6%. “We like online players such as Swiggy, Zomato and soon to enter Amazon, and see them positively expanding the overall dining-out and ordering market. Also, while promotional and marketing spends will continue to remain elevated, we do not see that denting JFL’s margins,” it said. Centrum says that Sapphire Foods has reworked its strategy to fit the improvement in dine-ins as opposed to delivered sales. “With strong management, besides sharp improvement in its execution capabilities, we expect turnaround in SF’s performance. However weak demand, incremental competition in chicken QSR, and rising inflation in chicken/dairy pose short-term challenges in our view,” says Centrum. Although the post-pandemic boom effects have been vanishing from many discretionary items, analysts believe that there is value in the expansion strategies that many QSR players have adopted, especially in the long term.

Cheese burst: Quick service restaurants see muted growth ahead

<ul><li>Analysts say FMCG, auto makers and clothing company stocks are expected to witness strong demand.</li><li>Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Diwali, Dussehra are considered auspicious for purchases of valuable items like automobiles, apartments or even going on a shopping spree for clothing, watch,electronics etc.</li><li>Besides, India’s consumption story is coming across to be strong even as Inflation may be hurting household budgets.</li></ul>Festive season that starts from August and runs till December brings limelight on company stocks, whose products and services are in high demand during the period. The festivals of Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Diwali, Dussehra are considered auspicious for the purchase of valuable items like automobiles, apartments. Also, people tend to go on shopping sprees this season for clothing, watches, electronics etc. Analysts say FMCG stocks are best performers during the season led by demand for sweets, chocolates and snacks. “Festive season is around and some stocks in sectors like FMCG, auto, banking might see some good action due to increased demand during these times. Recently there has been a record growth in auto sales with long waiting times, in spite of the inflation concerns. Some stocks to look for could be Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra,Titan and other banking stocks,” Manoj Dalmia, founder and director at Proficient Equities told Business Insider India. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Festive stocks </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">% returns in last one year </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Tata Motors </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">59% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">M&amp;M </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">60% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Maruti Suzuki </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">26% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Titan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">34% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">DMart </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">18% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Shoppers Stop </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">159% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Manyavar </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">27% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Raymond </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">127% </td></tr></tbody></table> And, there are weddings too Right along with the festival season comes the wedding season and that’ll spur the demand even further – making the season of shopping sprees last longer. “FMCG stocks tend to do well during festive season with stocks like DMart, Shoppers Stop being in the limelight. Apart from the festive season, it’s also the marriage season so stocks like Manyavar, Raymond, these stocks would be back in focus because of the shopping spree,” Kranthi Bathini, director of equity strategy at WealthMills Securities told Business Insider India. Moreover, India’s consumption story is coming across to be strong even as inflation may be hurting household budgets. Consumers, experts say, are not yet cutting back on discretionary items like skincare and cosmetics. In a recent interview with Nykaa CEO Achint Nayar he said that consumers are not cutting back on small luxuries despite inflation. Especially in the premium category, there are fewer consumers who are unlike in the case of FMCGs in the last few months. Morgan Stanley too backed the India consumption story and said in a recent report that it consumption will pick up in the coming quarters, as the economy is now fully reopened and supported by job creation and income growth. It says that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/healthy-household-balance-sheets-will-push-auto-consumer-goods-sales-morgan-stanley/articleshow/93473239.cms">India’s household balance sheets </a>are healthy and a conducive macro backdrop will keep consumer confidence high. “India’s consumption story is not a one day or one season story, it's going to be a much buoyant story in the coming days because the disposable income of people is going up. Besides, despite the increase in interest rates, real estate is picking up as people tend to book during the festive season,” added Bathini. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/food-delivery-startup-qmin-claims-to-be-the-only-profitable-business-among-its-peers-like-zomato-swiggy/articleshow/93520527.cms">Taj Hotels’ Qmin food delivery app claims to be the only profitable business among its peers</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/avatar-2-black-panther-2-ant-man-here-is-a-complete-list-of-hollywood-movies-expected-to-hit-indian-theaters-in-the-next-6-7-months/articleshow/93522825.cms">Avatar 2, Black Panther 2, Ant Man — Here is a complete list of Hollywood movies expected to hit Indian theaters in the next 6-7 months</a>

