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By Hariharan U
Published on November 11, 2025
McDonald’s India (West & South), under Westlife Foodworld, has announced a new partnership with the Indian Padel Academy (IPA by Game Park Pvt Ltd) to promote and grow the sport of padel across the country.
This collaboration marks a key milestone for Westlife Foodworld, the company that owns and operates McDonald’s restaurants in West and South India. It’s part of the brand’s broader commitment to go beyond restaurants, fostering community development and empowering young India through sport.
Building on McDonald’s global legacy of supporting sports from the Olympics to grassroots programmes this initiative brings that same spirit home, aligning with India’s fast-evolving sports culture.
Padel, a dynamic racquet sport that’s taking the world by storm, has been gaining fans in India for its exciting mix of energy, teamwork, and accessibility. Through this partnership, McDonald’s India aims to strengthen padel’s footprint in the country by improving infrastructure, training, and tournaments, making the sport more inclusive and within reach for all.
Akshay Jatia, Chief Executive Officer, Westlife Foodworld, shared, “At McDonald’s India, we have always believed in the power of bringing people together, whether through food, community initiatives or shared experiences. Sport is a natural extension of that belief. In the same spirit that has connected communities across continents, McDonald’s India is now bringing that global ethos home, using sport as a platform to inspire, include, and uplift. Through our partnership with the Indian Padel Academy, which is one of India’s largest Padel academies, we hope to inspire young people to dream bigger, play stronger, grow together and someday make India proud at a global platform.”
The initiative aims to go beyond courts and restaurants, focusing on creating opportunities for children to access quality padel facilities and learn from top coaches. The goal is to nurture not just strong athletes but well-rounded individuals who embody teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship.
Nikhil Sachdev, Co-founder & Head of Marketing, Brand Development, and Strategy – Padel Park India, added, "India is ready for the next chapter in padel. This goes beyond the courts, focusing on global partnerships and world-class infrastructure. Our collaboration with McDonald’s India (W&S) is a major step forward. We are joining hands with leading international padel academies to build a strong and inclusive community. The goal is to bring the sport to more people, especially children. We aim to enroll students nationwide through school programmes, certified training, and city leagues, and hope to see future world-class padel players emerge from India.”
This partnership perfectly aligns with McDonald’s long-standing philosophy of supporting sports and community growth, extending it locally to nurture grassroots talent. For McDonald’s India (West & South), which continues to back local causes and social initiatives, this collaboration is another meaningful stride toward being not just a restaurant brand — but a catalyst for community and cultural growth.
About Westlife Foodworld:
Westlife Foodworld Limited (BSE: 505533) focuses on setting up and operating Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) in India through its subsidiary, Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. (HRPL). The company operates McDonald’s restaurants across West and South India under a master franchise agreement with McDonald’s Corporation USA.
About Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd:
HRPL owns and operates over 450 McDonald’s restaurants across 72 cities in India, serving more than 200 million customers annually. With formats like McCafé, Drive-Thrus, McDelivery, and dessert kiosks, HRPL continues to deliver on McDonald’s core values of Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value.
Game Park Pvt. Ltd. develops and operates sports infrastructure across India, creating racquet-sport and multi-sport venues, leagues, and grassroots programmes in partnership with schools and brands to boost participation.
An initiative by Game Park Pvt. Ltd., the Indian Padel Academy is India’s largest structured padel academy, building a national pathway from grassroots to elite. It designs training programs, operates high-performance squads, certifies coaches, and hosts tournaments to make padel a year-round sport in India.
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By Manu Vardhan Kannan
Published on January 14, 2026
Coimbatore is all set to turn into a world of colour, energy, and excitement with the arrival of Candy Bounce, India’s biggest candy-themed inflatable bounce park. Designed and curated by Global Media Box and brought to the city by Pressana Infra, this global attraction marks the first-ever introduction of the Candy Bounce concept in India. The park has been launched at Golden Grove by Pressana Infra in Nanjundapuram, adding a fresh and vibrant entertainment option to the city.
Spread across an expansive area of over 30,000 square feet, Candy Bounce transforms playtime into a lively candy universe filled with oversized sweets, ice-cream-inspired inflatables, and interactive play zones. Conceptualised as a safe, high-energy, and family-friendly destination, the park caters to visitors of all age groups, making it an ideal outing for children, teenagers, and families.
Inside the park, visitors can enjoy a wide variety of inflatable attractions where they can slide, bounce, jump, climb, crawl, and explore creatively designed play areas. One of the major highlights is the Candy Obstacle Run, an engaging challenge course that combines fitness with fun and adventure, offering an exciting experience for both teens and adults while also encouraging active play.
Beyond its entertainment value, Candy Bounce also serves as a lively social and relaxation space. With colourful installations and playful candy-themed setups, the park offers a visually engaging environment that appeals to families, youngsters, influencers, and photography enthusiasts looking to capture memorable moments.
