NEW DELHI: Shares of Lenskart and Emcure Pharmaceuticals came under pressure this week as controversies involving their high-profile leaders, Peyush Bansal and Namita Thapar, spilled over from social media into investor sentiment.
Lenskart’s stock fell nearly 5 per cent to Rs 508.7 on Monday after a viral screenshot of an alleged internal grooming policy triggered backlash. The document appeared to restrict employees from wearing religious symbols such as tilak and bindi, prompting criticism and boycott calls online.
The company later clarified that the document was an outdated draft and issued an apology, alongside a revised style guide explicitly allowing symbols including bindi, tilak, sindoor, kalawa and mangalsutra. However, the swift market reaction signalled investor concern over potential impact on consumer-facing businesses where perception often translates directly into footfall.
At the same time, shares of Emcure Pharmaceuticals saw a softer dip of around 2 to 3 per cent, following a separate controversy involving Namita Thapar. The backlash stemmed from a video in which she spoke about the health benefits of Namaz, drawing criticism and sparking heated online debate.
Thapar defended her remarks, stating they were made from a healthcare and wellness perspective, and pointed out that she has previously advocated practices such as yoga without attracting similar scrutiny.
While the market impact on Emcure has been relatively contained, analysts suggest that sustained retail sentiment could weigh on near-term stock performance if the controversy continues to trend.
The twin episodes underline how quickly reputational issues can translate into financial signals, even if temporarily. For companies like Lenskart and Emcure, the immediate dips may be modest, but they serve as a reminder that in a hyper-connected market, sentiment can move just as fast as share prices.
Whether these declines remain a blip or evolve into a broader trend will depend on how quickly both brands can steady the narrative and regain investor confidence.
