Brands
Ather races past 5,00,000 electric scooters
MUMBAI: Ather Energy has just charged past a major milestone. The Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler maker rolled out its 5,00,000th scooter from its Hosur plant in Tamil Nadu, with the milestone model being none other than the popular family scooter, Rizta.
The Rizta, launched last year, has swiftly become the brand’s star performer, now accounting for over a third of Ather’s total production. Co-founder and CTO Swapnil Jain called the achievement a “major milestone”, adding that it symbolises “years of focused engineering, rigorous testing, and meticulous attention to quality”.
From its first prototype to this electrifying half-million mark, Ather’s journey has been about more than scooters. It’s about building a robust and scalable manufacturing ecosystem.
Ather currently runs two plants in Hosur, one for vehicles and another for batteries, with a combined annual capacity of 4,20,000 scooters. To keep up with rising demand, the company is gearing up for its next big leap: Factory 3.0 in Bidkin, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra. Built on Industry 4.0 principles, the facility will supercharge Ather’s total capacity to 1.42 million scooters annually once fully operational.
Founded in 2013 by Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, Ather has become a front-runner in India’s electric mobility race. With innovations like the Ather grid, the country’s largest two-wheeler fast-charging network, and a growing product line spanning performance and family scooters, the company seems fully charged for the road ahead.
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.
