Brands
Arcil names Phanindranath Kakarla chief executive and md
Kakarla succeeds Pallav Mohapatra in planned transition
MUMBAI: Asset Reconstruction Company (India) Limited (ARCIL) has appointed Phanindranath Kakarla as chief executive officer and managing director, effective 9 March, succeeding Pallav Mohapatra, who has stepped down after completing his term.
Arcil, founded in 2002, was India’s first asset reconstruction company and remains a key player in resolving stressed assets for banks and financial institutions.
Kakarla joined Arcil as president on 2 April, 2025 under a board-approved succession plan designed to ensure a smooth leadership transition. In that role he worked closely with the management team on strategy, business expansion and operational transformation.
Before joining Arcil, he held senior leadership roles at the Edelweiss Group, where he oversaw strategic functions including finance, operations, corporate services and business transformation.
“I am honoured to take on the responsibility of leading Arcil at an important stage in its journey,” said Kakarla. “Arcil has played a pioneering role in shaping India’s asset reconstruction industry and remains a strategic partner for banks and financial institutions.”
Mohapatra, who took charge in March 2021, leaves after guiding the company through a period of strategic consolidation. With more than four decades in India’s banking and financial services industry, he helped strengthen Arcil’s governance frameworks and sharpen its growth initiatives in the stressed-asset resolution space.
Welcoming the new chief, Arcil chairman Narayanan Subramaniam, said Kakarla’s experience in financial services and asset resolution would help steer the company into its next phase of growth. He also thanked Mohapatra for his leadership during what he described as a transformative period for the firm.
Arcil counts institutional investors including Avenue India Resurgence Pte Limited and State Bank of India among its shareholders and operates across multiple branches in India, focusing on corporate, SME and retail asset resolution.
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.
