Brands
Chennai clicks into place as Lego builds its first certified store in Tamil Nadu
MUMBAI: Chennai just got its newest reason to snap into joy Lego has finally clicked into the city, with its first-ever Lego Certified Store opening on 28 November 2025, marking the toy giant’s official entry into Tamil Nadu and signalling a major push into South India’s fast-growing premium retail scene.
Spread across ~2800 sq. ft. of ground-floor space, the store is designed as a full-blown playground for builders of every age. From immersive play zones and model displays to the iconic Pick-a-Brick Wall and a Make Your Own Minifig station, the space brings Chennai an authentic, world-class Lego experience. Adding to the excitement is an impressive portfolio of exclusive-to-store-only sets, spanning quick builds, rare collectibles, and complex, advanced creations.
To sweeten the grand opening, shoppers spending Rs 10,000 or more can unlock a free Lego Mini Store through a Gift-with-Purchase offer and if that’s not persuasive enough, the launch weekend brings a flurry of Black Friday deals, making the debut impossible for fans to ignore.
“We’re really excited to bring the authentic Lego experience to Chennai with our first certified store here,” said Lego India general manager Bhavana Mandon. She added that the strong response in Gurugram and Bengaluru has boosted confidence to expand across high-potential cities, with Chennai seen as a natural next step for its creative and family-driven culture.
For Ample Group, Lego’s retail partner in India, the launch is both a milestone and a springboard. “This marks an exciting new chapter for Lego enthusiasts in Tamil Nadu,” said Ample Group CEO & founder Rajesh Narang. “Chennai’s strong affinity for culture, creativity and family experiences makes it the perfect home for Lego, and this opening reflects our commitment to bringing leading global brands closer to Indian consumers.”
And Ample isn’t stopping at Chennai. Riding the momentum, the company is set to open a second Lego Certified Store in Bengaluru just weeks later, a 4,393 sq. ft. large-format destination featuring expanded experiential zones, interactive installations, and all hallmark Lego retail signatures. Located in one of the city’s busiest premium retail districts, the Bengaluru store aims to become a flagship-like hub for the region.
Together, the back-to-back launches position South India as one of Lego’s fastest-growing markets, blending nostalgia, creativity and premium retail in a region known for its appetite for global experiences. While Chennai lays the foundation with a vibrant new store, Bengaluru is set to elevate the experience even further, creating a thriving community of families, hobbyists and lifelong builders.
With the bricks now firmly in place, Lego’s South India chapter looks ready to build and build big.
Brands
Dunkin’ Donuts to exit India as Jubilant FoodWorks ends 15-year franchise deal
The quick service restaurant giant is ending a 15-year franchise partnership with the American doughnut chain, even as it renews its Domino’s agreement for another 15 years
NOIDA: Dunkin’ is done in India. Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd, the country’s leading quick service restaurant operator, has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with the American coffee and doughnut chain, and will wind down its Indian stores in a phased manner before December 31, 2026, bringing a 15-year partnership to a quiet, loss-laden close.
The decision, approved by JFL’s board on March 30, 2026, ends a relationship that began with a Multiple Unit Development Franchise Agreement signed on February 24, 2011. JFL will now evaluate and undertake what it described in a regulatory filing as the “rationalisation and/or cessation of certain operations and/or sale, transfer or disposal of assets and/or assignment or transfer of franchise rights,” all in consultation with Dunkin’s brand owners and strictly within the terms of the original agreement.
The numbers tell the story bluntly. In the financial year 2024-25, Dunkin’ India posted a revenue of Rs 37 crore against a loss of Rs 19 crore — a haemorrhage that was always going to test the patience of a parent company recording revenues of Rs 6,104 crore and a profit of Rs 194 crore in the same period. Doughnuts, it turns out, were never going to move the needle.
The contrast with JFL’s handling of its other marquee franchise could hardly be sharper. Even as it walks away from Dunkin’, the company has just doubled down on Domino’s, signing a fresh Master Franchise Agreement on March 31, 2026, granting it exclusive rights to develop and operate Domino’s Pizza stores in India for 15 years, with an option to renew for a further 10.
JFL, incorporated in 1995 and promoted by the Bharatia family, operates a network of more than 3,500 stores across six markets — India, Turkey, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Its portfolio includes Domino’s and Popeyes on the global side, and two home-grown brands: Hong’s Kitchen and COFFY, a café brand in Turkey.
For Dunkin’, India was always a stretch. The brand never quite cracked the cultural code in a market where filter coffee and chai command fierce loyalty and where the doughnut remains, at best, an occasional indulgence rather than a daily habit. Fifteen years, mounting losses and a parent with better things to spend its capital on was always going to be a difficult equation to solve.
The doughnut has had its last day. The pizza, however, is staying.
