A staunch vegetarian, Amit Jatia was 14 when he walked into a McDonald’s for the first time.
It was in Japan and all he could have was a milkshake.
He loved it.
He is now the man behind McDonald’s in India, responsible for the phenomenal growth the company has had in the country.
Vegetarian family values
When the American fast-food giant first contacted him in 1994 Amit’s first challenge was close to home, convincing his vegetarian family to invest in the business.
“From my family’s point of view we thought through this carefully,” he tells the BBC.
“What convinced us was that McDonald’s was willing to localise. They promised that there would be no beef or pork on the menu.
“Nearly half of Indians are vegetarian so choosing a vegetarian to run their outlets here makes sense.”
Across the world the Big Mac beefburger is the company’s signature product. Amit and his partners had to come up with their own signature product for India, so the Chicken Maharajah Mac was born.
Originally Amit was the local partner in the south and west of India, running the chain as a joint venture with the global McDonald’s company.
Later he bought out the McDonald’s stake and now solely runs the chain in the south and west of the country.
On my left, a group of college students share a meal.
But what’s most interesting are the two tables behind me.
One table has two elderly couples in serious discussion; the other has a coy-looking woman and man trying to have a conversation amidst the din.
With a bit of eavesdropping I find out that this is traditional matchmaking but in the modern Indian way.
The parents have introduced the potential bride and groom who are having their first official date under the watchful eyes of their mothers and fathers. The parents meanwhile are sorting out the details of the proposed marriage, all over a Maharaja Mac Meal.
So Amit’s research seems to be right: unlike McDonald’s around the world, there are hardly any parents with young children here.
Source bbc.com