Brands
Lotte brings korean cool to India with new subak & shark ice candies
MUMBAI: From Seoul to your soul. Lotte India Corporation Ltd. is adding a dash of Korean fun to India’s freezer aisles with the launch of Subak and Shark, the country’s first-ever Korean-style ice candies.
Following the success of the Lotte Krunch, India’s first Korean four-layered ice cream bar, the new duo marks another milestone in the brand’s playful innovation journey. Crafted for Indian palates and inspired by Korea’s pop imagination, Subak and Shark promise a multi-sensory experience that’s as refreshing as it is fun.
Subak, meaning “watermelon” in Korean, blends juicy watermelon and strawberry flavours with crunchy chocolate-coated peanut “seeds”, all shaped like a watermelon slice. Shark, on the other hand, dives into a dual orange-strawberry fusion with a bold shark-shaped design, turning every bite into a burst of creativity.
To amplify the launch, Lotte has rolled out a vibrant K-culture-inspired campaign built around the idea of “Refreshingly K-Cool”. The campaign channels the energy of K-pop and anime through ten digital assets that bring the whimsical Subak & Shark world alive.
“Building on the success of Worldcone and Krunch, Subak and Shark represent Lotte’s next phase of innovation in India,” said Lotte India Corporation Ltd head of marketing Rishabh Verma. “These products fuse Korean imagination with Indian sensibilities to deliver a multi-sensorial snacking experience that’s modern, relevant, and deeply connected.”
Lotte India senior brand manager Ankit Dubey added, “Subak and Shark make ice candies fun, expressive, and culturally inspired. Whether it’s kids enjoying the playful shapes, teens sharing moments online, or adults indulging in nostalgia, these products are designed to delight.”
Priced at Rs 20 for a 75 ml pack, Subak and Shark will be available across 50,000 plus outlets nationwide, including modern trade stores, q-commerce platforms, general trade, and Havmor-exclusive parlours.
With this launch, Lotte strengthens its leadership in India’s frozen treats segment, bringing the spirit of K-culture to every corner of the country, one refreshing bite at a time.
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.
