UTI Mutual Fund Launches UTI Nifty India New Age Consumption Index Fund

UTI Mutual Fund (UTI MF) has launched a new passive fund - UTI Nifty India New Age Consumption Index Fund (An open ended scheme replicating/tracking Nifty India New Age Consumption Total Return Index (TRI)). The NFO opened on Thursday, October 22, 2026, and will close on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

About UTI Nifty India New Age Consumption Index Fund:

UTI Nifty India New Age Consumption Index Fund is passively managed index fund that seeks to replicate the performance of the Nifty India New Age Consumption Total Return Index (TRI), subject to tracking error. However, there is no assurance that the investment objective of the scheme will be achieved. The fund provides investors with exposure to a portfolio of companies representing the new age consumption theme from the Nifty 500 universe through a rules-based investment approach.

The underlying index i.e. the Nifty India New Age Consumption Index aims to capture companies which belong to basic industries such as Passenger Cars & Utility Vehicles, 2/3 Wheelers, gems, Jewellery and Watches, Hotels & Resorts, Financial Technology (Fintech) etc. The index comprises of 75 stocks. The weight of each stock in the index is based on its free-float market capitalization.

Sharwan Goyal, Head - Passive, Arbitrage and Quant Strategies and FM (Equity), UTI AMC said:

“The Nifty India New Age Consumption Index captures India’s evolving consumption landscape, spanning industries such as e-commerce, quick commerce, passenger vehicles, two- and three-wheelers, gems and jewellery, hotels and resorts, and financial technology. The index currently comprises 75 stocks weighted by free-float market capitalisation and offers diversified exposure to businesses representing emerging consumption trends through a transparent and systematic portfolio-construction approach. Policy measures such as income-tax relief and GST rationalisation could provide further impetus to consumption revival and support a recovery in consumption-led growth. UTI’s offering based on this index further expands its passive product suite, providing investors with an opportunity to access this evolving theme through a rules-based investment framework.”

Salient Features of the New funds offered:

 

	UTI Nifty India New Age Consumption Index Fund
NFO Period	Thursday, October 22, 2026 to Thursday, November 05, 2026
Fund Manager	Mr. Sharwan Kumar Goyal (Fund Manager), Mr Ayush Jain (Assistant Fund Manager), Mr. Lokesh Kulthia (Assistant Fund Manager)
Benchmark	Nifty India New Age Consumption Total Returns Index (TRI)
Minimum Investment During NFO*	Minimum initial investment amount is Rs. 1,000/- and in multiples of Re.1/- thereafter. Subsequent minimum investment amount under a folio is Rs.1,000/- and in multiples of Re.1/- thereafter with no upper limit.
Plans & Options	The Scheme offers following Plans: Regular Plan Direct Plan   Both the Plans offer only Growth Option.
Load Structure	Entry Load: Not Applicable# Exit Load: Nil

# In terms of provision no 11.7.1 of para 11.7 under Chapter 11 of SEBI Master Circular for Mutual Funds, no entry load will be charged by the scheme to the investor. *Allotment of units will be done after deduction of applicable stamp duty and transaction charges, if any.

Product label & Risk-o-meter: UTI Nifty India New Age Consumption Index Fund

(An open ended scheme replicating/tracking Nifty India New Age Consumption Total Return Index (TRI))

 

THIS PRODUCT IS SUITABLE FOR INVESTORS WHO ARE SEEKING*:	Scheme Risk-o-meter: UTI Nifty India New Age Consumption Index Fund	Benchmark Risk-o-meter: Nifty India New Age Consumption TRI#
Returns that, before expenses, correspond to the total return of the securities as represented by the Nifty India New Age Consumption TRI subject to tracking error. Investment in equity securities covered by the Nifty India New Age Consumption TRI

 

Product labelling assigned during the New Fund Offer (NFO) is based on internal assessment of the scheme characteristics or model portfolio and the same may vary post NFO when the actual investments are made. # Based on the Index Composition as on September 30, 2026.

* Investors should consult their financial advisers if in doubt about whether the product is suitable for them.

Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

Zoom Advances Its AI Strategy With A New Unified Context Layer That Helps Turn Meeting Conversations Into Completed Work

* The company introduces a suite of AI products to close the conversation gap across Zoom

* Workplace, customer experience, developer tools, and events

At its annual Zoomtopia customer conference, Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM), a leading AI-first platform for human connection, introduced a new Unified Context Layer and several new products with AI-powered capabilities. The new offerings are designed to help businesses transform rich meeting context into meaningful deliverables that help accelerate work outcomes.

Business conversations drive critical decisions and build customer history every day. A customer interaction might start in a meeting, continue by phone, and carry on in chat threads. But when that context is scattered across applications, people, and AI agents lose the thread, and teams spend significant time piecing together what happened, when it happened, and what they should do about it.

Zoom’s new Unified Context Layer helps close that gap by linking conversation history with relevant documents and data. Together, these sources give people and AI agents a fuller picture of the work and what needs to happen next.

This new layer brings together conversations with near real-time activity across Zoom and connected third-party applications, giving people and AI agents access to business context that might otherwise be lost or siloed. Configurable settings and controls help manage access, while coordination among AI agents turns business context into actionable insights.

Zoom is increasingly becoming a system of action as organizations, large and small, put the company’s AI tools to work at scale.

Zoom Virtual Agent customer count has surged by 256% (1), and users who leverage Zoom’s various AI tools report completing tasks twice as fast, with 72% citing high or extremely high business impact, compared with a market average of 63% (2). Zoom is expecting to surpass $5 billion in annual revenue this year.

With a growing enterprise footprint across industries from healthcare to financial services, retail, and education, the company is advancing its vision for workplace productivity, one where the line between conversation and execution shrinks.

“AI models are only as powerful as their understanding of your business, and that context makes all the difference,” said Eric Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom. “Fragmented product experiences isolate conversations, stall decisions, and drag businesses down. Today, with the Unified Context Layer, we’re laying the groundwork for a system of action designed to turn conversations into completed work.”

“Our teams have the information they need, but it’s often dispersed across meetings, notes, and different systems,” said Christine Sarros, senior vice president of Enterprise Engineering, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. “Zoom’s new solutions could help bring that context together, so teams can enter customer conversations with a clearer understanding of what’s been discussed, what’s been decided, and what needs to happen next. We see an opportunity to spend less time reconstructing history and more time helping our customers move forward.”

At Zoomtopia, Zoom is bringing this vision to life with innovations across collaboration, AI, customer experience, and events. The announcements below show how it all connects business context to the tools and workflows people actually use to get work done.

Give people and AI agents context to turn conversations into action

Every meeting, chat, and document leaves a trail of discussion, decisions, and action items. Zoom’s Unified Context Layeraccesses this information to help people and AI agents quickly move from context to clarity to action.

The Unified Context Layer makes work even more efficient when used with the newly introduced capabilities that include:

Follow the meeting: Delivers personalized transcripts and summaries for users who miss all or parts of a meeting. (Expected December 2026.)

Enriched notes: Links shared screens, slides, charts, and in-meeting chat to relevant moments in a searchable transcript. (Expected November 2026.)

My Notes hardware integrations: Extends My Notes to in-person conversations through new devices from DTEN and Bota. (Expected November 2026 and Q1 2027, respectively.)

My Notes Workflows: Turn meeting summaries into follow-up work in everyday tools like Zoom Chat and Salesforce, with ready-made workflows for sales, marketing, and IT, or custom ones created by describing what to automate in natural language, no separate workflow builder needed to get started. (Expected October 2026.)

New Zoom Chat experience: A refreshed chat experience designed to help surface relevant conversations and bring AI agents directly into discussions to take actions based on administrator-defined controls. (Expected December 2026.)

ZoomMate Agent Teams: Specialized AI agents that work together in an AI team to support faster execution of work. (Available now.)

Bring Zoom capabilities into the AI tools businesses already use

Developers and AI agents can now access Zoom capabilities outside the Zoom app. Through APIs and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, teams can connect scheduling, transcription, search, administration, and contact center actions to other AI environments and workflows.

Highlights include:

MCP Servers: With new MCP servers across the portfolio, developers and AI agents can coordinate actions outside the Zoom UI. (Available now.)

Connections to AI Assistants: Use supported Zoom capabilities within AI environments, including Claude, Codex, Copilot, and Muse. (Expected October 2026.)

