Mexican-inspired cuisine restaurant chain Taco Bell, owned by Yum Brands! Inc, is expanding its collaboration with its Indian franchisee partner Burman Hospitality Pvt Ltd (BHPL) by naming it the exclusive national master franchise partner in the country. Under the partnership, BHPL will open 600 Taco Bell restaurants in India by 2029.

The California-headquartered brand entered India in 2010 and signed up with Burman Hospitality Group in 2015. So far, BHPL along with Taco Bell has been operating 35 restaurants in 11 Indian cities. Liz Williams, President, Taco Bell International said, “India is already one of the fastest growing markets for Taco Bell outside of the US. By 2029, India will be home to more than 600 Taco Bell restaurants, making it Taco Bell’s largest market outside of the United States.”

The partnership will also make Burman Hospitality one of the largest Taco Bell franchisees by store count globally, the company said. Gaurav Burman, Director, Burman Hospitality, said, “Our focus has been to consistently deliver innovative and quality meals at affordable prices and we look forward to taking this partnership to the next level. By this year-end, we plan to ramp up the restaurant count to 60 restaurants across 16 cities in the country. ”

Burman said there is potential to expand the brand’s footprint not just in metros but also in tier-1 and tier-2 cities.

Besides offering its global product offerings such as Naked Chicken Taco and 7 Layer Burrito, the brand has also been focusing on introducing India-specific innovations such as Tikka Masala Burrito and Crispy Potaco.

Ankush Tuli, Managing Director, Taco Bell APAC, said, “India is a massive opportunity market for Taco Bell. We believe India has the potential to become among the top three markets for Taco Bell outside of the US in the near term.”

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