Brands
Tata Motors launches elite wrestlers development program
MUMBAI: After announcing itself as the principal sponsor of the Wrestling Foundation of India (WFI) in August, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles Business Unit (CVBU) has further extended its support to the sport in an exemplary way by setting up the ‘Tata Motors Elite Wrestlers Development Program’. The official announcement for the same was made, in presence of the topmost players including Olympic medal winners Sushil Kumar and Sakshi Malik, in Mumbai.
The aim of the Elite program is to promote, encourage, and develop rising Indian wrestlers and prepare them for the Olympic Gold medals. Through this, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicle Business will help nurture an international standard eco system for athlete support to help India create a new success stories at Tokyo 2020 & Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It will support the players with best possible training and coaching facilities, enabled by renowned foreign coaches, support staff, and international exposure.
The program will appoint top class foreign coaches for both men and women squads, best possible support staff who will work both on the physical and mental development of the athletes and organise premium exposure trips for the elite Indian wrestlers so that they train and hone themselves according to the global training standards. The support staff will include experienced physiotherapists, biomechanics, mental trainers, and nutritionists. In addition, Tata Motors will also provide insurance cover to Indian wrestlers.
As revealed at the event, this is for the first time in the history of Indian sports, Tata Motors, along with WFI has announced central contracts to a sport other than cricket, assuring guaranteed benefits to Indian wrestlers. The central contracts are annual retainers that will be spread across 150 players as per grades and assure basic annual earnings for the players, through the sport.
Speaking on the occasion, Tata Motors president, CVBU Girish Wagh mentioned that sports is an important bridge to connect brands with the customers. He said, “Tata Motors, in line with its group’s heritage has constantly looked at encouraging sports and promoting sporting talent across India and overseas. Wrestling as a homegrown sport has definitely grown in popularity and needs further support in enhancing talent. We are strengthening our association with WFI by directing our efforts to promote, train and develop wrestling talent with advance coaching and international sporting experience.”
He further added, “We hope these initiatives help the Indian team to perform better. Our best wishes to the team for the forthcoming Tokyo 2020 & Paris 2024 Olympic games."
Commenting on the partnership, Wrestling Federation of India president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh said, " Tata Motors coming on board as Indian wrestling’s development partner will go a long way in creating a strong sporting ecosystem and strengthening our elite program. These facilities will help wrestlers focus fully on themselves and prepare for the toughest tests before winning medals for the country. WFI is grateful for the trust shown in the federation by Tata Motors and strongly believes that this binding and cooperation will eventually help make a strong beginning for wrestling in India.”
The event further observed the handing over of central contract to five Grade A wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Pooja Dhanda, Sushil Kumar, and Sakshi Malik.
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.