Search & Ask APIs: Query Zoom’s Unified Context Layer directly from Claude, GPT, Codex, Muse, MS Copilot, Gemini, and Slackbot, as well as MCP-compatible agents. (Available now.)

Zoom Admin MCP Server: Perform admin tasks conversationally. (Expected October 2026.)

Reduce barriers to natural, engaging conversation

To help users show up as their best in meetings, Zoom is making conversations clearer, more natural, and more inclusive, with AI driving more meaningful outcomes. These new enhancements strengthen the foundation for the unified context layer with:

Voice Translator: “Translate Me” enables a speaker to translate their audio for all participants using a synthesized version of their own voice, designed to preserve a natural feel. (Expected October 2026.)

Pose Correction: Subtly adjusts your video when you glance away from the camera, helping maintain a camera-forward appearance. (Expected December 2026.)

Touch up my Voice: Users can use this feature to alter their own voice with real-time accent smoothing so speakers come through more clearly and naturally. (Expected December 2026.)

High-quality screen sharing: Enhanced media support for 60 frames per second screen sharing. (Available now.)

Live Meeting AI Agent: Proactive meeting assistance that helps find answers, keep meetings on track, and nudge engagement. (Expected Q1 2027.)

Carry customer history from one interaction to the next

Customer service breaks down when customers have to constantly repeat themselves, and agents have to reconstruct past interactions. Zoom CX extends shared customer context across a variety of channels, including live and AI agents, providing a broader view of the past and present to help inform future outcomes.

Highlights include:

Customer Profiles: Brings dynamic customer profiles into Zoom CX with real-time context across channels and interactions. (Expected November 2026.)

CX Insights Transcript Intelligence: Automatically classifies voice, chat, and email transcripts and makes them queryable in natural language, joined with operational data, such as handle time, queue, and outcome. (Expected November 2026.)

Zoom Virtual Agent – Kiosk: Brings AI-powered self-service to physical retail locations via branded kiosk agents, resolving customer requests on the spot without relying on
in-store staff. (Expected November 2026.)

Give businesses control as AI takes on more work

Zoom is adding new management controls that enable administrators to manage AI activity across the account while supporting customers’ existing guardrails and data-classification policies.

Highlights include:

Centralized AI Management: Provides administrators with greater control over how AI features are configured and used across the organization. (Expected December 2026.)

Sensitivity Labels: Seamlessly sync with Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels or create native labels in Zoom, then automatically enforce policies based on the sensitivity of meetings and content. (Available now for select Zoom Workplace customers.)

AI Guardrails: Set account-level rules governing what AI can generate or use in its responses. (Expected Q1 2027.)

Deepfake Risk Detection: Introduce deepfake risk detection tools designed to help flag potential synthetic media across hiring, customer experience, and meeting scenarios. (Expected December 2026.)

Zoom Compliance Manager support for My Notes and Zoom Canvas: Archives and monitors AI-generated summaries, notes, and documents to help address organization’s own retention and supervision requirements (3). (Expected January 2027.)

Extend the business value of events beyond the closing session

Most of what happens at a live event disappears the moment it ends. Zoom Events now brings powerful AI functionality to event planning, content creation, and analytics. These capabilities help reduce the amount of heavy setup work involved and extend the value of event content long after sessions end.

Highlights include:

Content Studio: Turn one recording into a multi-language, multi-format asset library. (Expected October 2026.)

Agentic Event Setup: Use AI to help configure event details, from sessions to registration, before launch. (Expected November 2026.)

AI Analytics for Events: Query event data in plain language, score engagement, and generate shareable reports, cutting post-event analysis time significantly. (Available now.)

Taken together, these launches represent a significant step for Zoom toward becoming a system of action for modern work by connecting conversations to the work that follows, across roles and industries. For more information on announcements from Zoomtopia 2026, visit the Zoom newsroom.

About Zoom

Zoom (NASDAQ: ZM) is a system of action for modern work, turning live collaboration into completed results. From entrepreneurs to global enterprises, customers choose Zoom to seamlessly collaborate, communicate, and drive outcomes across meetings, phone, contact center, and more — all with the built-in assistance of Zoom AI. Founded in 2011, Zoom is headquartered in San Jose, CA. For more information, visit zoom.com.

