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A survey conducted by MMA India and Publicis Commerce shows that 80% of direct-to-consumer (D2C) businesses are yet to attain profitability, while 63% are not profitable at all.The survey released on Wednesday added that only 12% of the D2C businesses have reported being profitable, while 25% of the D2C businesses said that they don't measure profitability since they are part of larger ecosystems.Publicis Groupe CEO for South Asia, Anupriya Acharya said ecommerce is the fastest-growing segment for the company as the number of shoppers increases and consumer spending on e-commerce grows.Acharya said that the D2C Toolkit Advantage report has been launched since commerce has become one of the most important agendas for clients."A lot of our clients are seeking our expertise for their D2C strategy. Many of our clients have traditional infrastructure. They have moved to marketplaces, and now they want to move into D2C,” she added.D2C is gaining prominence as an ecommerce channel with 43% of e-commerce funding in 2022 going to these businesses, overtaking marketplaces as the most funded e-commerce sub-sector.Performics India CEO Lalatendu Das said very few companies have cracked the code to run a profitable D2C business due to high customer acquisition costs, unclear return on investment, and operational complexity.“Our survey shows that nearly 80% of D2C businesses are yet to attain profitability. About 12% of them are profitable, 63% are not profitable at all, and 25% said the D2C business is part of a bigger ecosystem, therefore they don't measure profitability,” he noted.Das mentioned that profitable D2C ventures are doing four things right.“If these four things are done right, you are looking at an operating profit of roughly 8%,” he said.This includes investing in consumer insights and using them in multiple ways to drive sales, collecting first-party data to understand consumers better, driving brand affinity, and driving product innovation based on consumer insights.

The Supreme Court on Thursday ensured the scheduling of ADR's contempt plea against the State Bank of India (SBI) for March 11, 2024, in the electoral bonds case.The SBI had petitioned the apex court on Monday, seeking an extension to the deadline for disclosing details of electoral bonds cashed by political parties, as it had exceeded the earlier March 6 deadline set by the Supreme Court. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) subsequently filed a contempt plea against SBI, alleging deliberate disobedience of the Supreme Court's judgment. ADR called the SBI application "mala fide" and a "wilful and deliberate defiance" of the apex court's ruling.Also Read: Electoral Bonds Case Verdict: SC unanimously strikes down poll bonds scheme, terms it ‘unconstitutional’During the court proceedings, advocate Prashant Bhushan raised concerns over SBI's non-compliance with the directive to disclose electoral bond details to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by March 6.Bhushan informed Chief Justice of India Chandrachud, stating, "SBI has filed an application for an extension which is likely to be listed on Monday. Meanwhile, the Association for Democratic Reforms has filed a contempt petition. We are requesting that our application also be listed alongside that."In response, the Supreme Court directed Bhushan to forward an email regarding the plea and confirmed that the matter would be heard on March 11.Also Read: SC rules electoral bonds scheme 'unconstitutional'; Here are the key takeaways from the verdictSBI moves SC over deadline extension for electoral bonds The SBI did not meet the March 6 deadline, set by the Supreme Court, for sharing details of the electoral bonds encashed by political parties. The bank had on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension of time till June 30 to disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by the political parties.In February, a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud had struck down electoral bonds scheme and directed the SBI to disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by the political parties.The information should include the date of encashment and the denomination of the bonds and be submitted to the poll panel by March 6, the court had ordered.In its application before the apex court, the SBI had contended that retrieval of information from "each silo" and the procedure of matching the information of one silo to that of the other would be a time-consuming exercise.The bench had also said that the Election Commission (EC) should publish the information shared by the SBI on its official website by March 13.What are electoral bonds?Electoral bonds are a bearer instrument "in the nature of a Promissory Note and an interest free banking instrument". Who all were eligible to buy electoral bonds?A citizen of India or a body incorporated in India was eligible to buy these bonds before it was struck down. What did Supreme Court say on electoral bonds?In a landmark judgment delivered on February 15, the Supreme Court unanimously struck down the electoral bonds scheme, holding these bonds "unconstitutional".Who was the authorised seller of poll bonds?The State Bank of India (SBI) was the authorised seller of these poll bonds. It was directed by the apex court to provide details of donations made through these bonds, as well as all relevant info on whoever the money went to.

