These franchisee majors are driving the expansion of fast-food giants to luxury retailers across India
Bengaluru: The Indian market has increasingly become a key target for international brands aiming to expand their global presence. A recent study indicates that 90% of the top 50 global brands are active in India, with half of them generating over $30 million in revenue in the country.
The report by Bain & Company and Myntra reveals that global fashion brands in India have shown robust growth, achieving a 20% annual increase from 2018 to 2023. In the past year alone, more than 60 lifestyle brands, either launched or planned their entry into the Indian market, mostly through Indian partners.
Local partners play a crucial role in bridging the gap between international companies and Indian consumers. Operating fast food brands to luxury retailers, these franchisees not only introduce global products and services to the Indian market but also adapt them to cater to local preferences and demands.
Here are the top four Indian franchisees (by number of stores) that are successfully operating and expanding renowned global brands in the market…
Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd.
Brands: Domino’s Pizza, Dunkin’ Donuts, Popeyes
Sector: Food & Beverage
Incorporated in 1995, Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd. (JFL) is a part of the Jubilant Bhartia Group and one of India’s largest operators of chain quick-service restaurants (QSRs).
The company operates over 2,990 stores located across six markets—India, Turkey, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as of 31 March 2024.
The company holds exclusive master franchise rights from Domino’s Pizza Inc. since 1996 to develop and operate the Domino’s Pizza brand in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. In India, it has a network of 1,995 Domino’s stores across 421 cities.
The company also has exclusive rights to develop and operate Popeyes restaurants in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan as well as Dunkin’ outlets in India. It currently operates 42 Popeyes restaurants in 15 cities and 31 Dunkin’ restaurants across 10 cities.
‘Hong’s Kitchen’ is the first owned restaurant brand of the company operating in the Chinese cuisine segment, which now has 28 restaurants across 6 cities.
Devyani International Ltd.
Brands: KFC, Pizza Hut, Costa Coffee
Sector: Food & Beverage
Established in 1991, Devyani International Ltd. (DIL) is part of RJ Corp., a conglomerate with businesses in beverages, fast-food restaurants, retail, ice cream, dairy products, healthcare, and education.
DIL boasts a diverse portfolio of global and in-house brands, with a network of over 1,836 restaurants as of 30 June 2024, across 250 plus cities in India, Nepal, Nigeria and Thailand.
The company stands as the largest franchisee for Yum! Brands, Inc., managing more than 600 KFC outlets and over 572 Pizza Hut locations in India. Additionally, it holds exclusive franchise rights for Costa Coffee, operating over 190 stores across the country.
The QSR major started its partnership with Yum! Brands in 1997 by opening its first Pizza Hut store in Jaipur, and later introduced Costa Coffee to India in 2005.
DIL’s homegrown brands include Vaango (over 70 stores), a South-Indian vegetarian food, and The Food Street (DIL’s food court) which serves multiple brands under one roof.
Reliance Brands Ltd.
Brands: Over 85 brands including Marks & Spencer, Burberry, Diesel, Pret-A-Manger, Kate Spade, Tiffany & Co., and Balenciaga
Sector: Fashion and Lifestyle, Beauty, Food & Beverage
Reliance Brands Ltd. (RBL) is the global brand seller for the Mumbai-based conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL). RBL began operations in 2007 with a mandate to launch and build global brands in India through exclusive franchise and joint venture agreements.
The company has forged long-term exclusive partnerships with global brands across various sectors, including Bottega Veneta, Valentino, Versace, Armani, Coach, Jimmy Choo, Pottery Barn, Ferragamo, LensCrafters, Muji, Boss, and Zegna, among others.
RBL has introduced over 85 international brands to India, managing a network of more than 900 stores and over 1,249 shop-in-shops, all supported by an omnichannel approach.
Sapphire Foods India Ltd.
Brands: KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell
Sector: Food & Beverage
Sapphire Foods India, a Yum! Brands franchisee operator in the Indian subcontinent, was incorporated in 2015 as a private limited company. In 2021, the company converted to a public limited company.
The company started its operations in September 2015, following the acquisition of approximately 270 KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in India and Sri Lanka by a group of leading private equity firms, and is managed by a team of professionals.
Today, the QSR and casual dining company operates KFC, Pizza Hut and a few Taco Bell outlets restaurants across India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, with a total of 909 restaurants as of 30 September 2024.
Breaking down the numbers, it owns and operates 463 KFC restaurants, 437 Pizza Hut restaurants across India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. It also operates 9 Taco Bell outlets in Sri Lanka, even though Taco Bell’s master franchisee partner in the region is Gamma Pizzakraft Lanka Pvt. Ltd. (Burman Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. is the master franchisee of Taco Bell in India, which operates over 130 outlets across the country.)
