MAM
PGTI scouts for title sponsor as Aircel pulls out
MUMBAI: Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is scouting for a title sponsor after telecom major Aircel pulled out of the deal.
Aircel has decided to focus completely on the Indian Premier League (IPL) where it sponsors the Chennai Super Kings team,. The company, thus, did not go ahead with the renewal of its title sponsorship deal with PGTI.
PGTI director Padamjit Singh Sandhu said, “We had a very healthy partnership with Aircel for three and a half years, but they have decided not to renew the deal.”
While Sandhu refused to reveal the financials of the sponsorship agreement, the three-year agreement is believed to be in the region of Rs 150 million.
An Aircel spokeswoman confirmed that the company was not renewing its sponsorship of PGTI without specifying any reason.
The telecom company, which has its roots in Chennai, had last year renewed its partnership with CSK for three more years.
Sandhu, however, affirmed that the professional golf body was in talks with three potential sponsors – two Indian business conglomerates and one MNC – to replace Aircel.
“I can’t say anything right now but we should be able to sign-up a sponsor in two months,” Sandhu asserted.
Sandhu also revealed that the PGTI has already signed-up two more partners which include a soft beverage partner and a magazine partner in Golf Plus. Without divulging the name of the soft drink partner, he hinted it’s between Pepsi and Coca -Cola.
Aircel had associated with Golf to engage with consumers from the higher income socio-economic category.
Brands
Jubilant Foodworks to end Dunkin’ franchise in India
Pizza chain operator will not renew agreement when it expires at end of 2026.
MUMBAI: When the doughnuts stop turning and the coffee goes cold, even a global giant like Dunkin’ can find the Indian market a tough brew to crack. Jubilant Foodworks has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with Dunkin’ when the pact expires on 31 December 2026, according to a Reuters report. The operator, best known for running Domino’s outlets in India, said it would evaluate options for its existing Dunkin’ stores, including a potential sale or transfer of franchise rights, in consultation with the US-based brand.
The decision follows years of underperformance in a market where local tastes and intense competition have made it difficult for international coffee-and-doughnut formats to gain traction. Jubilant, which has increasingly focused on its core pizza business and newer bets like Popeyes, indicated that the exit would not materially affect its financial or operational position.
Dunkin’ accounted for just 0.61 per cent of Jubilant’s revenue in the fiscal year ending 2025 and recorded a loss of approximately Rs 191 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company operated 27 outlets as of December 2025, having shuttered seven stores over the preceding year.
The retreat comes even as Jubilant’s broader business shows signs of momentum. The company reported a 65 per cent rise in quarterly profit for the October to December period, reaching Rs 70.9 crore, up from Rs 42.91 crore a year earlier.
For Jubilant, the exit reflects a sharpening strategic focus. For Dunkin’, it marks another setback in a market that has proven resistant to imported café concepts without significant localisation.
In the cut-throat world of Indian quick-service restaurants, sometimes the sweetest deals are the ones you quietly walk away from leaving more room for the brands that truly rise to the occasion.