Brokerage firm Nuvama maintained a buy rating on MGL, CLSA initiated coverage on Syrma SGS Technology with a buy rating, CLSA maintained a sell rating on Jubilant FoodWorks, and UBS maintained a buy rating on BEL.We have collated a list of recommendations from top brokerage firms from ETNow and other sources:Nuvama on MGL: Buy| Target Rs 1,601Nuvama maintained a buy rating on Mahanagar Gas (MGL) with a target price of Rs 1,601. The brokerage firm sees a 15% knee-jerk dip in the stock as an ideal buying opportunity.Rs 2.5/kg price cut to drive volumes besides normalised margins. The company has a monopoly in pipeline distribution to continue in perpetuity. Low penetration in Gas implies scope for growth.CLSA on Syrma SGS Technology: Buy| Target Rs 645CLSA initiated coverage on Syrma SGS Technology with a buy rating and a target price of Rs 645. The company is a leading diversified EMS player.The global investment bank sees several levers for strong growth. It expects FY23-26 and medium-term top-line CAGR of 38% and 18% respectively. Margins and return trajectory are key factors to watch.CLSA on India Consumer: Jubilant FoodWorks, DevyaniCLSA maintained a sell rating on Jubilant FoodWorks but slashed the target price to Rs 439 from Rs 452 earlier.It recommended an outperform rating on Devyani International but cut the target price to Rs 177 from Rs 182 earlier.CLSA recommended a buy rating on Restaurants Brands Asia with a target price of Rs 752 and for Westlife Foodworld, the global investment bank recommended a sell with a target price of Rs 752.For the QSR industry, the competition has now moved beyond metros. “Our online checks suggest intense non-metro competition,” said the note.Competition might not necessarily be on the price point. There are emerging chains coming up in pizzas and to a smaller extent in burgers. Domino's competition to stay elevated.UBS on BEL: Buy| Target Rs 257UBS maintained a buy rating on BEL but raised the target price to Rs 257 from Rs 205 earlier. The company has seen a significant order book accretion underway.FY24E marks a shift in annual order inflow and the pipeline adds to growth comfort. Positive strength in BEL order book accretion. Order book and earnings are looking up.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)

Expanding its footprint in the country, Okaya EV, an electric two-wheeler manufacturing company, has unveiled “Ferrato” - a brand for its premium electric two-wheeler products. Ferrato's customer experience centers will start operations with a new product portfolio, focusing on the high-end models, the company said."Ferrato is set to redefine the electric two-wheeler landscape by ensuring that each product not only provides an exhilarating ride but also exudes intelligence, strength, and power," the EV company said in an official release. The new premium brand is set to unveil a range of high-end two-wheelers, comprising three electric motorcycles and one electric scooter. Ferrato will maintain a separate network within Okaya's extensive dealer network, ensuring customers receive an exclusive range of models and unparalleled service.“Ferrato's establishment aims to provide a premium experience to consumers and marks a significant milestone for Okaya EV as we continue to expand our footprint in the sustainable mobility landscape. With a dedicated team overseeing sales, customer operations and service centers, we plan to establish over 100 partners for Ferrato, focusing on positioning it as a premier choice for discerning riders seeking the perfect fusion of passion and performance," said Anshul Gupta, Managing Director of Okaya EV. The overall market for Electric two-wheelers (e-2Ws) sales in India have increased in the current financial year despite the reduction in FAME subsidies, data showed.As per the Ministry of Heavy Industries, 734,760 e-2Ws units have been sold in the financial year 2023-24 up to February 6, 2024, compared to 728,271 units in the previous financial year 2022-23."The reduction in subsidy has not deterred the sales of electric two-wheelers, indicating a robust and resilient market," said Minister of State for Heavy Industries, Krishan Pal Gurjar, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha recently.