17 stores projected by next year
MUMBAI: KFC India, a subsidiary of Kuala Lumpur-based KFC Holdings (M) Bhd, has been operating in India for a year, and has already opened six stores in the state of Maharashtra four in Mumbai, one in Pune and one in Aurangabad.
KFC had plans to increase its number of stores to 17 next year, said Hezal Ahmad, the CEO of KFC India.
India is a very interesting market because of its people, their lifestyle, diverse cultures and incredible business opportunities. The earning potential is unlimited. Our expansion will initially concentrate in Mumbai and Pune, both in Maharashtra, before we venture into other states.
We owe our success in Mumbai to its people who are very cosmopolitan and open to new ideas and food, Johor-born Hezal said in an interview.
The receptiveness of the Mumbai people to KFC had been phenomenal because of the exposure Mumbai's young people and professionals had to international cuisines, he said.
The KFC brand was easily recognised and accepted, he said.
The people of Mumbai also appreciated the idea of self-service in restaurants.
The self-service concept is new in India and is gaining ground.
The customers in our stores can have full meals and not confine themselves to mere snacking, he said.
KFC India, is in fact, doing better business than its parent company in Malaysia.
Mumbai is better than Kuala Lumpur or anywhere else in Malaysia in terms of sales turnover of restaurant stores.
KFC India employs about 300 workers, 90% of whom are Indians and the remaining 10% Malaysians. We have brought our 37 years of skills and expertise here from Malaysia, Hezal said.
India's cash-rich middle-class is discovering the advantages of convenience foods which are, however, not always beneficial to good health.
The future is bright for us in India. The country is also self-sufficient as far as ingredients for food preparation are concerned. We don't have to rely on imports of ingredients, as is the case with Malaysia, and can source these in India itself.
Of course, we have brought the equipment needed for the preparation of food, but then that is a one-time expenditure. India's middle-class is growing, at present, at a much faster rate than in South-East Asian countries, said Hezal.
KFC India buys chicken from Vanky's India Ltd in Pune and Godrej Food Ltd in Mumbai.
- Bernama |