Brands
Sulekha’s anti-jugaad campaign works magic for the brand
NEW DELHI: Digital platform Sulekha, which released its ‘AntiJugaad’ ad campaign recently, has claimed that its business recorded a direct traffic on its portal that went up to seven times higher than the usual, after the digital campaign was launched on 11 January.
The ‘AntiJugaad’ ad received an overwhelming response across all digital platforms and was also trending on Twitter. The app download was also observed to be five times more over than the usual since the ad launch.
The next stage of the campaign that started this Monday, has seen the brand taking prominent space across all TV channels. This is supported by a high-decibel radio campaign across eight metros.
While the ad film urges users to Go #AntiJugaad and positions Sulekha as the place to get professional and credible service providers who believe in the same philosophy, the radio campaign extends this thought in a myriad of day-to-day service needs where people resort to jugaad.
It is a slice-of-life campaign where different people across different cities talk about how jugaad is their first resort whenever they feel that a quick fix would put a –band-aid’ on the problem and how it usually escalates into a major problem. The campaign also has an outdoor element that tries to increase recall of the brand and drive home the Go #AntiJugaad point deeper.
Sulekha vice president marketing Soumendu Ganguly said: “#AntiJugaad is not a campaign thought for us. From extensive research, we have realised that this is an innate nature of the target audience. When people move cities and as the cities grow, they do not know who to ask or where to look for quality service providers at reasonable cost. That is why they resort to quick fixes. We plan to change this behaviour in Indian population. We want jugaad to become part of mainstream conversations not as a sparse innovative solution but for what it signifies in daily life, a quick fix for lack of better options. Sulekha wants to be the ubiquitous solution to the cultural definition of India.”
“The ad has become a rage as there is something for everyone. The man in the house prides himself as somebody who has the solution to all problems and in the process of being this Superman, brings a lot of pain to the wife. The wife on the other hand identifies with this new bride who asserts herself as soon as something goes wrong in her new house. This is indicative of the current societal dynamics as well where the women in the house are the real bosses. The film also borrows from the other major trend we are seeing in Sulekha. India is ready to get their services done by professionals. Gone are the days when we would settle for something sub-par, we now want everything done properly and are even ready to shell out the extra buck for it. At Sulekha, we believe we are in the middle of very interesting times in this category and we are happy that the entire country is resonating with our message,” he added.
Brands
Devyani International Ltd plans three-subsidiary merger to streamline operations
QSR operator moves to streamline structure and unlock operational synergies
Devyani International is tightening its corporate kitchen. The quick-service restaurant operator has approved a scheme to merge three subsidiaries—Sky Gate Hospitality, Blackvelvet Hospitality and Say Chefs Eatery—into the parent company in a bid to simplify its structure and sharpen operational efficiency.
The decision was cleared at a board meeting on March 10 and disclosed in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges. The merger will take effect from April 1, 2025, subject to statutory approvals.
All three transferor companies are direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, meaning no fresh shares will be issued and the shareholding pattern of Devyani International will remain unchanged once the scheme is completed.
The subsidiaries together operate more than 100 outlets—including dine-in restaurants and cloud kitchens, spread across over 40 cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.
Devyani International, the largest franchisee of Yum Brands in India, said the consolidation is aimed at generating operational synergies, optimising resource utilisation and reducing layers within the corporate structure.
Financially, the move brings together businesses of varying scale. As of March 31, 2025, Devyani International reported a net worth of Rs 10,381.02 million and turnover of Rs 33,493.33 million. Sky Gate Hospitality posted a net worth of Rs 761.14 million with turnover of Rs 2,657.57 million, while Blackvelvet Hospitality and Say Chefs Eatery reported smaller operations and negative net worth.
The merger will consolidate these operations under a single corporate umbrella as the company sharpens its focus on scale and efficiency.
Devyani International currently runs more than 2,000 outlets across over 280 cities in India, Nigeria, Nepal and Thailand. Its portfolio includes franchise rights for brands such as Pizza Hut, KFC, Costa Coffee, Tea Live, New York Fries and Sanook Kitchen, alongside its own food brands.
With the paperwork underway and approvals pending, Devyani is essentially clearing the corporate clutter—turning three subsidiaries into one tighter, leaner operation. In the QSR world, even the back office needs a spring clean.