Here’s a list of stocks that can benefit from the festive season

<ul><li>India’s largest retailer said that the operating environment is at par with pre-Covid levels. </li><li>“Our retail business delivered record performance with strong revival in footfalls, store additions and digital integration,” said Mukesh Ambani, CMD of RIL. </li><li>Early onset of festivities and key promotional events drove positive consumer sentiments, the company said. </li><li><keyword id="9124982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jiomart-on-whatsapp" source="Orion">JioMart on WhatsApp</keyword> brought in 37% of orders from customers who had not shopped on JioMart before. </li></ul><keyword id="58448" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance-retail" source="Orion">Reliance Retail</keyword>’s second quarter net profit grew 36% to ₹2,305 crore from ₹1,695 crore in the same quarter last year. This segment’s revenue grew 42.8% to ₹64,936 crore from ₹45,450 crore in the same quarter last year. India’s largest retailer said that the operating environment is at par with pre-Covid levels as the pandemic impact has ‘waned’. “Our retail business delivered record performance with strong revival in footfalls, store additions and digital integration. Reliance Retail continues to provide a compelling proposition of great shopping experience and superior value across consumption baskets and price points,” said Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, in a press release. Early onset of festivities and key promotional events drove positive consumer sentiments, said the company whose EBITDA for the quarter went up by 51%. Its EBITDA margin from operations also expanded to 7.4% in the September quarter as compared to 6.1% in the same period last year. The company attributed it to favorable mix, positive operating leverage and operational efficiencies. The company’s retail space went up 20% quarter-on-quarter, taking its total store count to 16,617 stores spread across 54.5 million square feet. “Reliance Retail is the only Indian retailer with more than 50 million square feet of retail space under operation. The business continued to invest in bolstering its infrastructure capabilities by expanding over 5.4 million square feet of warehouse space,” the company said. JioMart on WhatsApp brought in 37% orders from ‘new’ customers The daily orders for its digital commerce business went up by 53% year-on-year, with a 2x growth in merchant base. JioMart’s ‘Tyohar Ready Sale’ resulted in 2.5x growth in traffic and 3x app installations, it said. “The business launched JioMart on WhatsApp native app during the quarter, a novel and disruptive initiative that brings the simplicity of instant chat service to the online shopping experience to millions of consumers. An impressive 37% of orders received from this platform are from new customers who had not shopped on JioMart before,” the company said. Its August ‘Digital India Sale’ was the best ever, the company said, adding that attractive offers and new product launches aided it. Mobile phones, TVs and washing machines did particularly well with 30% year-on-year growth. As consumers refreshed their wardrobe, its fashion and lifestyle business also recorded a strong quarter it said without providing data. However, it added that offline business in this category saw its best quarter ever with double-digit growth thanks to many festivals like Onam, Ganesh Chathurthi, Navratri and Pujo. “During the quarter, the business introduced three new store concepts. ‘Azorte’, a tech-aided premium fashion and lifestyle store format; ‘Centro’, a fashion &amp; lifestyle departmental store format and ‘Fashion Factory’, a format that offers value deals across brands to serve discerning customers,” the company said.

