JBL in talks with global brands to bring them to India

Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd, speculated to be a partner for the US coffee chain Starbucks' entry in India, today said it is in talks with many global brands to bring them into the country.

The company, earlier known as Domino's Pizza India Ltd, runs fast food chain Domino's Pizza in India with over 320 stores. It plans to add 70 more Dominos stores this fiscal.

"When we changed the name of the firm, our intent was to bring more international brands in the country. I admit we are in discussion with a handful of them," Jubilant Foodworks Ltd (JFL) CEO Ajay Kaul told reporters here.
    
Asked about the link-up of the company for a possibility to partner

Starbucks and bring the coffee chain to India, he declined to comment.
    
He, however, said with the global brands that the company is in talks with now, JFL is open to any kind of partnership.
    
"It depends...We are open to any kind of structure, it can be a joint venture or it can be a master franchise," Kaul said.
    
JFL had posted an over four-fold jump in its net profit to Rs 15.3 crore in the quarter ended June 30, 2010, over the same period last fiscal.
    
It is also planning to set up a 100 per cent subsidiary in Sri Lanka by the end of the fiscal. The company is operating in the country through the franchisee route.
    
Jubilant Bhartia Group holds the master franchisee rights for the Domino's Pizza brand and operations for the whole of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.