MAM
BBC plans major restructuring, to axe 6,000 employees
MUMBAI: The BBC is planning to announce a radical shake-up today and has plans to sack close to 6000 employees in order to save hundreds of millions of pounds a year. This step comes in the wake of the broadcaster’s licence fee being under review and its need to prove to the government that it is operating efficiently.
This has been touted as the most significant overhaul in the corporation’s history, wherein BBC director general Mark Thompson will unveil plans to make the BBC more efficient and refocus its role as a public service broadcaster.
According to a media report, the BBC plunged £240 million into the red last year and needs to make major savings. Apart from its licence fee being under review, its Charter, which expires in 2006, is also up for renewal. The corporation will have to justify the £121 licence fee, which largely pays for its £3.6 billion annual budget. Over a thousand jobs could be moved to Manchester to escape expensive production costs in London and this is likely to involve Five Live, Sport and children’s programming. Some media reports says that several BBC magazines, including the Radio Times – could also be sold off.
However, the broadcaster’s plans are most likely to affect BBC Broadcast – its advertising and technical arm – and BBC Resources – which runs studios and provides costumes. Media reports say that these could be sold off or turned into joint ventures with commercial companies.
Thompson’s plan will cut swaths of bureaucracy in order to deliver more spending on screen. However, individual job losses will be determined by BBC departments and the employees who are unsettled by Thompson’s announcement will be offered counselling.
As a result of this, private equity companies and media groups are preparing to bid for BBC Broadcast. Commercial partnerships will be sought for BBC Resources, which has about 1,000 staff, and operates studios and post-production units, said a media report. Additionally, news and current affairs will face a 15 per cent budget cut over the next two years but cash will be redirected towards programmes such as Panorama and Newsnight.
Reality programmes will be axed in favour of more ambitious drama, comedy, national sporting events and initiatives like BBC One’s children’s competition, Hard Spell.
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.
