Brands
Pranav Kunkalienkar joins JioStar as associate director – corporate communications
Former Rajasthan Royals and Disney Star communications leader to steer JioStar’s brand narrative and media relations
MUMBAI: Pranav Kunkalienkar has been appointed as associate director – corporate communications at JioStar, strengthening the media company’s communications leadership as India’s entertainment and sports landscape continues to evolve.
In his new role, Kunkalienkar will lead corporate communications initiatives for JioStar, focusing on shaping the company’s brand narrative, managing media relations and driving strategic communications across its entertainment and sports ecosystem.
His appointment comes at a time when media companies are placing greater emphasis on strong storytelling and clear communication to engage audiences, partners and industry stakeholders in an increasingly competitive market.
Kunkalienkar joins JioStar after serving as manager – corporate communications and PR at Rajasthan Royals, where he led public relations and communication efforts for the IPL franchise.
Before that, he spent over three years at Disney Star as assistant manager – corporate communications for sports, supporting communications strategy around the broadcaster’s sports portfolio.
Earlier in his career, he worked at MSLGROUP as a senior account executive, handling communications mandates for multiple brands. He also held roles at Kooh Sports Private Limited as a marketing intern and at Rendezvous Sports World Pvt Ltd in marketing and business development.
Kunkalienkar began his professional journey as a business development consultant at Universal Hunt, where he worked on identifying and developing new business opportunities and partnerships.
With experience spanning sports, media and communications agencies, Kunkalienkar brings a well-rounded perspective to his new role as JioStar continues to strengthen its voice in India’s rapidly expanding entertainment and sports industry.
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.
