NESTLE

reported a 17.4 per cent year-on-year drop in net profit to ₹743.2 crore in the July-September quarter, as the same quarter last year included an exceptional item. The company had posted a net profit of ₹899.5 crore in the year-ago period. The maker of Maggi noodles and Nescafé coffee saw net sales rise 10.6 per cent to ₹5,643.6 crore from ₹5,104 crore a year ago, driven by double-digit volume growth.