Brands
Kay Beauty makes historic UK debut at Space NK
MUMBAI: Kay Beauty, the make-up brand co-founded by actor Katrina Kaif and Indian beauty retailer Nykaa, has made its first international move with an exclusive launch at Space NK in the UK. The tie-up marks the first time a home-grown Indian beauty brand has been stocked by the British luxury chain.
Founded in 2019, Kay Beauty has built its reputation on performance-led, skin-friendly formulas and an inclusive brand voice, encapsulated in its slogans #ItsKayToBeYou and #MakeupThatKares. Its portfolio of 197 products across eyes, lips and face will now sit alongside Space NK’s curated line-up of global labels.
Kaif called the launch “a powerful opportunity to connect with a global community that shares our values.” Nykaa co-founder & head of its owned bands Adwaita Nayar described the step as “more than just a brand milestone,” positioning Kay Beauty as proof that Indian consumer labels can compete on the global stage.
Space NK chief commercial officer Margaret Mitchell said the addition would help the retailer better serve Britain’s growing south Asian community while offering “something genuinely unique”.
The UK launch brings bestsellers such as the Hydra Crème Lipstick, Hydrating Foundation and Velvet Creme Blush, as well as a range of kajals infused with chamomile and ceramides.
Kay Beauty, named Vogue India’s Beauty Brand of the Year in 2022, has already carved a cult following at home with 1.6 million social media followers, 700-plus retail outlets and more than 2.5 million customers. With Space NK’s 80-store network and online reach, the brand is betting that its blend of inclusivity, heritage and innovation will resonate with British consumers too.
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.