Coca-Cola’s Beverage Portfolio Adds To The Spirit Of Mysuru Dasara

* From The vibrant Aahara Mela To On-Ground Experiences

As Mysuru’s Dasara 2026 celebrations draw to a close, Coca-Cola India together with its bottling partner Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), enhanced the festive experience through a series of on-ground activations, consumer engagements, and expanded retail touchpoints across the city. With a presence at Aahara Mela, Mysuru’s biggest food festival, the company made its beverages accessible at key gathering points, complementing the city’s food culture and festive traditions.

At Aahara Mela, over 150 food stalls offered visitors a diverse range of culinary choices, with Sprite and Coca-Cola featured prominently across the festival. The beverages complemented the food offerings, giving visitors an opportunity to pair their favourite drinks with the flavours on offer.

Adding a distinct food-led engagement to the festivities, Sprite X Spicy made its first on-ground appearance at Mysuru Dasara. Bringing together the heat of spicy food and the refreshing taste of Sprite, the activation invited visitors to explore the classic pairing of spice and refreshment during the festival.

Beyond Aahara Mela, Coca-Cola India extended its presence through branded horse carts, highway activations with Sprite and Rimzim for wall paintings and chilling centres across key locations and travel routes, including Chamundi Hills, Brindavan Gardens, the Mysuru Dasara Flower Show at Kuppanna Park, and Srirangapatna. Sampling of Rimzim Zeera and Minute Maid tetra packs, alongside promotions for Sprite Lemon Mint, was also carried out to keep the visitors refreshed.

Desmond Nikhil Dsouza, Vice President – Integrated Operations (HCCB) & Commercial, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia, said, “Festivals bring communities together through shared traditions, local experiences and moments of celebration. Our beverage portfolio and on-ground experiences add to the many ways people enjoy these occasions. Through our diverse beverage portfolio, on-ground presence and extensive bottling and distribution network, we seek to be part of these special occasions, while also recognizing the contribution of our local retailers and distribution channels who are integral to the festive ecosystem.”

Vinay Nair, Chief Commercial Officer, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), said, “Delivering a consistent consumer experience during a large-scale celebration such as Mysuru Dasara requires strong execution across our distribution network and close engagement with distributors and retail partners. Our focus is on ensuring product availability across relevant consumer touchpoints, backed by strong operational readiness and effective market execution to meet demand during the festive period.”

Through its presence at Mysuru Dasara, Coca-Cola India extended its beverage portfolio across the city’s festive and culinary landscape, while working alongside local retail partners to serve consumers and support the ecosystem that makes the celebrations possible.

About Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola in India is one of the country’s leading beverage companies, offering a range of high-quality and refreshing beverage options to consumers. The company, in line with its vision of ‘Beverages For Life’ offers a wide portfolio of products which includes hydration, sports, sparkling, coffee, tea, nutrition, juice and dairy based products. In India its beverage range includes Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Thums Up XForce, Charged, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Kinley Soda, Rimzim, Maaza, Minute Maid range of juices and Honest Tea. The Company also offers hydration beverages including Limca GlucoCharge, Smartwater, Kinley, Kinley Copper, Dasani and Bonaqua packaged drinking water. Premium products constitute Schweppes’ range and Smartwater. In addition, it offers a Costa Coffee range of tea and coffee. The Company is constantly transforming its portfolio, from reducing sugar in its drinks to bringing innovative new products to market.

The Company along with its owned bottling operations and franchise bottling partners has a strong network of over six million retail outlets through which it refreshes millions of consumers across the country. It seeks to positively impact people’s lives, communities, and the planet through water and packaging initiatives, sustainable agriculture and emission reductions across its value chain.

Globally together with its bottling partners, The Coca-Cola Company employs more than 700,000 people, helping to bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.cocacolacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

As Interest Rates Rise, New Homebuyers Face A Hidden Risk: Longer Loans And Higher Borrowing Costs

The recent increase in the Repo Rate by the Reserve Bank of India has brought home loan EMIs back into focus. The Repo Rate was raised by 25 basis points to 5.50%, with the RBI also shifting its policy stance to calibrated tightening, signalling a turn in the interest-rate cycle.

While much of the discussion around rising rates focuses on EMI increases, there is another challenge that many borrowers overlook: the impact of rate hikes on loan tenure and total borrowing costs.

