McDonald's Shuts 43 Restaurants In India's Delhi

By Shakir Husain NEW DELHI, June 30 (Bernama) -- American fast food chain McDonald's has closed most of its restaurants in Delhi after its Indian subsidiary was unable to renew its licences. The closure affects 43 of McDonald's 55 restaurants in the Indian capital and about 1,700 employees, local media reported. McDonald's operations in north and east India are managed by Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited (CPRL), a joint-venture between local businessman Vikram Bakshi and the US company. "It's unfortunate, but operation of 43 restaurants operated by CPRL has been temporarily suspended," Bakshi, a former managing director of CPRL, was quoted as saying. The company operates 168 McDonald’s restaurants. "India continues to be an important market for McDonald's and we are committed to working with CPRL to resolve the issue as soon as possible," McDonald's India Pvt Ltd said in a separate statement, pointing out that "the eating house licences of a number of McDonald's restaurants in Delhi have expired." McDonald's business in southern and western India is handled by another franchisee Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited. The US food chain, which entered the Indian market following India's launch of economic liberalisation in the 1990s, has more than 400 restaurants in 65 Indian cities. -- BERNAMA