Reliance Retail Q2 net profit grows 36% as pandemic effect wanes

<ul><li>At 7:40 am, the SGX Nifty was down 0.53%, indicating a negative start for Nifty50.</li><li>Here’s a list of stocks to watch for in trade today. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a> </li></ul>Indian stock-market indices are likely to open in negative territory on Thursday, on the back of subdued cues from the global peers. At 7:40 am, the SGX Nifty was down 0.53%, indicating a weak start for Nifty50. US stocks also tumbled during the afternoon trade as new lockdown restrictions erased morning optimism about Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine news. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 344 points lower, and the S&amp;P 500 was down 1.16%. These are the stocks to watch out for during the trading session today: Pfizer Global drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech concluded phase 3 study of COVID-19 vaccine candidates and said their COVID-19 vaccine candidate is<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/pfizers-new-covid-19-vaccine-is-95-effective-and-the-only-severe-side-effect-to-worry-about-is-fatigue-according-to-the-final-results/articleshow/79284286.cms"> 95% effective</a>, including in people over 65 years of age. Based on current projections, the companies expect to produce globally up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021. The shares of Pfizer ended 0.92% lower on Wednesday. TCS The shareholders of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) said its shareholders have approved its up to ₹16,000 crore share buyback plan.Last month the board of TCS approved a proposal to buyback upto 5.33 crore equity shares at a price of ₹3,000 for an aggregate amount not exceeding ₹16,000 crore. The shares of TCS ended 1.50% lower on Wednesday. Wipro IT services giant Wipro has fixed December 11 as the record date for its ₹9,500 crore share buyback programme. Its board and shareholders have already approved its proposal to buy back upto 23.75 crore equity shares of the company at ₹400 per share. The shares of Wipro ended 0.92% lower on Wednesday. Hero MotoCorp Two-wheeler market leader Hero MotoCorp said it sold more than 14 lakh units of motorcycles and scooters in retail sales during the festive season. Despite severe disruptions due to COVID-19 this year, the good retail off-take during the 32-day festival period — spread between the first day of Navratri and the concluding day after Bhai Duj — was 98% of the festive season volumes sold by the company in 2019 and 103% compared to the same period in 2018. The shares of Hero MotoCorp ended 1.40% lower on Wednesday. Punjab &amp; Sind Bank State-owned Punjab &amp; Sind Bank on Wednesday said the board of the bank would meet later this week to consider raising up to ₹5,500 crore by issuing shares on a preferential basis. The shares of Punjab &amp; Sind Bank ended 0.88% higher on Wednesday. GPT Infra GPT Infraprojects Limited (GPT) has bagged an order valued at ₹162.83 crore from the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC), Transport Department, Government of West Bengal, Kolkata. The contract is for repair and rehabilitation of the second Hooghly Bridge, including replacement of Stay and Holding Down Cables and Bearings etc. The shares of GPT Infra ended 2.09% higher on Wednesday. Lakshmi Vilas Bank Capri Global Holdings sold more than 20 lakh shares of Lakshmi Vilas Bank through an open market transaction. According to the bulk deal data available on the BSE, Capri Global Holdings offloaded a total of 20,55,161 shares at an average price of ₹12.40 apiece. This took the total deal value to ₹2.54 crore. The shares of Lakshmi Vilas Bank ended 20% lower on Wednesday. IndiGo According to the air regulator DGCA data, IndiGo passenger load has increased from 65.4% in September to 68.2% in October. IndiGo holds 55.5% market share in Indian skies. The shares of IndiGo ended 5% higher on Wednesday. SpiceJet According to the air regulator DGCA data, SpiceJet passenger load has increased from 73% in September to 74% in October. SpiceJet holds 13.4% market share in Indian skies. The shares of SpiceJet ended 13% higher on Wednesday. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/dow-tumbles-345-points-as-fresh-lockdown-measures-overshadow-vaccine-progress/articleshow/79292917.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink"> Dow tumbles 345 points as fresh lockdown measures overshadow vaccine progress</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/pfizers-new-covid-19-vaccine-is-95-effective-and-the-only-severe-side-effect-to-worry-about-is-fatigue-according-to-the-final-results/articleshow/79284286.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective and the only severe side-effect to worry about is fatigue, according to the final results</a>

Top stocks to watch — Pfizer, TCS, Wipro, Hero Moto, Lakshmi Vilas Bank, SpiceJet, IndiGo, and others

