Brands
Ola Electric revenue falls, losses continue in December quarter
Company cuts expenses and seeks fresh funds as sales slow and regulators raise questions.
MUMBAI: It seems Ola Electric is currently navigating a bit of a patchy connection, and we are not just talking about a dropped Bluetooth sync on the dashboard. The electric vehicle (EV) giant’s latest financial results for the quarter ended 31 December 2025 have hit the wires, and the numbers are looking more short circuit than supercharged.
The company’s consolidated revenue from operations for the December quarter came in at Rs 470 crore, a significant deceleration from the Rs 690 crore recorded in the preceding quarter. The comparison to the same period last year is even more stark, when revenue stood at a much loftier Rs 1,045 crore. Despite a small recharge of Rs 18 crore from previously unclaimed government subsidies under the EMP5-2024 and PM E-Drive schemes, the overall income trajectory has clearly lost its torque.
Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 504 crore, while the bottom line remained firmly in the red, with a quarterly loss of Rs 487 crore. For the nine-month period ending December 2025, the total accumulated loss has now ballooned to a staggering Rs 1,333 crore.
In an effort to keep the wheels from falling off, Ola has been aggressively downshifting its expenditure. Total expenses for the quarter were slashed to Rs 741 crore, a massive drop from the Rs 1,505 crore spent during the same quarter the previous year.
This belt-tightening suggests a pivot toward leaner operations as the company attempts to find a sustainable cruising speed. However, even with these deep cuts, the going concern tag is being sustained largely by Rs 1,503 crore in remaining IPO proceeds, along with a fresh shareholder approval to raise another Rs 1,500 crore through equity or convertible securities.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and SEBI have also been examining the matter closely, questioning why Ola’s press claims did not align with official Vahan portal data. The company had earlier announced 25,000 units sold in February 2025, but has now clarified to regulators that this figure referred to vehicle bookings rather than final registrations. Under Ola’s accounting policy, a sale is recognised only once the scooter is delivered and registered. Management maintains that this clarification will not have a material impact on the financials, although it has certainly raised eyebrows in the market.
The group’s cash flow situation remains under pressure. For the nine months ended 31 December 2025, Ola reported a negative cash flow from operations of Rs 866 crore, attributing it primarily to lower-than-expected growth in sales volume.
Adding to the complexity are the new Labour Codes. The company has already factored in an additional Rs 5.06 crore in liabilities due to changes in wage definitions affecting gratuity. Meanwhile, the Cell segment, which represents Ola’s major bet on battery manufacturing, is still at an early stage. It contributed just Rs 9 crore to revenue, compared to Rs 407 crore from the automotive segment.
As Ola attempts to navigate this financial fog, the message is clear: the road to an electric future is paved with expensive ambitions. For now, the company is applying the brakes to avoid a deeper skid.
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.
