Brands
Freecharge and Delhi Dynamos partner for the Indian Super League
MUMBAI: Freecharge, one of the pioneers in online mobile recharge has been named as the presenting partner for Delhi Dynamos which is one of the eight teams in the ongoing Hero Indian Super League (ISL). The association was activated by media agency MEC and GroupM ESP and will be leveraged on the digital platform and other channels through a series of social media contests and sweepstakes and other content.
The contests will run for the complete season which ends in December.
Freecharge CEO Alok Goel said, “As a young and aspirational brand, associating with football was a natural fit for us. We are happy to contribute our bit for the promotion of ‘the beautiful game’ in our country. Delhi Dynamos is an exciting team and we hope this turns out to be a mutually beneficial partnership.”
MEC India head brand activation Sidhraj Shah commented, “Freecharge as a young vibrant brand has already struck a fantastic chord with the youth. Given that football is the ultimate water-cooler sport amongst youth, this association between Freecharge and Delhi Dynamos is a perfect match.”
Freecharge is a concept where customers can recharge their prepaid, DTH or data cards subscriptions practically for free – because they get equal-value discount coupons from big brands such as McDonalds, Costa Coffee, PVR cinemas, Cafe Coffee Day etc.
GroupM ESP specialises in evaluating, negotiating, developing, activating and measuring strategic content platforms and partnerships around movies, music, sports, live, celebs, characters and causes. Delhi Dynamos, owned by Den Networks, are the football team to hail from the nation’s capital.
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.
