Brands
Poshn names Anit Kunj Gupta as finance director to lead growth strategy
MUMBAI: What happens when you mix a food supply chain revolution with 20 years of financial wizardry? You get Anit Kunj Gupta, the latest heavyweight addition to Poshn’s leadership team.
If you thought supply chain logistics and financial planning couldn’t get exciting, think again. Poshn, founded in 2021, isn’t just another startup; it’s a game-changer in India’s food value chain. And Anit’s arrival promises to turbocharge their ambitious growth plans.
Poshn announced the appointment of Anit Kunj Gupta as senior director – finance & accounts, ushering in a new era of financial excellence and strategic leadership. Anit’s expertise, honed at industry giants like Zydus Wellness, Whirlpool Corporation, Udaan, and Carlsberg Group, makes him uniquely equipped to streamline Poshn’s financial framework and help SMEs thrive in the food value chain.
India’s food value chain has always been ripe for disruption, and Poshn has been shaking things up by empowering SMEs with innovative solutions. Now, with $8 million (approximately Rs 65 crore) in equity and another $8 million in debt raised during their pre-Series A funding, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
With Anit on board, Poshn looks ready to:
. Expand private label offerings
. Optimise supply chain processes
. Penetrate new markets
How does someone like Anit Kunj Gupta, with two decades of financial experience, approach a startup in full-throttle growth mode?
Poshn’s co-founder, Shashank Singh expressed excitement about Anit’s appointment, “We are thrilled to welcome Anit to the Poshn family. His extensive experience in the food supply chain and his work with SMEs will solidify our position as a global leader in the food value chain.”
Meanwhile, Anit himself couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, “I am delighted to join Poshn at such a pivotal phase of its journey. Poshn’s mission to simplify the food value chain resonates deeply with my professional ethos.”
But here’s the kicker. Anit isn’t just about numbers. When he’s not crunching financials, he’s either driving, playing chess, or cracking jokes. A finance guy with a sense of humour? Now that’s a rarity!
With an experienced leader like Anit in the driver’s seat, Poshn is poised to navigate the complexities of the food supply chain and emerge as a force to be reckoned with. So, the next time you think of food supply chains, remember: Finance is the secret ingredient.
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.
