MAM
Costa Coffee promotes Ekta Upadhyay
MUMBAI: Ekta Upadhyay has been promoted to assistant general manager and head of marketing at Devyani International, where she will oversee Costa Coffee, the company’s airports business, and New York Fries operations. The appointment marks an expansion of her remit beyond the 300-plus Costa Coffee stores she previously managed.
Upadhyay, who has spent over 14 years in brand marketing across sectors including fast-moving consumer goods, automobiles and e-commerce, will now focus on scaling the airports vertical and growing the New York Fries quick-service restaurant brand. Her promotion comes as Devyani International, one of India’s largest restaurant operators, seeks to diversify its portfolio beyond its core pizza and coffee offerings.
Before joining Costa Coffee in 2023, Upadhyay held senior marketing positions at Apollo Tyres, where she managed communications across the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa regions, and at fashion e-tailer Koovs.com, where she led brand strategy for the London Stock Exchange-listed company.
Her career began at media agencies VivaKi and Mindshare, where she handled major accounts including PepsiCo and Yum Restaurants, developing expertise in traditional and digital media buying.
The appointment signals Devyani International’s ambition to strengthen its marketing capabilities as it expands beyond its traditional restaurant formats into higher-margin airport locations and new quick-service concepts.
Brands
Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