Gold and gold ornaments are something integral to Indian tradition. Gold is considered as a symbol of luck, prosperity, abundance and auspiciousness. In fact people see gold as embodying Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in it. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Indians love gold" comment="subhead" text="Indians love gold">Indians love gold</cmsannotation> Indian households take a sentimental interest in buying gold. India has recently overtaken China in becoming the largest importer of gold on the earth. People consider it auspicious to <keyword id="2329317" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="buy-gold" source="Orion">buy gold</keyword> on festivals like Makar Sankranti, Dussehra, Navratri, Gudi Parva, <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali" source="Orion">Diwali</keyword>, Akshaya Tritiya and <keyword id="4067" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhanteras" source="Orion">Dhanteras</keyword>. It is considered highly auspicious to <keyword id="8248136" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="buy-gold-on-dhanteras" source="Orion">buy gold on Dhanteras</keyword>. Some of the beliefs attesting this tradition are discussed here. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Shopping for gold on Dhanteras" comment="subhead" text="Shopping for gold on Dhanteras">Shopping for <keyword id="6994209" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-on-dhanteras" source="Orion">gold on Dhanteras</keyword></cmsannotation> On the day of Dhanteras, the sale of gold reaches one of its annual peaks in India. The term Dhanteras translates as dhan (wealth) teras (thirteenth day). People buy gold bars, gold ornaments, gold coins silver coins or silver ware on this day. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The legend behind Dhanteras" comment="subhead" text="The legend behind Dhanteras">The legend behind Dhanteras</cmsannotation> Once upon a time, there was a king named Hima. He had a son of sixteen years. The king got him married to a girl. Astrologers predicted that the prince would die of snake bite on the fourth day of his marriage. This information made the king and the bride misery stricken. The bride was a clever and highly devoted girl. She hatched a plan to save the life of her husband. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Dhanteras is celebrated for the first time" comment="subhead" text="Dhanteras is celebrated for the first time">Dhanteras is celebrated for the first time</cmsannotation> On the day when the astrologers had predicted the death of the boy, the girl collected all the ornaments and gold in the palace and placed them in a heap in front of the main door. She advised the prince not to sleep and sat with him narrating some interesting stories and singing some melodious songs. The couple sat awake throughout the night. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Lord Yama arrives" comment="subhead" text="Lord Yama arrives">Lord Yama arrives</cmsannotation> During the scheduled time of taking the prince’s life, Lord Yama arrived near the palace. He took the form of a serpent which was supposed to bite the prince to death. As the serpent neared the main door of the palace, the heap of ornaments and valuables blocked its way, the dazzling brilliance of the items nearly blinded the vision of the snake. The snake could not enter the palace. Meanwhile, the snake was charmed by the melodious songs sung by the girl. Hence the snake laid there all night long listening to the songs. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The time of death lapses" comment="subhead" text="The time of death lapses">The time of death lapses</cmsannotation> The time that the planets had scheduled for the prince’s death elapsed and the serpent lost its mood to bite the prince. Lord Yama in the disguise of the snake left the house without taking the life of the prince. Thus, with her clever strategies and devotion to God, the girl could successfully save the life of the prince. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Dhanteras tradition begins" comment="subhead" text="Dhanteras tradition begins">Dhanteras tradition begins</cmsannotation> The legend of how the prince was saved from death inspired the tradition of buying gold on the day of Dhanteras. Gold is kept in puja on the day and a lamp known as Yama Deep is lit in front of the main door seeking the blessings of Lord Yama and goddess Lakshmi.

Why Indian people purchase gold on Dhanteras festival

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48680285.cms" /> The festive season is starting from October and the e-Commerce companies are gearing up to woo the customers. The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=e-Commerce">e-Commerce industry</a> is expecting sales of Rs 25,600 crore ($4 billion) this year during <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Diwali">Diwali season</a>. 
 
As per the Hindu calendar, the festive season starts with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/7-Diverse-Dusshera-Celebrations-In-India/articleshow/43980552.cms">‘Navratri’</a> in the month of October. After October, there are a string of festivals and the festivities do not stop till December as the last month of the year is believed to be the most auspicious one for weddings. These festive months, as calculated by the <keyword id="3020651" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Technopark-Advisors">Technopark Advisors</keyword>, are expected to account 40% of the total $10-billion annual sales the Indian e-Commerce industry is aiming to record this year. 
 
The growing sector reported a $7-billion sale in FY15 with 40% sales coming during the festive season. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Snapdeal+">Snapdeal </a>senior vice-president, marketing, Idi Srinivas Murthy, said that the company saw a 15x increase in traffic during <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword> last year and this year too they were intensifying all aspects of business operations, including logistics, supply-chain, financial and technological support. 
 
"We have launched faster last-mile delivery solutions and a refreshed user interface. We are also developing a host of solutions for our 1,50,000 sellers," Murthy said. 
 
Being the most lucrative period for the whole industry, the companies often compete with each other to gain maximum benefits. The two major grounds on which all the e-tailers focus are delivery performance and customer satisfaction. 
 
Mumbai-based furniture and home products seller <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Pepperfry">Pepperfry</a>, in a bid to make most of the festive season, has increased its merchant base, multiplied marketing outreach, has invested in doubling its logistics capabilities by expanding fulfillment centers, delivery and assembly capabilities as well as technology capabilities. 
 
The company’s chief marketing officer Kashyap Vadapalli said, "Our sales were up 200% (last Diwali) as we took necessary steps both at the logistics and supply end.” 
 
The coming festive months are crucial not just for the e-Commerce industry, but also for the companies providing logistics solutions. Logistics startup<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Delhivery+"> ‘Delhivery’</a> is expecting a significant surge in volumes, similar to last year. 
 "<keyword id="1560090" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhivery">Delhivery</keyword> is continuously investing in technology, infrastructure and automation to ensure such surges are managed well during the festive season," said Mohit Tandon, co-founder, of the firm. However, with rising demand, these companies are bound to face innumerable challenges. 
 
