Brands
Year-end travel more affordable in 2017: Oyo
MUMBAI: Oyo hotels has launched its analysis report which reveals that tariffs in its hotels across top leisure destinations in India are six per cent lower this December than last year. This is in line with the company’s mission of making quality living spaces more affordable for travellers. While hotels in a majority of holiday destinations have become more affordable than before, there are some destinations witnessing higher tariffs due to sustained traveller interest and constraints of quality hotels.
The data indicates that room tariffs have come down in Darjeeling (29 per cent), Srinagar (23 per cent), Kovalam (22 per cent), Lonavala (16 per cent), and Jaisalmer (15 per cent) due to high demand.
Hill stations witnessed the greatest drop in tariffs, thanks to the emergence of new guest houses and alternate branded hospitality accommodation. Kasauli and Gangtok tariffs are nearly 30 per cent lower, while Dharamshala (-13 per cent), Lonavala (-16 per cent) and Ooty (-10 per cent) are also showed a drop.
Oyo has done aggressive capacity addition, making hospitality affordable for the masses. The increase in affordability has led to higher occupancies wherein the start-up has created value for its hotel partners. Despite an aggressive pricing model across the network, Oyo has delivered higher-than-industry occupancy of 80 per cent across its network.
With hotels in 230-plus cities, Oyo is India’s largest hotel network that has recorded more than five million check-ins till date. Backed by its data science and pricing technology, it also identified the most-expensive and most-affordable localities for budget hotels in top travel destinations.
Brands
Jubilant Foodworks to end Dunkin’ franchise in India
Pizza chain operator will not renew agreement when it expires at end of 2026.
MUMBAI: When the doughnuts stop turning and the coffee goes cold, even a global giant like Dunkin’ can find the Indian market a tough brew to crack. Jubilant Foodworks has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with Dunkin’ when the pact expires on 31 December 2026, according to a Reuters report. The operator, best known for running Domino’s outlets in India, said it would evaluate options for its existing Dunkin’ stores, including a potential sale or transfer of franchise rights, in consultation with the US-based brand.
The decision follows years of underperformance in a market where local tastes and intense competition have made it difficult for international coffee-and-doughnut formats to gain traction. Jubilant, which has increasingly focused on its core pizza business and newer bets like Popeyes, indicated that the exit would not materially affect its financial or operational position.
Dunkin’ accounted for just 0.61 per cent of Jubilant’s revenue in the fiscal year ending 2025 and recorded a loss of approximately Rs 191 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company operated 27 outlets as of December 2025, having shuttered seven stores over the preceding year.
The retreat comes even as Jubilant’s broader business shows signs of momentum. The company reported a 65 per cent rise in quarterly profit for the October to December period, reaching Rs 70.9 crore, up from Rs 42.91 crore a year earlier.
For Jubilant, the exit reflects a sharpening strategic focus. For Dunkin’, it marks another setback in a market that has proven resistant to imported café concepts without significant localisation.
In the cut-throat world of Indian quick-service restaurants, sometimes the sweetest deals are the ones you quietly walk away from leaving more room for the brands that truly rise to the occasion.