For most homebuyers, purchasing a home is the largest financial commitment of their lives. Beyond the down payment, they also incur expenses such as stamp duty, registration charges, interiors, furnishings and moving costs. As a result, the first few years after buying a home are often among the most financially demanding.

Yet, many borrowers continue to choose floating-rate home loans because they appear marginally cheaper at the time of sanction.

When interest rates rise, floating-rate borrowers are typically faced with two choices:

Absorb the increase through a higher EMI; or

Keep the EMI unchanged and allow the loan tenure to extend, increasing the overall borrowing cost over time.

Even after the latest increase, the Repo Rate remains 100 basis points below the 6.50% level seen during the previous rate cycle, highlighting how significantly interest rates can move during the life of a long-tenure home loan.

Protecting the Most Financially Sensitive Years

As homebuyers navigate a rising-rate environment, there is growing interest in solutions that provide greater certainty over monthly repayments.

The Kotak Mahindra Bank Hybrid Home Loan allows eligible customers to lock their home-loan interest rate for 39, 52 or 65 months at pricing comparable to the Bank's floating-rate home loan offering, with no separate premium for choosing the hybrid structure. During the selected period, both the interest rate and EMI remain unchanged even if the Repo Rate rises. After the fixed period, the loan transitions to a floating-rate structure linked to the Repo Rate plus a predefined spread disclosed at sanction.

Illustrative EMI Comparison: Impact of a 100 bps Repo Rate Increase Over 65 Months

Loan Amount	Floating EMI (Start)	Floating EMI (Month 65)	Hybrid EMI (Start)	Hybrid EMI (Month 65)	Difference at Month 65	Potential Benefit During Fixed Period
₹1 crore	₹74,550	₹82,450+	₹74,550	₹74,550	₹7,900+	₹3.46 lakh
₹75 lakh	₹55,900	₹61,800+	₹55,900	₹55,900	₹5,900+	₹2.59 lakh

Illustration for explanatory purposes only. Assumes home loans of ₹1 crore and ₹75 lakh with a 25-year tenure, a fixed interest rate of 7.60%, a 65-month fixed-rate period and a cumulative 100 basis point increase in the Repo Rate from 5.50% to 6.50% during that period. A Repo Rate of 6.50% was the highest level seen during the previous rate cycle. Actual outcomes will vary depending on loan amount, tenure, benchmark movements, customer profile and applicable terms and conditions.

Nakul Saxena, Business Head – Mortgages, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said: “The latest policy decision is a reminder that interest rates move through cycles. The first few years after buying a home are often the most financially demanding for borrowers as they are rebuilding savings while managing multiple household commitments alongside a new EMI. In such an environment, the key question is not whether rates will rise or fall, but how much uncertainty a household budget can comfortably absorb.”

He added: “Many borrowers focus on securing the lowest rate at the time of loan sanction. However, they should also consider what happens if interest rates rise over the next few years. For customers who value repayment certainty, a hybrid home loan can provide a defined period of protection from both EMI increases and tenure extensions arising from Repo Rate hikes.”

As interest rates move through cycles, the smartest home loan may not always be the one with the lowest headline rate today. It may be the one that best balances affordability, flexibility, certainty and long-term cost.

Embassy International Riding School To Host National Qualifiers For JNEC 2026 Alongside The Equestrian Premier League 2026

Embassy International Riding School (EIRS), Bengaluru, will host the National Qualifiers for JNEC 2026 on October 22–23, 2026, alongside the October League Show of the Equestrian Premier League (EPL) 2026 from October 23–25, 2026. The competitions will bring together riders across age categories, with events spanning Dressage and Show Jumping.

The National Qualifiers for JNEC 2026 will be conducted under the aegis and technical guidelines, rules and regulations of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) and Karnataka Riding Association (KRA). The two-day competition will feature eligible riders and horses competing across Children II, Children I, Junior and Young Rider categories in Dressage and Show Jumping, as they vie for qualification for JNEC 2026.

The October League Show of the Equestrian Premier League will feature competitions across Sub Junior, Junior and Senior championship categories, alongside Open events. Points from eligible classes will contribute towards the respective EPL championship categories.

