Business
MorphCostumes brings parties to the people with uncanny knack for success | City & Business | Finance

Terrifying grim reapers, garish pumpkin heads sporting sinister leers and spiky, not-to-be-messed-with witches top its latest leader board of ghoulish trends.
“Demand is for super scary and Gothic, dressing up has taken a very dark turn this year,” observes chief executive Fraser Smeaton who co-founded the business ((www.morphsuits.co.uk) as a side hustle with fellow Scotsmen, his brother Ali and their good friend Gregor Lawson, in 2009 after conceiving the spectacular all-in-one spandex Morphsuit.
Any prankster’s ultimate body-hugging fantasy, “our products make our customers’ best times even better,” say the trio who first put in £3,000 for stock, built a website, applied their blue chip corporate experience, and slapped their website branding on every outfit’s rear leaving no one in doubt about what they were about.
In 2012 they secured a game-changing £4.2 million investment from the Business Growth Fund and although demand then wobbled a bit, the business got back in the party fast lane post-2015, maximising the opportunities offered by social media and ecommerce.
Morphing into MorphCostumes to reflect its broader choice of ranges for kids and grown-ups, these now feature versions of classic themes such as ninjas, skeletons and hippies along with Christmas, festivals.
Morph itself is especially pleased with its glow-in-the-dark outfits, that come across strongly in photos.
Selling directly to consumers through Amazon’s marketplace has been another transformative move and in 2019 it acquired rival Funshack. Now its £45million turnover this year is targeting £60million in 2024/25.
Designed in-house, the company (parent name AFG Media) is based in Edinburgh and employs 62 staff both domestically and overseas with thousands more indirectly through its supply chain.
“Previous business experience taught us how to test quickly and cheaply and then build on that or ditch without sentiment,” explains Smeaton.
“We’re really pleased with how we turned the business around in 2015 and we used the time during the pandemic to rethink our processes and be ready when demand returned.”
Keen to point out that for all its success Morph is still relatively small with much to play for in market terms, he adds:
“We have 1,000 designs while some of the biggest costume companies have 10,000 and that’s what we are aiming for.
“We constantly use data to improve our product development and marketing. That’s our usp. The more products we have the more customer demand we can meet.
“It also generates economies of scale because we can sell accessories with the main costumes. Acquiring other costume companies with great products then applying our effective distribution accelerates our development.
“The Business Growth Fund backing made a tremendous difference and this combined with bank debt and reinvesting our profits has been sufficient to finance our growth to this point. Now we see a big opportunity to grow even faster and we are starting to have conversations with investors who are interested in supporting that.”
Licensing however is less attractive to the business whose strong suit is originality and “too much of gamble”, says Smeaton.
One major challenge though for Morph is sustainability and recycled material is used in some parts of the costumes. The majority of its products are made in China, where its factories, all vetted, are able to handle the key extras such as buttons, zips and trims.
However with supply chain security now a major consideration, it is also diversifying into Mexico and Vietnam. And as demand – rightly – grows for recycled and recyclable fabrics too that puts upward pressure on supplies and costs.
Customers come from all over the world, especially the US where Halloween is huge. But from special occasions and sports events to stag and hen dos, the UK does seem particularly partial to horsing around in fancy dress.
“In other countries fancy dressing is more formal and tied to a specific date,” observes Smeaton, “but here the demand is all year round.”
Business
L&T Tech Declares Rs 40/Share Dividend; Q4 Net Profit Rises 10%


L&T Technologies Services Ltd. declared a dividend of Rs 40 per share, while also posting a 10% sequential climb in its net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, an exchange filing on Wednesday showed.
The company’s consolidated bottomline rose to Rs 332 crore, as compared to Rs 303 crore in the quarter ended December. This is largely in line with the consensus estimate of Rs 341 crore, as shared by the analysts tracked by Bloomberg.
The firms’ revenue increased by 2.5% to Rs 2,858 crore from Rs 2,787 crore in the preceding quarter. Analysts had estimated a topline of Rs 2,970 crore.
The tech company’s earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) was up 5.5% at Rs 435 crore, as against Rs 412 crore in the previous quarter. The EBIT margin expanded to Rs 15.2% from 14.8% in the previous quarter.
The company said it will pay the final dividend of Rs 40 per share 30 days after the approval of shareholders at its upcoming annual general meeting on June 1. The record date for determining the eligibility of shareholders has been fixed as May 22.
Track key highlights of the Q4 results declared on April 22
L&T Technology Q4FY26 Highlights (Cons, QoQ)
- Net profit up 9.7% at Rs 332 crore versus Rs 303 crore
- Revenue up 2.5% at Rs 2,858 crore versus Rs 2,787 crore
- EBIT up 5.5% at Rs 435 crore versus Rs 412 crore
- EBIT margin At 15.2% vs 14.8%
The firm’s board of directors has also approved the appointment of Rajeev Gupta, the company’s chief financial officer (CFO) as executive director for a term of three years from April 22, 2026 up to April 21, 2029. It also approved Amitabh Kant’s designation as independent director for a period of five years commencing from April 22, 2026 to April 21, 2031.
Before the quarterly results were declared, shares of L&T Technology settled 2.53% lower at Rs, 3,550.2 apiece on the NSE, compared to a 0.81% decline in the benchmark Nifty 50.
ALSO READ: Tata Communications Q4 Results: Profit Slumps 75%; Dividend Of Rs 17.5/Share Declared
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Business
Citadel 2 Is Back! Priyanka Chopra, Richard Madden Return With Bigger Threat — Locks This Release Date


