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Subway partners with Everstone Group to expand presence in India
New Delhi: Restaurant brand Subway has signed one of its largest master franchise agreements with Everstone Group, a South Asia-focused leading private investment firm to bolster its presence in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
As part of the partnership, Everstone, with expertise in growing and building brands in India and South Asia, will help Subway to triple the number of restaurants in 10 years from the nearly 700 locations that exist today, the company announced on Tuesday.
The new restaurants — as well as upgrades to existing locations — will adopt the company’s new, modern, and inviting ‘Fresh Forward’ design and meet the needs of today’s consumer with comfortable guest indoor dining spaces as well as numerous delivery and order-ahead options, with a strong digital-first strategy, it added further.
“Today’s announcement represents a significant step in Subway’s transformation journey and global expansion plans,” said Subway CEO John Chidsey. “Everstone, with extensive knowledge and proven restaurant operational expertise in the region, is the ideal partner as we begin this new chapter for Subway in India and South Asia.”
“The scale of this agreement is unprecedented and will ensure that Subway’s presence across India will more than triple over the next 10 years,” said Subway EMEA president Mike Kehoe. “We have seen huge demand from existing Subway guests in India and couldn’t be more excited to partner with Everstone to strengthen our presence and bring our beloved subs to even more Indian guests.”
Everstone Group founder and CEO Sameer Sain said, Subway’s philosophy of freshly made-to-order and ‘better-for-you’ food delivered at home and in-store is central to one of the greatest structural consumer trends we see in South Asia. “Everstone Group is delighted to be a partner and custodian of Subway in the region. We strongly believe that our significant experience in the QSR space, our strong digital focus, our ability to innovate, as well as our proven execution capabilities, will enable Subway to become a dominant player in the region,” he added.
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Hyphen launches sunscreen campaign featuring Kriti Sanon as SPF Police
Campaign drives SPF habit; Blinkit tie-up enables instant sunscreen delivery.
MUMBAI: No SPF, no mercy Kriti Sanon is out patrolling your skincare routine. Hyphen has rolled out a new campaign film starring its Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer Kriti Sanon, who steps into a playful alter ego as the brand’s “SPF Police”, turning sunscreen reminders into a full-blown public service announcement with a wink. The campaign kicked off with a cheeky social media tease suggesting Sanon had “stepped down” from her role, sparking chatter online before the brand revealed the twist: she hasn’t gone anywhere, she has simply taken on an additional avatar, one dedicated to ensuring people do not skip sunscreen.
The film leans into humour to drive home a serious point. In a slice-of-life setting, Sanon intercepts a gym-goer about to step out without sunscreen, promptly handing over Hyphen’s ‘All I Need Sunscreen’, which arrives instantly via Blinkit. The message is clear: forgetting SPF is no longer a valid excuse when it can be delivered in minutes.
Beyond the laughs, the campaign taps into a well-known gap in everyday skincare habits. Sunscreen, despite being one of the most recommended steps, is often the most ignored. By gamifying the reminder through an “SPF Police” persona, Hyphen aims to turn a routine into a reflex.
The multi-stage rollout from intrigue-led teasers to the final film has been designed to spark conversation while embedding the brand into daily behaviour. It also spotlights Hyphen’s quick commerce partnership with Blinkit, positioning accessibility as a key enabler of consistency.
Sanon, who remains closely involved in product development and brand strategy, noted that the idea stemmed from a simple insight: skincare works best when it is easy, habitual and hard to ignore. The campaign reflects that philosophy equal parts science, storytelling and a nudge you cannot quite escape.
The film is now live across Hyphen and Blinkit’s digital platforms, with further activations expected to extend the campaign’s reach and perhaps keep the SPF Police on duty a little longer.
