Eternal’s Q3 ad spends jump 80% YoY to Rs 937 crore; profit rises 73%

Eternal (formerly Zomato) sharply ramped up its advertising and promotion spends in the third quarter of FY26, signalling an aggressive push to sustain growth across its core businesses even as profitability improved.

The company spent Rs 937 crore on advertising during the quarter, a steep jump from Rs 521 crore in the same period last year. The rise in ad spends came alongside a strong financial performance, with consolidated revenue from operations nearly tripling year-on-year to Rs 16,315 crore, compared with Rs 5,405 crore in Q3 FY25.

Despite the heavier marketing outlay, Eternal reported a 72.88% year-on-year increase in consolidated profit after tax to Rs 102 crore for the quarter, up from Rs 59 crore a year earlier, underlining improved operating leverage across segments.

The company said both its quick commerce and Hyperpure businesses turned Adjusted EBITDA profitable during the quarter, marking a key milestone as these verticals have historically been investment-heavy. Quick commerce continued to be a major growth driver, with net order value (NOV) rising 121% year-on-year. Management noted that growth was impacted by GST-related changes and seasonal factors, but on a like-for-like basis, NOV growth remained strong at over 130% year-on-year.

Food delivery, which had seen a slowdown earlier in the year, showed signs of recovery. NOV growth accelerated to 16.6% year-on-year in Q3 FY26, up from a low of 13.1% in the first quarter of the fiscal. The segment also reported its highest-ever Adjusted EBITDA margin of 5.4%, reflecting improved efficiency and scale benefits.