Bata India continued its workforce rationalization in FY25, reducing its permanent employee count by 2.74% year-on-year to 3,961 — down from 4,073 in FY24 and 4,421 in FY23. Including factory and support staff, the company’s total headcount as of March 31, 2025, stood at 9,005 — a 9.06% decline from 9,903 the previous year.
In addition to downsizing, the company scaled back average salary hikes for non-managerial staff. The average increment dropped to 4% in FY25, compared to 9% the previous year. Despite this moderation, total employee benefit expenses rose 10.3% year-on-year to ₹461.6 crore, driven by higher outlays for salaries, bonuses, and gratuity. Salary and bonus expenses increased to ₹423.3 crore from ₹382.4 crore, while gratuity costs surged to ₹9.21 crore from ₹5.53 crore.
Bata also took steps to streamline spending, reducing consolidated expenses by 2.56% to ₹764.5 crore. Advertising and promotional expenditures saw a notable cut of 10%, falling to ₹82.35 crore from ₹91.6 crore in FY24. Reflecting the overall austerity measures, CEO and MD Gunjan Shah accepted a reduced compensation package of ₹4.68 crore, down from ₹5.53 crore the previous year.
Despite the cost-cutting, Bata posted positive financial results. Revenue from operations edged up to ₹3,488 crore, while net profit rose significantly to ₹328 crore, compared to ₹260 crore in FY24. Looking ahead, the company is sharpening its focus on digitisation, inventory optimisation, and operational efficiency to drive sustainable growth.
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