Schedule for the National Qualifiers for JNEC 2026:

22nd October 2026 | Thursday

7:00 AM – Veterinary Check for NQ October for JNEC 2026

9:00 AM – NQ for JNEC Children II – Jumping

To follow – NQ for JNEC Children I – Jumping

2:00 PM – NQ for JNEC Junior – Dressage

To follow – NQ for JNEC Young Rider – Dressage

23rd October 2026 | Friday

7:00 AM – NQ for JNEC Junior – Jumping

To follow – NQ for JNEC Young Rider – Jumping

10:00 AM – NQ for JNEC Children II – Dressage

To follow – NQ for JNEC Children I – Dressage

Schedule for the October League Show of the Equestrian Premier League 2026:

23rd October 2026 | Friday

2:00 PM – Course Walk | 2:30 PM – First Rider | 60–70 cm Show Jumping (Children 14 years and below)

24th October 2026 | Saturday

7:00 AM – First Rider | EPL Preliminary Dressage

To follow – EPL Sub Junior Dressage & Open

To follow – 80–90 cm Show Jumping

12:30 PM–2:00 PM – Lunch

2:00 PM – Course Walk | 2:20 PM – First Rider | 105–110 cm Show Jumping

To follow – 120 cm Show Jumping

25th October 2026 | Sunday

7:00 AM – First Rider | EPL Junior Dressage

To follow – Senior Dressage

To follow – Prix St George

9:00 AM – Course Walk | 9:20 AM – First Rider | 90–100 cm Show Jumping

Prize Distribution Ceremony

12:30 PM–2:00 PM – Lunch

2:30 PM – Course Walk | 2:50 PM – First Rider | 110–115 cm Show Jumping

To follow – 130 cm Show Jumping

Prize Distribution Ceremony

Please note that the above timings are indicative and subject to last-minute changes.

Spectators, equestrian enthusiasts, families and friends are invited to witness the National Qualifiers for JNEC 2026 and the October League Show of the Equestrian Premier League 2026 at Embassy International Riding School. The competitions will showcase equestrian talent across age categories and disciplines, from the precision and control of Dressage to the speed, agility and accuracy of Show Jumping.

Event Venue:

Embassy International Riding School (EIRS)

#149/2, Tarahunise Village, Jala Hobli, Bengaluru North – 562157

"It's free for all viewers to enjoy the event from the grandstand."

Nestlé India Delivers Strong Volume-Led Growth Across Product Groups

The Board of Directors of Nestlé India today approved the results for the second quarter of financial year 2026-2027.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Manish Tiwary, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestlé India, said: “I am pleased to share that the quarter saw a continuation of strong and broad-based growth across all product groups, with total sales reaching INR 6,782.2 crore, with a growth of 20.5%, that was driven by robust, double-digit volume growth. We continued to focus on efficiencies across our operations while significantly increasing investments behind our brands, with advertising and marketing spends up by 46%. EBITDA margin remained healthy at 23.8%. Profit After Tax for the quarter stood at INR 1,026.8 crore, up 36.3% over the corresponding quarter.

Rising inflation, particularly food inflation, is a reality. We remain focused on navigating these external challenges through continuous innovation and renovation, sustained investments behind our brands, and an intensified focus on productivity and operational efficiencies to mitigate commodity cost pressures. I would like to thank our teams for their extraordinary commitment, resilience, and unwavering focus on execution in this challenging environment.

At Nestlé India, food safety and quality are the foundation of consumer trust. I am proud of the unflinching commitment of our colleagues across our manufacturing units and would like to congratulate them for receiving the CII Food Safety & Quality Awards for our Sanand and Ponda factories and the Nestlé Global Quality Award for the Samalkha factory. These recognitions reaffirm our commitment to delivering safe, high-quality products to millions of consumers every day.

Confectionery product group recorded another strong quarter of volume led double-digit growth, driven by continued market share gains in KITKAT® and sustained momentum across MUNCH® and MILKYBAR®.

Powdered and Liquid Beverages product group delivered another quarter of strong, volume-led growth. This performance was driven by sustained household reach, enhanced affordability and continued premiumization across the coffee portfolio. Our continued investments behind the NESCAFÉ® brand, coupled with a dual focus on expanding category penetration and accelerating premiumization, continue to strengthen category relevance and reinforce our long-term growth ambitions.

