Nestlé India Raises Ad Spend 46% in Q2 as Profit Climbs 36% to ₹1,026.8 Crore

Nestlé India increased its advertising and marketing spending by 46% year on year in the September 2026 quarter, and still grew profit by 36.3% to ₹1,026.8 crore, afaqs! reported. Total sales rose 20.5% to ₹6,782.2 crore, with domestic sales up 20.4%.

The company's EBITDA was ₹1,615.5 crore, a 23.8% margin, and exports grew at a double-digit rate to ₹267.4 crore, helped by Maggi and Nescafé launches in Canada, West Africa and the Middle East, according to Adgully. Nestlé did not disclose the rupee amount of its ad spending.

Where the money went

Chairman and managing director Manish Tiwary, in his first quarterly address, linked the sales growth to volume gains and higher brand-building investment. The spending supported:

• KitKat, which gained market share with festive activations and e-commerce exclusives tied to a Formula 1 partnership
• Nescafé, with refreshed communication for Nescafé Classic and a relaunched Nescafé Sunrise
• Maggi, pushing deeper into rural households
• quick commerce, organised retail and rural general trade

Spending through cost inflation

Nestlé flagged elevated food inflation, including volatile cocoa prices and high sugar and edible oil costs. It is not alone in spending through the pressure: in the June quarter, Marico raised its ad spending about 25% to ₹327 crore, Colgate-Palmolive India 33.7% to ₹251.9 crore and Dabur 13.6% to ₹229.46 crore, Exchange4media reported. For media owners heading into the festive season, big consumer brands spending more is welcome news.