"Since the logistics partners are common to almost all players, fulfilling the demands over a given period of time becomes a concern," said Praveen Sinha, managing director and founder of online fashion retailer Jabong. "It is not always easy due to the overwhelming response that we get during this time. It sometimes becomes challenging to have a constant stock of products," he added. 
 
In the past one year mobile and internet penetration has increased further indicating that this year online purchasing will grow multi-fold compared to Diwali 2014, Kushal Nahata, CEO and co-founder of enterprise mobility platform FarEye said. 
 
<a href="http://cdn.youthkiawaaz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/26/bursting-crackers-just-one-day-year-harm-really-heres-much-needed-guilt-trip/Diwali-crackers.jpg">Image source</a>

E-Commerce industry is ready to host the Diwali season. Are you?

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57eb5367dd0895c2308b4760-1362/india festival costumes.jpg" alt="India Festival Costumes" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Amit Dave" data-mce-caption="Participants dressed in traditional attire pose during rehearsals for Garba, a folk dance, ahead of Navratri, a festival during which devotees worship the Hindu goddess Durga and youths dance in traditional costumes, in Ahmedabad, India September 27, 2016." />REUTERS/Amit DaveParticipants dressed in traditional attire pose during rehearsals for Garba, a folk dance, ahead of Navratri, a festival during which devotees worship the Hindu goddess Durga and youths dance in traditional costumes, in Ahmedabad, India September 27, 2016.</div></div></div>Hello! Here's what you need to know on Wednesday.1. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-post-debate-18-million-fundraising-haul-2016-9">Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump's campaign claims it pulled in a whopping $18 million fundraising haul after the first debate</a>. Trump and the GOP raised a combined $90 million in August, trailing Hillary Clinton's $143 million haul during the same month.2. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-arizona-republic-newspaper-endorses-hillary-clinton-2016-9">For the first time ever in its 126-year history Arizona's largest newspaper is endorsing a Democratic presidential candidate</a>. The Arizona Republic's editorial board vaulted Hillary Clinton as a centrist who "knows how to compromise and to lead with intelligence, decorum and perspective."<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-mars-colony-talk-iac-2016-9">3. SpaceX founder Elon Musk wants to colonize Mars with a million people in an effort to protect humanity from certain doom.</a> The tech billionaire unveiled his ambitious plans to establish a human settlement on the red planet starting in 2022.4. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wells-fargo-ceo-will-forfeit-41-million-in-pay-after-banking-scandal-2016-9">Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf will forfeit $41 million in pay</a>, after allegations the bank's employees opened millions of accounts without customers' permission to reach aggressive sales targets.5. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-new-york-bomb-suspect-apparently-acted-alone-fbi-2016-9">The suspect in the bombing in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood appears to have acted on his own</a>, according to the FBI.6. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-former-israeli-president-shimon-peres-dies-at-93-2016-9">Former Israeli president and prime minister Shimon Peres has died at age 93</a>. Peres' key role in the first Israeli-Palestinian peace accord earned him a Nobel Peace Prize and revered status as Israel's then most recognizable figure abroad.7. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tempur-sealy-tempurpedic-mattress-stock-crashing-2016-9">The maker of TempurPedic mattresses crashed by more than 25%</a>, following a dismal update on its business.8. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-promoted-employee-new-cfo-january-2016-9">Uber has finally found a CFO</a>, having promoted an unnamed internal employee on January 16 to the role of chief financial officer.9. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-secret-plan-replace-fedex-ups-called-consume-the-city-2016-9">Amazon is looking to compete against delivery services like FedEx and UPS</a>, with a new planned some executives call "Consume the City."10. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-obama-names-first-ambassador-to-cuba-in-five-decades-2016-9">US president Barack Obama has tapped Jeffrey DeLaurentis, America's top diplomat in Havana</a>, to become the first official ambassador to Cuba in five decades.And finally ...<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-eat-dinner-at-the-same-restaurant-as-the-obamas-2016-9">What it's like to eat dinner at the same restaurant as the Obamas</a>. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bank-of-england-new-5-note-2016-9">The Bank of England just released the new £5 note - here's how it compares to the old one</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="0xc3N1NTE6FXb5aTf7SqtgcmCZ-VjFCd" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '0xc3N1NTE6FXb5aTf7SqtgcmCZ-VjFCd',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

