Brands
Detailing Mafia showcases car care tech at Automechanika
Brand unveils UltrashieldX film and outlines global franchise push
NEW DELHI: The Detailing Mafia rolled into Automechanika New Delhi 2026 with polish, protection and a clear plan for growth, using the industry showcase to highlight its system-driven detailing model and next-generation car care technology.
The fast-growing detailing franchise network is exhibiting at Booth E50 in Hall 02 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, where the three-day event is being held from 5 to 7 February. Visitors to the stand can watch live demonstrations, take part in technical walkthroughs and explore franchise opportunities through one-on-one discussions.
At the centre of the display is UltrashieldX Paint Protection Film, the company’s in-house surface protection solution that comes with a 10-year warranty. The product is used exclusively across The Detailing Mafia’s studios, with the brand retaining control over installation methods, application processes and service standards.
The Detailing Mafia CEO Kunal Sethi, said the detailing industry is entering a decisive phase where customers demand durable, high-quality solutions that meet global benchmarks. He added that the company aims to open 200 new studios by 2027 across India and select international markets as part of its expansion strategy.
The Detailing Mafia currently operates more than 220 studios worldwide, built around standardised operating procedures, training programmes, audits and certifications. Franchise partners also receive marketing support designed to drive steady growth and brand visibility.
Innovation remains central to the company’s pitch. Its latest UltrashieldX range has been developed in collaboration with Lubrizol, a global manufacturer of TPU materials used in protective films.
Automechanika New Delhi offers the brand a chance to connect with industry professionals, explore partnerships and promote its international detailing certification programme. Entrepreneurs who book franchises during the event are also being offered special limited-time deals.
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.
