Brands
Heat Check as TechnoSport Outsmarts Hyderabad Sun with UPF50+ Push
MUMBAI: Hyderabad may swear by sunscreen, but TechnoSport just gave the sun a run for its money. To mark the opening of its biggest exclusive brand outlet at Sarath City Capital Mall, the athleisure brand rolled out a cheeky, heat-beating activation titled Stronger than Your Sunscreen, built squarely on the reality that in the city’s scorching 40–45°C weather, performance wear often needs superhero powers.
What followed was part marketing, part social experiment, and fully sun-proofed theatre.
As the centrepiece of the launch, TechnoSport installed a vending machine that dispensed free UPF50+ T-shirts, a playful yet pointed showcase of its sun-protection tech. What could have been a simple giveaway turned into a bona fide spectacle, with the installation drawing curious shoppers, gym-goers, and passers-by who wanted to test whether a T-shirt could really go toe-to-toe with Hyderabad’s brutal UV blaze.
The stunt sparked instant buzz, drove sizeable opening-day footfall and gave the new store the kind of opening-day headlines brands dream about.
TechnoSport head of marketing Patralika Agrawal said the city was the ideal setting for such a sun-savvy idea. “Hyderabad’s climate and lifestyle made this the perfect market for an activation centred on sun protection and performance wear,” she said. “The response reinforced the value of purpose-led marketing delivered with the right blend of creativity and cultural relevance.”
Her point was more than proven. The UPF50+ T-shirts which block 98 per cent of harmful UV rays didn’t just protect customers; they reframed TechnoSport’s technical innovation as something delightfully tangible.
True to its digital-first ethos, TechnoSport fused physical activation with online momentum. The vending machine became highly shareable social content, helping the brand extend conversations beyond the mall floor and straight into Hyderabad’s fitness and youth communities. The chatter fed into steady post-launch walk-ins, deepening awareness of the brand’s sun-ready gear.
By blending cultural insight, climate relevance and a wink at everyday consumer struggles, TechnoSport turned a store launch into a climate-conscious moment. The brand not only introduced Hyderabad to its largest outlet yet, but also cemented itself as a player that understands what performance really means in a city where the sun often steals the spotlight.
With creativity this sharp and T-shirts this sun-proof TechnoSport may have set a new standard for store launches that leave both shoppers and sceptics a little more protected.
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.