NESPRESSO® continued its strong growth momentum in e-commerce and retail channels fuelled by continuing premiumization and building seasonal relevance in summer through iced coffee.

Prepared Dishes and Cooking Aids product group delivered strong growth. MAGGI® noodles continued to expand through rural penetration, while MAGGI® Masala-ae-Magic continued to focus on driving household penetration by unlocking regional top dish usage across the country.

Milk Products and Nutrition product group saw strong, broad-based growth with investments in brand building and portfolio optimisation.

Pet Food business delivered strong double-digit growth, supported by sharper consumer engagement on digital platforms and focused route to market. We continued to strengthen our presence in the cat food segment through science-based nutritional solutions across mainstream and premium offerings, through FELIX® Gravy Lover, PRO PLAN® Cat and FRISKIES® wet cat. Leveraging Nestlé’s research and innovation capabilities, we remain focused on delivering advanced nutrition tailored to the evolving needs of pets.

Nestlé Professional continued its strong momentum, delivering robust, double-digit, volume-led growth through premium offerings, customer-centric solutions and innovative applications catering to evolving needs of customers in the out-of-home space.

E-commerce also continued its strong trajectory, driven by sustained shopper engagement, portfolio breadth, and focused channel-specific execution. General Trade delivered robust, double-digit growth across town classes, led by strong momentum in rural markets. Continued expansion of rural distribution touchpoints enhanced our direct reach and strengthened market coverage.

Digitalization continues to strengthen execution across our business. Building on the success of NestMitra for retailers, we are now putting data-enabled digital tools directly into the hands of our sales teams, enabling faster decisions and sharper market execution. Our sales officer app equips hundreds of sales officers with near real-time market insights, helping them identify opportunities and improve engagement.

During a recent visit to Bathri, a village adopted under our Village Development Programme near our Tahliwal factory in Himachal Pradesh, I spent time with the Gram Pradhan. As we walked through the village, he shared stories of children staying in school, families paying greater attention to nutrition and hygiene, and farmers looking to the future with renewed confidence. This was a reminder that the true measure of impact lies in helping communities believe that a brighter future is within reach.

I would like to thank our Board, shareholders, employees, retailers, distributors, and partners for their continued confidence and our consumers for the trust they place in our brands.”

Financial Highlights: Quarter 2, 2026-2027

● Total Sales of INR 6,782.2 crore

● Total Sales Growth at 20.5%, Domestic Sales Growth at 20.4%

● EBITDA margin of 23.8%

● Profit After Tax stood at INR 1,026.8 crore, up 36.3% over the corresponding quarter

● Earnings Per Share of INR 5.32

Business Comments – Quarter 2, 2026-27:

● E-commerce: Delivered strong growth, led by continued momentum in Quick Commerce. Growth was supported by improved product availability, a sharper channel-specific assortment and pack architecture, enhanced digital shelf execution, and targeted shopper engagement initiatives across platforms.

● Organized Trade: Delivered strong growth across key categories, supported by improved in-store execution, effective consumer activations, enhanced shelf visibility, and continued expansion of the store network.

● Out-of-Home (OOH): Growth, supported by customer retention & acquisition, innovation, and premiumization across categories. The beverage portfolio was strengthened through the expansion of NESCAFÉ® Duo Gusto (Industry first hot and cold machine) and an enhanced range of cold beverage solutions like Nestlé SHIKANJI. In the food space, recipe-led innovations drove the expansion of MAGGI® Coconut Milk Powder in coastal cuisines and increased the adoption of MILKMAID® in café and bakery applications.

● Exports: Maintained strong double-digit growth momentum, driven by portfolio expansion and continued market development. During the quarter, MAGGI® Masala-e-Magic was launched in Canada, while NESCAFÉ® Sunrise expanded its footprint across five West African markets. The addition of a new instant coffee variant in the Middle East.

Product Groups Performance (Domestic) – Quarter 2, 2026-27:

● Prepared Dishes and Cooking Aids: MAGGI® continued to focus on building brand love and providing a wider range of variety to consumers with MAGGI® Double Masala, Spicy range and scaling-up of the new MAGGI® veg atta with taste of MAGGI® masala.

● Milk Products and Nutrition: Nutrition category continued to deliver sequentially strengthening performance. Toddlers-specific products delivered strong growth with market share gains.

