MAM
Interface, Lodestar to handle ad duties for Mahindra Genio DC
BANGALORE: Automobile major Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. announced the national launch of a variant of its pickup – Genio – the Genio DC (or Genio dual cabin) in Bangalore.
Interface Communications will handle the creative duties for the brand and Lodestar the media buying.
While Mahindra is using television as one of the mediums for promoting the single cab Genio that it had launched earlier this year, there are no plans at present to have a specific TVC for the dual cabin, revealed Mahindra’s Automotive Division Vice President for Marketing Vivek Nayer.
“While we do have a campaign planned out once the Genio DC has been rolled out across the country by August, there are no plans for television advertising for the DC at present. The campaign that is on currently for the Genio brand which includes television will continue,” he added.
The market for the one tone capacity pickup in India is about 85,000 units and Mahindra is eyeing to grow the market with a new subcategory as well as its market share. Automobile sales have reduced in India over the past few months – Mahindra’s Automobile division has seen volume growths of about 29 per cent last fiscal and 23 per cent during the last month.
Nayer further said, “Being the leader in the pick-up segment with a 73 per cent market share, the onus is on us to offer superior products to our customers to elevate their status and lifestyle. The Genio DC is a high end premium double cabin pickup designed to match the evolved needs of businessman, both as an efficient cargo mover as well as to provide premium comfort for passengers.”
Brands
Jubilant Foodworks to end Dunkin’ franchise in India
Pizza chain operator will not renew agreement when it expires at end of 2026.
MUMBAI: When the doughnuts stop turning and the coffee goes cold, even a global giant like Dunkin’ can find the Indian market a tough brew to crack. Jubilant Foodworks has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with Dunkin’ when the pact expires on 31 December 2026, according to a Reuters report. The operator, best known for running Domino’s outlets in India, said it would evaluate options for its existing Dunkin’ stores, including a potential sale or transfer of franchise rights, in consultation with the US-based brand.
The decision follows years of underperformance in a market where local tastes and intense competition have made it difficult for international coffee-and-doughnut formats to gain traction. Jubilant, which has increasingly focused on its core pizza business and newer bets like Popeyes, indicated that the exit would not materially affect its financial or operational position.
Dunkin’ accounted for just 0.61 per cent of Jubilant’s revenue in the fiscal year ending 2025 and recorded a loss of approximately Rs 191 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company operated 27 outlets as of December 2025, having shuttered seven stores over the preceding year.
The retreat comes even as Jubilant’s broader business shows signs of momentum. The company reported a 65 per cent rise in quarterly profit for the October to December period, reaching Rs 70.9 crore, up from Rs 42.91 crore a year earlier.
For Jubilant, the exit reflects a sharpening strategic focus. For Dunkin’, it marks another setback in a market that has proven resistant to imported café concepts without significant localisation.
In the cut-throat world of Indian quick-service restaurants, sometimes the sweetest deals are the ones you quietly walk away from leaving more room for the brands that truly rise to the occasion.
