Brands
realme ropes in Shahid Kapoor as a product ambassador
Mumbai: realme, a smartphone service provider roped in Bollywood superstar Shahid Kapoor as a product ambassador for its upcoming NARZO 70 Pro 5G aims to set new standards in low-light photography. This strategic collaboration precedes the highly anticipated launch of the NARZO 70 Pro 5G, underscoring the brand’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and the seamless fusion of style and substance.
The partnership strengthens the brand’s dedication to inspiring the millennial & GenZ generations and will help set new standards in the smartphone industry. Shahid Kapoor, known for his spectacular performances and magnetic film presence, embodies the spirit of our NARZO Series and will set a new standard in photography with the NARZO 70 Pro 5G to provide a brand new camera experience in low light. The Narzo series, known for its vibrant and youth-oriented appeal, exemplifies realme’s commitment to offering consumers an unparalleled mobile experience.
Commenting on the association, realme India’s chief marketing officer Tao Zhang stated “We are excited to welcome Shahid Kapoor to the realme family as the face of our NARZO 70 Pro 5G. Shahid’s global appeal and dynamic energy complement realme’s underlying beliefs, resulting in a relationship that embodies elegance, substance, and refinement. We feel Shahid’s involvement will help further enhance Narzo’s overall brand appeal, and fortify our connection with India’s discerning youth, who are the heart of the Narzo Series.”
Shahid Kapoor shared, reflecting on the collaboration, “I’m thrilled to be a part of the realme’s Narzo family! realme is a technology leader that is strongly associated with innovation, style, and cutting-edge technology. I am equally excited to represent a brand that reflects the dynamic spirit of today’s youth. The brand’s constant commitment to pushing boundaries aligns with and complements my own relentless pursuit of perfection. I look forward to being the face of a brand that embodies the spirit of growth and reflects the goals of today’s youth.”
The official announcement coincides strategically with the upcoming introduction of the NARZO 70 Pro 5G, which is expected to set new standards in the smartphone industry. With powerful performance, cutting-edge features, and a stylish design, the NARZO 70 Pro 5G is ready to alter the smartphone landscape for a discerning audience.
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.