● Confectionery: The premium portfolio was further strengthened with the launch of KITKAT® Delights Choco Lava, while the MUNCH® Onam Pack helped drive festive consumption and consumer engagement. Global Formula 1 partnership was leveraged to launch the F1 Tin Gift Pack, featuring Formula 1 car-shaped chocolates exclusively on e-commerce platforms. The pack received a strong consumer response and performed well during the quarter.

● Powdered and Liquid Beverages: Growth remained broad-based and volume-led across the portfolio. NESCAFÉ® CLASSIC continued to drive household recruitment, supported by a renewed communication campaign that strengthened consumer engagement and category relevance. The relaunch of NESCAFÉ® SUNRISE with an improved consumer-preferred recipe and enhanced aroma further strengthened our proposition in the chicory-coffee segment. The premium portfolio, led by NESCAFÉ® GOLD, sustained strong double-digit growth. NESCAFÉ® Ready-to-Drink continued to scale rapidly, reinforcing cold coffee as a key future growth platform for the category.

Commodity Outlook:

Coffee and wheat are expected to remain range-bound, while sugar and edible oils have stabilized at elevated levels. Cocoa remains volatile due to weather-driven crop concerns in key origins. Milk prices have strengthened seasonally but should ease as flush supplies arrive.

Cautionary Statement:

Statements in this Press Release, particularly those which relate to outlook, describing the company’s projections, estimates and expectations may constitute ‘forward looking statements’ within the meaning of applicable laws and regulations. Actual results might differ materially from those either expressed or implied in the statement depending on the circumstances.  

From Hyderabad To Chennai, South India Is Setting The Brand Agenda: Brand World Summit South Returns For Its Second Edition

* Over 400 marketers, 50+ thought leaders, and 20+ sessions in Chennai, exploring how AI, retail media, connected TV, and regional storytelling are shaping the next chapter of brand growth across South India

Five states, multiple languages, more than 250 million people, and some of India’s most loyal consumers. South India doesn’t just follow marketing trends; it often sets them. On November 26, 2026, ET BrandEquity.com, The Economic Times’ platform for marketing and advertising news, will bring the region’s sharpest marketing minds together at the second edition of Brand World Summit South, at Taj Wellington Mews, Chennai, sponsored by Samsung Ads.

The first edition drew 400+ attendees and featured leaders from some of the South’s most trusted brands, including Nalli, Thangamayil Jewellers, Preethi Appliances, Cholayil, and SLN Coffee. The second edition builds on that momentum with 20+ sessions and 50+ speakers, bringing together CMOs, brand custodians, founders, agency heads, and media leaders from across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

South India is a market of contrasts that rewards brands that understand it. Legacy family businesses have earned consumer trust over generations, while digital-first startups from Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad are building national brands from day one. Chennai’s manufacturing strength, Coimbatore’s entrepreneurial energy, Kochi’s growing consumer market, and Hyderabad’s tech ecosystem coexist with a cinema and content culture that shapes how millions of people discover, trust, and choose brands.

Winning here takes more than translation. It takes cultural fluency, regional insight, and the ability to pair local relevance with national scale.

Through keynotes, fireside chats, and panel discussions, the summit will tackle the questions on every Southern marketer’s mind:

❖ AI-powered growth: moving from experimentation to measurable results

❖ Retail media and intelligent commerce: reaching shoppers at the point of decision

❖ Connected TV: how the living room screen is changing reach and targeting

❖ Regional storytelling: building brands in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam, not just in English

❖ Premiumisation: what the aspirational Southern consumer now expects

❖ Manufacturing meets marketing: how the region’s industrial strength is fueling brand innovation

❖ Customer experience: turning loyalty into long-term advocacy

Beyond the stage, attendees can join curated networking, one-on-one meetings, and conversations among brands, agencies, publishers, and solution providers.

Amit Gupta, Business Head of ETB2B vertical: “South India has always built brands differently, with deep consumer trust, strong regional identity, and a clear sense of what matters to its audiences. Brand World Summit South is where we share, challenge, and scale those lessons. This year, we want every marketer to leave with ideas they can use the very next day.”

Be part of the conversation.

Registrations are now open. Marketers, founders, and industry leaders can request an invite and explore partnership opportunities at:

https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/brand-world-summit-south