MAM
Zomato appoints four women directors
NEW DELHI: Restaurant aggregator and food delivery platform Zomato has appointed five independent directors, including four women, on its eight-member board.
The newly appointed independent women directors are ex-Olympian Aparna Popat, Zalora Group former chief executive officer Gunjan Tilak Raj Soni, Airveda founder Namita Gupta, and ABN Amro Bank NV (India) former head of private health business Sutapa Banerjee. The male member in this new cluster of independent directors is TARI founder Kaushik Dutta.
The other three members on this board of directors are Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal, Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikchandani, and Ant Group SVP Douglas Faegin.
“Up until now, we had a largely investor-run board. But today, I’m elated to share that we have five independent members on our board of eight people, four of whom are women. More than gender diversity though, what we have always been gunning for is cognitive diversity across levels in our organisation. Evidence-based, research shows that a key prerequisite for innovation comes from cognitively diverse people” wrote Deepinder Goyal on Zomato’s blog.
Goyal also added that he is happy about the fact that “each of our board members come from different occupational backgrounds bringing diverse cognitive skills and perspectives to the table.”
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.
