National, 6th December 2023: Ever since the launch of the first KFC restaurant in India in 1995, the brand has been deeply embedded in the country and committed to serving finger-lickin’ good food at scale through inclusive, equitable and sustainable business practices. As testament to the belief of growing purposefully with India, KFC has launched its 1000th restaurant in the country, a significant milestone in a journey of over 25 years.
Over the decades, KFC has evolved dynamically with the changing consumer landscape. The brand has been focused on deepening its relevance in India while retaining the distinctiveness and craveable taste it is known for globally. KFC India’s menu is a strong mix of universally loved products like the iconic Hot & Crispy Bucket, Zinger Burger, Popcorn as well as innovative limited time offerings that are rooted in local flavors such as the KFC Chizza, Rice Bowlz, Chicken Roll, Veg and Tandoori Zinger amongst others. All of KFC India’s food is freshly prepared from locally sourced, high-quality ingredients.
The brand has also been at the forefront of tech disruptions in the QSR industry, across operations and offerings. KFC currently has 20+ all-digital Smart Restaurants, which are powered by state-of-the-art technology, making consumer access much easier & faster; in addition to the installation of self-ordering digital kiosks and App ordering across its restaurants.
KFC’s growth is fueled by its strong commitment to people and the planet. KFC Kshamata, the brand’s flagship Diversity and Inclusivity program is focused on bridging the gender & ability gap by increasing its women workforce by 2X and doubling the number of Special KFCs (restaurants operated by speech & hearing-impaired employees) it operates. Over the past decade, KFC has grown to 42 Special KFCs and a team of 220+ speech & hearing-impaired employees. In 2021, the brand launched KFC’s India Sahyog – its focused efforts to support 1000 local restaurants & food joints post the COVID-19 pandemic in a bid to help them revive business.
To mark the opening of the 1000th restaurant, KFC has pledged to support 1000 underprivileged families across India with food rations.
KFC’s franchise partners Devyani International Limited and Sapphire Foods India Limited (SFIL) have played an integral part in fueling the brand’s growth. In the next phase of the India journey, KFC is optimistic about further fueling over 1 lac jobs across the country, adding to the positive growth outlook of the Indian economy.
Mr. Ravi Jaipuria, Non-Executive Chairman, Devyani International Limited said, “Congratulations to KFC India on achieving this incredible milestone. At Devyani International, we are extremely proud to have been a part of the brand’s journey since it entered India in 1995. We wholly support KFC’s ambitions to grow inclusively with India and contribute to the economy along the way. We look forward to unlocking this next phase of growth, together.”
Mr. Sanjay Purohit, Group CEO, Sapphire Foods India Ltd (SFIL), said, “1000 restaurants in India is such a big milestone for the KFC brand, and Sapphire Foods is proud to be a part of that journey. KFC’s focus on consistently high quality, tasty food, exceptional customer service and inclusive and purposeful growth has made it among the most loved restaurant brands in the country. Sapphire Foods believes that this is just the start of many years of growth, and we are excited to be a part of the next chapter of KFC in India. We look forward to a sustained and fruitful partnership with Yum and KFC for many decades to come.”
Commenting on the milestone, Mr. Moksh Chopra, General Manager, KFC India & Partner Countries said, “KFC is proud to be a part of the India growth story along with our franchise partners. KFC is a global brand with a local heart, committed to growing together with the nation and we are especially proud of our restaurant teams, including the specially abled teams, who have played a pivotal part in our journey. We are grateful to the people of the country for their love and look forward to the next chapter of continued growth for and with India.”
KFC is committed to driving meaningful change and pioneering sustainable development in India. With an aim to make a positive impact on the planet, KFC has launched 20+ sustainable restaurants in the country. The design and operations of these sustainable restaurants integrates energy efficiency, usage of responsible materials and waste diversion.
The brand has also begun the switch from plastic to recyclable, compostable or biodegradable packaging, that is sourced from 100% sustainable FSC certified sources. Through changes such as switching to paper straws, wooden cutlery, paper cups, KFC India has saved over 3000 metric tonnes of plastic wastage so far.
Today the brand is present in 240+ towns and cities, with 20+ new geographies entered in 2023. The 1000th KFC restaurant is located in Gurgaon’s popular retail destination, DLF Cyber Hub. It is operated and managed by an all-women team and marks the brand’s first restaurant in India with 100% table service.
To know more about KFC India, please visit https://online.kfc.co.in/.