Envisioned as a pan-India experiential entertainment property, Candy Bounce aims to boost domestic tourism through immersive and interactive attractions. Following its debut in Coimbatore, the park is planned to travel across major cities including Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and other destinations, bringing this unique candy-themed experience to audiences across the country.
Poised to become one of Coimbatore’s most exciting seasonal attractions, Candy Bounce promises a delightful mix of fun, fitness, and fantasy, all packed into one giant inflatable park.
As Budget 2026 approaches, the dairy and FMCG sectors are closely watching policy direction, particularly around infrastructure, rural demand, and consumption growth. Sharing her perspective on the upcoming budget, Akshali Shah, Executive Director, Parag Milk Foods, emphasised the importance of sustained focus on agriculture and dairy as key pillars of India’s growth story.
She highlighted that strengthening dairy infrastructure, improving farm productivity, and expanding milk collection can significantly enhance efficiency and global competitiveness. According to her, investments in modern processing technology, organised supply chains, and better farm practices are essential to support farmers, reduce wastage, and position Indian dairy products more strongly on the global stage.
Commenting on taxation reforms and consumption trends, Akshali Shah said, “Ahead of Budget 2026, a continued focus on the dairy and agriculture sector, particularly on strengthening infrastructure, improving farm productivity, and expanding milk collection, can help the sector become more efficient and globally competitive. Investments in modern processing technology, organised supply chains, and better farm practices will not only support farmers and reduce wastage but also give the Indian dairy sector greater global reach and recognition for quality products.”
She further noted that GST and other tax reforms have played a positive role in supporting consumption patterns. While urban demand is showing signs of recovery, she pointed out that rural consumption continues to require policy support due to inflationary pressures and monsoon-related uncertainties.
Sharing her expectations from the upcoming budget, she added, “Reforms in GST and other taxation have played a positive role in supporting consumption patterns over the past year. Boosting consumption remains an important ask from the FMCG sector. While urban demand is showing signs of recovery, rural consumption, though resilient requires continued policy support, especially in the face of monsoon risks and inflationary pressures.”
Looking ahead, Akshali Shah expressed optimism that Budget 2026 will continue to strengthen agricultural and dairy infrastructure, while encouraging the adoption of modern technology. She stressed the importance of incentives for modern processing facilities, expansion of cold-chain logistics, and improved access to credit for farmers to build a more resilient and competitive sector.
She concluded, “Looking ahead, we hope Budget 2026 will continue to strengthen agricultural and dairy infrastructure, support rural development, and encourage the adoption of modern technology. Initiatives such as incentivising modern processing facilities and expanding cold-chain logistics can help improve milk availability, product quality, and overall efficiency. By building on recent progress and supporting farmers with better access to credit and resources, the sector can become more resilient, competitive, and capable of meeting growing consumer demand.”
Published on January 13, 2026
Cinépolis India has announced the launch of the Blockbuster Food Festival (BFF), a three-month, pan-India food and beverage initiative rolled out under its FOOVIES platform. The campaign, which went live from 1 January 2026, will run across 80+ Cinépolis locations in over 40 cities, serving as a large-scale testing ground for menu innovation.
As part of the festival, Cinépolis is introducing 21 new food items, with select dishes rotating monthly through the January–March period. Based on consumer response and performance, the most popular offerings will be inducted into the permanent FOOVIES menu at the end of the campaign.
The initiative builds on FOOVIES, Cinépolis India’s food-and-movies platform launched earlier this year, aimed at positioning cinema dining as a core part of the movie-going experience. With 491 screens across 41 cities, the brand is leveraging its national footprint to gather real-time consumer insights at scale.
India’s F&B-to-ticket spend ratio currently stands at 50–55 percent, significantly lower than the global average of nearly 100 percent. This gap presents a clear opportunity for growth, and Cinépolis sees continuous menu innovation as a key lever to unlock higher in-cinema spending.
“F&B already contributes around 30 percent of our revenue, but we are only at the beginning,” said Devang Sampat, Managing Director, Cinépolis India. “Audiences are increasingly viewing food as part of the cinema experience, not an add-on. The Blockbuster Food Festival allows us to test what works at scale. What our patrons love will stay. That’s the FOOVIES approach, innovate, listen, and build around consumer preference.”
The festival menu features a mix of regional comfort foods and indulgent desserts, including Desi Chicken Keema with Kulcha, Hot Garlic Kurkure Momos, Dal Vada Tikki, Potato Bomb, and Peanut Butter Cheesecake. New items will continue to be introduced during the festival period to keep the offering fresh and engaging.
With the Blockbuster Food Festival, Cinépolis India is reinforcing its focus on elevating the in-cinema dining experience while driving higher engagement and spend, positioning food as an integral part of the modern movie outing.
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