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<ul><li>Tanishq’s latest Ekatvam Diwali ad stirred up a new row of controversy on social media for promoting a crackerless Diwali. </li><li>The brand was quick to delete its ad this time. </li><li>This made us wonder if brands are setting a wrong precedent by pulling down their advertisements and giving in to these bullies too quickly? Will consumers lose faith in the brand for backtracking and its lack of confidence? </li><li>Experts tell us their thoughts and ideal ways of dealing with online trolling. </li></ul>Tanishq has found itself in troubled waters yet again. On November 09, #BoycottTanishq was trending on Twitter for another advertisement under its on-going ‘Ekatvam’ (unity) campaign and this time, we are scratching our heads to find a reason why it offended the internet users. The ad featured four independent actors Sayani Gupta, Neena Gupta, Alaya F and Nimrat Kaur talking about what they love about Diwali and how they are going to celebrate the festival this year. The ad is about female companionship and oneness. It celebrates successful women and positions itself as a brand that caters to women of all ages. Tanishq’s latest ad wasn’t just about promoting a noise-free Diwali, contrary to what trolls think. It was about celebrating Diwali with family and not bursting crackers was just one of the messages they gave. The message which offended many internet users wasn’t the central thread of the ad. It was woven around the message of equality and togetherness. Its caption read, “This Diwali, let’s unite and celebrate with those closest to our hearts.” While many experts say that religion is a tough subject to handle and brands should be careful in the way they project themselves, this time, Tanishq played it safe. It only featured Hindu, upper-caste and class women celebrating Diwali. So, what was the problem? It seems like the memories of the previous storm were still fresh and the mere sight of Tanishq is offending Twitterati. They were quick to jump in to ask for another boycott for ‘trying to advise Hindus on how to celebrate their festivals’ and ‘defame their culture.’ “Why should anyone advise Hindus how to celebrate Our Festivals? Companies must focus on selling their products, not lecture us to refrain from bursting Crackers. We will light lamps, distribute sweets and burst green crackers. Please join us. You will understand Ekatvam,” said a user. “Saw a recent ad campaign by Tanishq Jewelry where some bimbos prattle vacuously about how Deepavali is about buying clothes and jewellery. Looks like this is the new woke line. Strip Deepavali of all religious significance and make it a kind of a glorified kitty party with lights,” said another Twitter user. They even had a problem with women not wearing symbols of patriarchy and their badges of being married such as bindis, bangles and sindoor. <div type="twitter" handle="krithikasivasw" handlename="krithika sivaswamy" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1307598588181016576/coJ-S3Qq_normal.jpg" favoritecount="172" retweetcount="61" status="No bindi, no deepam, no lakshmi pooja. While I don't like to intefere into people's dressing or spiritual choices… https://t.co/tzM0cbaXk0" createdat="1604896710000" id="1325659002307375105"></div> It was around a month ago that Tanishq’s ad film about a Hindu bahu and her Muslim saas living together peacefully made the trolls uncomfortable. In both these controversies, Tanishq was quick to withdraw its ad and apologise for hurting religious sentiments. This made us wonder if brands are setting a wrong precedent by pulling down their advertisements and giving in to these rabble-rousers too quickly? The last time, Tanishq withdrew its ad because the safety of its employees was in danger and so far, for its recent ad, it has just been social media outrage. Powerful brands like Tanishq have the resources to stand up to these bullies. Brands are also aware of the volatile climes they live in and how advertisements can irk some internet users. So, are brands not hiring good media planners? Will consumers lose faith in the brand for backtracking and its lack of confidence? A larger question every CMO ponders upon, what is the ideal way to deal with these online bullies? We reached out to experts to find out. Here is what they had to say: Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and Angel Investor: I am surprised that Tanishq chose to take down the ad in the face of social media backlash. I am sure the brand foresaw the likely controversy when they chose to go down this path – so backtracking now is a little surprising and doesn’t speak well for their planning. It is important for companies and brands to respect public sentiment. After all, a brand and a company exists within a larger community and all it does is have to reflect the values of its users and the larger society it operates in. Thanks to their reach and heft, brands have become important elements in shaping culture, influencing behaviour and moulding opinion. It is therefore important for them to proactively do the right thing, even though it may have short-term implications for their business. Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru &amp; Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc: I very simply believe that brands must avoid touching topics that either directly or indirectly touch politics or religion. Anything that touches these two or adjacent issues such as custom and tradition, must be avoided. These are sensitive times. Avoid issues that sensitize audiences further. Akshara Vasavda, Creative Lead, Schbang: Another <keyword id="2851713" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tanishq-Ad">Tanishq ad</keyword> taken down because of angry trolls upset over someone saying we shouldn't burst firecrackers, because you know, we're kind of in the middle of a pandemic and an on-going climate crisis in general. How dare they? First, let's focus on the real issue - the extremists dominating much of the Indian media and social media right now, spreading their intolerance in almost every sphere of our lives. There is no platform where one can express their (very reasonable and justified) views freely without getting attacked by angry extremist trolls. Whether or not Tanishq should have taken the ad down is a separate conversation. They are still yet another victim of growing extremism in our country, albeit a very privileged victim with power and resources to fight this issue and bring some much needed change. Should Tanishq have taken this ad down? Absolutely not. I work on a brand 100x smaller than Tanishq that was attacked for a week straight for a simple social media post on Navratri, but we stuck to our cause and fought the trolls off with a team of 3 girls handling ORM. I simply do not see why a brand like Tanishq feels forced to take the ad down except for maybe, just maybe, they want to have their cake and eat it too - please the progressives but be in the good books of conservatives/right wing audience as well. Afterall, their sales come from the old and the rich. Or maybe, they want the controversy. Whatever the reason is, I'm out of sympathy for this TATA giant, when small, independent brands are not afraid to stand up in the face of right-wing suppression of speech. Kuber Chopra, Founder, Creative and Strategy Director, Rasta: What Tanishq is dealing with is not a "might offend someone" mindset, it's got to a point where the trolls have simply marked some brands as too liberal for their liking. Just like they would mark some popular liberal voices as those to quash dare they speak. While I did feel when they released the last ad, they would have been conscious of potential backlash, on this occasion they're just dealing with depressing brainwashed mindsets that are going to continue to get offended by the sight of Tanishq. They are probably offended by this because there are 4 independent women and no men in a Diwali ad (albeit it's a jewelry ad) speaking English. I'm honestly a little saddened to suggest a hack for this, but if Tanishq doesn’t think putting a brave front is worth it, they should change the script and redo the voice over perhaps in Hindi. If they want to be brave they can release little snippets of each of these women lighting dias and a little story about who they are, where they're celebrating Diwali. And of course, doing nothing is also a strategy. Hope Tanishq has the best Diwali and open minded Diwali shoppers make their wallets heard. Akshaara Lalwani, CEO &amp; Founder, Communicate India: Conceptualization of an ad campaign is backed by the vision to create an emotional connect with the audience. While ṭhis attempt may at times click well for the brand, there is a possibility of it backfiring too, especially during such sensitive times, when the world is battling through a global health crisis and emotions are heightened. However, keeping that in mind, it is also imperative for brands to believe in its value system and not change as per audience receptiveness. Thus, pulling down the ad wasn't the best way to deal with this situation and only reflected the lack of belief in the idea that the brand had executed through this campaign If we observe the audience engagement post-global-lockdown, it has reflected an upsurge in the rate of social media trolls. Having had the technological access and ample amount of time at hand, people are consuming content on a larger scale and hence brands have been put under the microscopic lenses. In order to deal with such trolls, brands need to evaluate and understand the sentiment that the campaign has brought forth among the audiences. Basis the audience reaction, devising a strategy that helps communicate the campaign’s authentic idea is the best way to tackle the situation at hand. Amyn Ghadiali, Vice President -Business &amp; Strategy, Gozoop: It definitely sets a wrong precedent. I believe that more than trolls, the customers also lose faith in the brand because it doesn’t have the courage to see through things that they actually believe in. If I were the brand custodian at Tanishq, the fundamental question I would ask myself is that do I believe in what I am saying &amp; are the ones trolling me/ my customers? If they are, then I would really like to understand their POV better rather than pulling down the ad. If they are random trolls, who never would be able to afford my brand, why even bother? Also, if a brand believes in a progressive society, I would want to have customers who share that ideology. Look at how Jeff Bezos supported black lives matter. I wouldn’t call it strategy, I would simply call them principles. We all know principles mean nothing if they don’t cost us something. The best way to deal with trolls is to create an army of brand advocates that stand by your decision and belief. In-case of a polarising debate like that of Tanishq or for that matter any brand, it is important to have a spine and stick through. People who support your belief system will come forward, defend you and in-fact respect you even more.

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