United Spirits Limited has announced the elevation of Mr. Amitabh Pande to its Executive Committee as Chief Strategy Officer, designated as Senior Management Personnel (SMP), effective 1st June 2026. The development was disclosed on 15th May 2026 pursuant to Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. In his new role, Mr. Pande will report directly to Mr. Praveen Someshwar, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Appointment Details

The board of directors approved Mr. Pande's elevation based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. The appointment is on a full-time employment basis. The key details of the appointment, as disclosed under Regulation 30, are summarised below:

Profile of Mr. Amitabh Pande

Mr. Amitabh Pande is a seasoned professional with 27 years of experience spanning consumer strategy, insights, marketing, and business planning across multinational organisations. He has been with Diageo India since 2021, where he has led consumer planning, strategy, and digital transformation initiatives.

Prior to joining Diageo India, Mr. Pande held senior leadership roles at prominent organisations including IKEA and PepsiCo. His academic credentials include:

• MBA in Marketing from Symbiosis Centre for Management & Human Resource Development
• Bachelor's degree in Economics (Honours) from Hindu College, University of Delhi

Regulatory Disclosure

The disclosure was made by United Spirits Limited in compliance with Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, which mandates listed companies to inform stock exchanges of changes in senior management personnel. The Company Secretary, Ms. Pragya Kaul, signed and submitted the disclosure on 15th May 2026.

United Spirits Limited reported a robust financial performance for the year ended March 31, 2026, with the Board of Directors approving the audited standalone and consolidated financial results at its meeting held on May 14, 2026. The board recommended a final dividend of ₹11 per equity share (550% on face value of ₹2 per equity share) for FY 2025-26, subject to shareholders' approval at the 27th Annual General Meeting scheduled for August 4, 2026. The record date for determining shareholder entitlement has been fixed as July 8, 2026, with the dividend to be paid on or after August 13, 2026. The recording of the investors' call held on May 15, 2026, is now available on the company's website.

Management Outlook and Cost Guidance

Management has flagged near-term margin headwinds stemming from rising input costs. Packaging costs are expected to rise by 4% to 5% in Q1, causing a gross margin decrease of 1.25% to 1.5%, equivalent to approximately ₹35-40 crores. Management cautioned that this impact could double in Q2 if the cost pressures persist. To mitigate inflationary pressures, management plans to address 50% of the impact through pricing actions and the remaining 50% through productivity improvements, while acknowledging that price changes generally take time to implement.

On the growth front, management expects strong double-digit growth in Karnataka, supported by pricing strategies and the strong performance from the prior year. The company also expects strong double-digit growth for its Prestige & Above (P&A) portfolio in FY27, despite headwinds from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. United Spirits achieved its EBITDA margin guidance of 18.4% in FY26, and Smirnoff is projected to hit ₹1,000 crores in Net Sales Value within 18 months. The dividend payout ratio has been updated to a range of 60% to 85%, while advertising and promotions (A&P) spending remains at approximately 10.5%.

Standalone Financial Performance

United Spirits posted a strong improvement in standalone profitability for the year ended March 31, 2026. Revenue from operations grew to ₹27,781 crores from ₹26,780 crores in the previous year. Net profit for the year rose to ₹1,830 crores from ₹1,558 crores, while basic and diluted earnings per share stood at ₹25.16 compared to ₹21.42 in the prior year.

Q4 Standalone Performance

For the quarter ended March 31, 2026, United Spirits delivered a strong year-on-year improvement across key standalone metrics. Revenue from operations rose to ₹6,838 crores from ₹6,549 crores in the corresponding quarter of the prior year, while net profit climbed to ₹571 crores versus ₹451 crores. EBITDA for the quarter expanded to ₹6b Rupees from ₹5.05b Rupees in the same period last year, with the EBITDA margin improving to 8.64% from 7.71%.

Consolidated Financial Performance

On a consolidated basis, United Spirits reported revenue from operations of ₹27,816 crores for FY26, up from ₹26,780 crores in FY25. Net profit for the year (including discontinued operations) was ₹1,838 crores compared to ₹1,582 crores in the prior year. Profit from continuing operations stood at ₹1,709 crores for FY26 versus ₹1,445 crores in FY25, while profit from discontinued operations was ₹129 crores compared to ₹137 crores.