Brands
India’s first Lego store clicks into place with Ample’s Gurugram mega-launch
MUMBAI: The Lego dream just got bigger—and real. Ample group, the retail ace behind big-name brand tie-ups in India, has teamed up with the Lego group to launch the country’s first and South Asia’s largest Lego Certified Store at Ambience Mall in Gurugram.
Spread across a sprawling 4,500+ sq. ft., this flagship retail paradise isn’t just another store—it’s a technicolour tribute to the power of play. Packed with interactive stations, digital experiences, iconic builds, and hands-on joy, it’s part toy box, part wonderland—and designed to hook everyone from toddlers to AFOLs (adult fans of Lego).
Ample group founder & CEO Rajesh Narang said: “At Ample, we have always believed in creating meaningful experiences for our customers by bringing some of the world’s most iconic brands closer to Indian customers, be it Apple, Bose, Under Armour, Asics, and now Lego group. With the launch of south Asia’s Largest Lego certified store, we are not just introducing a brand but offering families a space to imagine, play and create memories together. Our goal is to deliver experiences that go beyond shopping, where every visit feels special and interaction adds value.”
This landmark opening comes as India’s economy is projected to grow by 6.3 per cent in 2025. With a surging middle class and rising appetite for premium experiences, Ample is betting big on immersive retail. It plans to open 30 Lego stores over the next five years, including the next one in Bengaluru’s Orion Mall.
“Today is not just about opening a store—it marks a pivotal moment in Lego’s India’s journey, one that celebrates the power of play in its truest form,” said Lego India country manager Bhavana Mandon,. “We’re thrilled to finally bring the Lego brand experience to India in close partnership with the Ample Group. We’re laying the foundation for a strong retail presence and aim to help more Indians connect with the joy of play through multiple stores over the next two years. The energy, creativity, and passion we’ve witnessed today show that India’s Lego moment has truly arrived. As we enter this exciting phase of growth, we look forward to building spaces where people of all ages can build together.”
Beyond retail buzz, the new store aims to cut screen time and boost cognitive skills with good old-fashioned hands-on play. From AI-powered displays to custom minifigs, it’s a bold mix of nostalgia and next-gen engagement.
Established in 1996, Ample group has built a reputation for rolling out premium brand experiences, operating 100+ stores across the country and charming over a million customers. With a target CAGR of over 30 per cent over the next five years, the company shows no signs of slowing.
Looks like Lego’s Indian adventure has finally clicked into gear—and it’s anything but child’s play.
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.
