Brands
Pilgrim launches 5 per cent Niacinamide gel sunscreen SPF 50 plus
Hydrating, glow-boosting formula brings light, daily sun care
MUMBAI: Skincare brand Pilgrim has added a fresh layer of sun protection to its portfolio with the launch of the 5 per cent Niacinamide Hydra Glow Gel Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++, a lightweight formula designed for everyday wear.
Built around new-generation UV filters and the brand’s UVshield X technology, the sunscreen promises broad-spectrum protection against UVA, UVB and blue light. The formula uses European-approved filters such as Uvinal T 150, Uvinal A Plus and Tinsorb S, known for their photostability and long-lasting protection under strong sun. Pilgrim says the sunscreen does not oxidise or darken the skin and avoids hormone-disrupting filters, making it suitable for daily use. The SPF 50 rating has been verified through in-vivo and in-vitro testing at an independent clinical lab.
True to the brand’s ingredient-led philosophy, the formula pairs sun protection with skincare benefits. It contains 5 per cent niacinamide to help strengthen the skin barrier, refine texture and boost radiance, while Korean rice water adds hydration and nourishment. The result is skin that looks fresh and naturally luminous, even after hours outdoors.
Texture is a key part of the pitch. The gel formula is fast-absorbing, non-sticky and breathable, designed to sit comfortably on the skin without leaving a white cast or greasy residue. It is positioned as an everyday sunscreen suited to humid climates and ideal under make-up or on bare skin.
With this launch, Pilgrim continues to blend global beauty trends with accessible, ingredient-focused formulations aimed at modern, daily routines.
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.
