MAM
Amarinder S Dhaliwal joins YU as chief operating officer
MUMBAI: Micromax Informatics has appointed former co-founder and CEO of Done By None, Amarinder S Dhaliwal, as the chief operating officer (COO) for its new internet brand, YU.
With over 20 years of experience in managing and incubating businesses, Dhaliwal has earlier led leading brands including Indiatimes Shopping and Zigwheels.com.
Dhaliwal’s appointment is a testimony to the vision for YU, which is to bring in the best minds from the internet industry and build a world-class team. He will work closely with co-founder Micromax Rahul Sharma to build an innovative digital brand that engages directly with the user community.
Sharma said, “These are exciting times for us. With YU, our aim is to reach out to a very unique set of audiences; tech-enthusiasts, digital natives and the developer ecosystem. Amarinder brings a unique combination of expertise with his entrepreneurial and leadership roles in internet & ecommerce space. He will be leading marketing initiatives for building the brand with a community of highly engaged users, driving revenue from product & services and setting-up world class internet operations. His rich experience will give an edge to our business and help us achieve this aim.”
“I am very excited with the opportunity to build YU as the first truly global internet and technology brand originating from India. My strong beliefs resonate with the company’s vision to be user centric and build world class products. We are building a brand where the user has the power to co-create and make things happen their way. We will build a strong ecosystem of connected devices thereby creating a revolutionary, new age internet brand,” said Dhaliwal.
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.
