Brands
Kia goes Indian with identity revamp, new logo & brand slogan
MUMBAI: Carmaker Kia has dropped the ‘Motors’ from its name to unveil a fresh brand identity and positioning as Kia India, and a new slogan – ‘Movement that inspires’. The rebranding aims to shine a light on its transition from an automaker to a provider of advanced and eco-friendly mobility solutions.
The South Korean automobile manufacturer debuted in India in 2019 and has captured a fair share of the market – within 22 months of its launch, it has sold over 2.5 lakh vehicles here to become one of top five car brands in the country in FY21.
As part of the image makeover, the versatile compact SUV Seltos and the subcompact crossover SUV Sonet will be launched in the Indian market in the first week of May 2021. During the brand showcase Kia India MD & CEO Kookhyun Shim unveiled the refreshed Seltos with the new Kia logo.
The switchover to Kia India was a natural progression for the brand, which is going big to make its presence felt in the country. It has already set up a manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh, which boasts an annual production capacity of three lakh units.
In the Indian context, the brand slogan “Movement that inspires” represents Kia’s ambitious plans for leading the future mobility revolution in the country with premium products equipped with unique design and segment-first features, advanced digitised services complemented by one of the largest networks by any new entrant brand in the country. In line with the change, Kia India also intends to attain full capacity utilisation of its state-of-art Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh facility in a move to facilitate faster production and delivery of its vehicles.
The new brand slogan is at the heart of Kia’s new brand purpose of inspiring consumers through products, services, and their experiences with the brand. It emphasises that movement is at the genesis of human development, the company revealed. It enables people to see new places, to meet new people, and to have new experiences. This connection is the essence of Kia’s new brand slogan, to enable human progress by providing innovative in-car spaces, exciting new products, and meaningful, convenient services that inspire customers and free up time for the activities that they enjoy the most.
The new logo of Kia is a symbol of the new brand slogan and values it promises to offer customers through future products, services, and the experiences these enable. Kia seals its brand promise by developing the new logo to resemble a handwritten signature. The rhythmical, unbroken line of the logo conveys Kia’s commitment to bringing moments of inspiration, while its symmetry demonstrates confidence. The rising gestures of the logo embody Kia’s rising ambitions for the brand, and, more importantly, what it offers to the customers, said the company.
Kia India managing director and CEO Kookhyun Shim said, “This is a proud and historic moment for us as India becomes the first country to transition to the new brand identity after our headquarters in South Korea. Our decision to increase the production capacity stems from our deep customer understanding where a faster delivery of our products can enhance their buying experience tremendously. We are confident that this transformation will accelerate our growth by not only strengthening our premium positioning in the market but also making us one of the most aspirational brands for consumers.”
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.
