Burger King On Course To Expand Its Food Business In India

With the launch of its first outlet in Kerala, Burger King has started to gradually extend it’s footprint in the Quick Service Restaurants sector in India. Although the renowned international fast food brand entered the Indian market signficantly later than its competitors such as McDonald’s and Domino’s, the fast food brand has quickly gained traction in the emerging fast food sector in the country. The new outlet in Kerala is part of 59 additional outlets across several metros in the country.

Late Entry

Burger King entered the fast food sector in India in November of 2014, marking it as 100th country where it has launched its outlets. Comparitively, McDonald’s was launched in India in 1996 when it became one of the first international fast food brand to enter the country. Since 2014, Burger King has aggressively expanded its presence in the country with the opening of 59 outlets. The fast-food brand also plans to open an additional 35-40 outlets by the end of this year.

Alternative Menu

Since its launch, the company has drastically changed its menu to cater to the Indian tastes and sensibilities. The menu in India offers several alternatives to the existing products available in other countries. Since beef and pork goes against religious sentiments in the country, the menu at all Indian outlets comprises of mainly chicken and vegetarian items. The company’s flagship burger, the Whopper, is available in a vegetarian incarnation only in India. Speaking to Business Line regarding the extensive research conducted for its product offerings in India, Rajeev Varman, CEO of Burger King India, said, “We customised our products for Indian tastes after detailed research on Indian eating habits and conducting taste tests.”

Emerging Market

India is one of the emerging markets for International fast food brands due to the increasing young population with disposable income and working professionals who prefer to eat out.“The opportunities for fast-food restaurants are enormous in India. The huge young population, the increasing incomes, fast-growing middle class and increasing urbanisation tend to spur the eat-out trend, ” Varman said.