The much-awaited second season of Citadel is finally on its way, and fans now have a release date to mark on their calendars. The high-octane spy thriller, led by Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden, will premiere on May 6 on Prime Video.
Along with the announcement, the makers dropped an action-packed trailer that offers a glimpse into the next chapter of the spy series. The new season promises higher stakes, larger missions, and a deeper dive into the mysterious world of secret agencies and powerful enemies.
What The Story Is About
Citadel follows elite agents Mason Kane (Richard Madden), Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra), and Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), who once worked for a powerful global spy organisation. The agency was destroyed by Manticore, a dangerous syndicate backed by influential forces.
In Season 2, a new threat emerges, forcing the trio back into action. This time, they are not alone. The story will see them recruiting a fresh team of operatives as they embark on a mission that spans multiple countries. Their goal is to stop a conspiracy that could have massive consequences for humanity.
Cast And New Additions
The new season brings back familiar faces while also introducing several new characters. Alongside Priyanka, Richard and Stanley, the other returning cast members include Lesley Manville and Ashleigh Cummings.
The show also expands its universe with new additions like Jack Reynor, Matt Berry, and Lina El Arabi. Supporting roles will also be played by Merle Dandridge, Gabriel Leone, and Rayna Vallandingham.
ALSO READ | Michael Biopic Release Date: When To Watch Michael Jackson’s Biopic In India
Team Behind The Series
The series is produced by AGBO in collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios. The series is produced by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, along with Angela Russo-Otstot and Scott Nemes. David Weil is the showrunner and also directs the series, while Greg Yaitanes has directed some important episodes.
What To Expect?
With its mix of action, global storytelling, and a larger ensemble cast, Season 2 aims to take the Citadel universe to the next level. The trailer hints at intense action sequences, new alliances, and a storyline that could reshape the fate of its characters.
Watch The Trailer Here:
ALSO READ | Stranger Things: Tales from ’85: Release Date, Time, Episodes, Where To Watch — All You Need To Know
With the premiere date locked, all eyes are now on May 6 as the spy drama returns with a bigger and more ambitious chapter.
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Business
RBI Flags Iran War Impact On Indian Economy; Sees El Nino Pushing Inflation


The Reserve Bank of India has cautioned around the ongoing US-Iran war and its impact on the Indian economy, stating that it will adversely affect growth going ahead and push inflation upwards.
“Higher input costs associated with increase in energy prices and international freight and insurance costs along with supply-chain disruptions could constrain availability of key inputs for downstream sectors, thus impairing growth,” according the minutes of the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting released on Wednesday.
Along with this, elevated energy and other commodity prices coupled with supply shock due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz would act as a drag on domestic production in 2026-27, the RBI stated. The central bank added that amid the Iran war, it would be prudent to wait and watch before taking decisive action.
As far as supply shocks are concerned, another cloud hanging over the Indian economy is the potential disruption caused by weather phenomenon El Niño, which could have a negative impact on Southwest Monsoon.
“Weather-related events – El Niño disturbances – pose downside risks to the domestic growth outlook, and an upside risk for the inflation trajectory,” MPC member Ram Singh said.
ALSO READ: Weak Monsoon Ahead? IMD Flags El Nino Risk For 2026 Season, Expects 92% Rainfall
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon which occurs every two to seven years and is characterised by higher-than-average temperatures in central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. This impacts the Southwest Monsoon, leading to reduced rainfall during the June-September period in India. Generally, rainfall dependent sectors of the economy such as agriculture become more vulnerable in such conditions.
While the El Niño is expected to hit the agriculture sector the hardest, the Gulf conflict has affected the Indian economy through several channels.
Considering the global and climate cues, the RBI revised its consumer price index-based inflation outlook upwards to 4.6% for FY27. At the same time, the central bank also pointed out that it maintains a cautiously positive outlook for India’s growth in the financial year.
The RBI underscored that while the direction of impacts of the West Asia conflict and El Niño disturbances on growth and inflation is clear, how long they last will determine the quantum of said impact.
MPC Keeps Rates Unchanged
The RBI on April 8 kept interest rates unchanged and reaffirmed its neutral policy stance, while signalling confidence in the country’s growth momentum even as it warned of rising global risks to inflation, liquidity and financial stability.
The MPC unanimously voted to retain the repo rate at 5.25%, in line with market expectations. The Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate remains at 5%, while the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate was kept unchanged at 5.5%.
ALSO READ: RBI MPC Key Highlights: Rates, Stance Unchanged But A Warning On Inflation
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