MAM
CEAT appoints HUL’s Priya Nair as additional director
KOLKATA: Tyre manufacturer CEAT has appointed Hindustan Unilever Limited’s Priya Nair as additional director in the capacity of independent director. Her appointment is effective from 27 October, for a tenure of five years.
Nair is vice president – beauty and personal care at Unilever South Asia, where she's responsible for the business across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Her duties include business delivery on top line and bottom line by creating and delivering a strategic plan for the business. She has also served as executive director of the home care segment at HUL.
She has led sustainability initiatives for HUL with a focus on the WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) programme for the company. Reaching over 140 million people under the Swachh Aadat Swachh Bharat initiative, it educates consumers to adopt three clean habits of washing hands with soap, drinking clean purified water and using a clean toilet.
One of the most influential women marketeers in India, Nair was invited by Niti Aayog to participate in the Champions of Change programme.
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.
