India becomes more ‘Yum’!

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Domino’s Pizza has fiercer competition in India. The country has finally opened its gates to Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Pizza Hut through its parent company Yum! Brands.
Till now, Pizza Hut in India was operated on a 100% franchise. Now Yum! Brands Inc, the world’s largest restaurant company, is opening outlets in the world’s fastest growing market for a better hold and bigger brand value. More than USD 1 billion in revenue is expected from India within just five years. The first Pizza Hut through Yum! has opened in Mumbai’s Mira Road. The company plans to double its investments by opening at least 500 outlets by 2015. Yum restaurants in India own about half of KFC outlets. All other Yum! Stores are operated through franchise.
Yum! Brands Inc is a Fortune 500 company that also owns A&W, Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s restaurants worldwide. The company has over 3000 restaurants in 100 countries.

                                                                                 (Based on Indiatimes.com)

James Bond in Jodhpur

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Supermodel Naomi Campbell bonded with her billionaire boyfriend Vladimir Dornin in Jodhpur recently with lavish celebrations to bring in his 50th birthday, James Bond style. The theme included emailed invitations of Doronin as James Bond.

Everything else was over the top and flamboyant just as it is in James Bond films. She reportedly booked an entire five star hotel and a historic fort for the star studded guest list of over 80 International celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Kate Moss, Donatella Versace and Giorgio Armani. The list included singer Diana Ross who was flown down exclusively for a live performance, costing over $ 500,000.
The Mehrangarh Fort was done up with spectacular lights, colorful fabrics and furniture with a huge poster of Doronin as James Bond and Naomi herself as the Bond girl put up to go with the Bond theme. 12 chartered flights were arranged to fly in the guests. They were driven in style in vintage cars from the airport to Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel. Police security turned out in full force.
Campbell has been dating Doronin since 2008. They live together in Moscow.They are known to throw flamboyant parties for each other. Doronin brought in Naomi’s 40th birthday with star-studded celebrations at the French Riviera.

                                                                 (Based on Dailymail.co.uk)

For the 1st time, no meat or fish at McDonalds

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No beef, no pork and now no meat or fish in selected Mac Donald outlets in India.
In a largely vegetarian country, Mac Donald now attempts to boost sales with exclusively vegetarian outlets in Northern India. For the fast food giant, this is the first effort of its kind.
The vegetarian outlets will be in two well known pilgrimage spots - Amritsar, which cradles the Golden Temple for Sikhs and Katra in Jammu and Kashmir, popular amongst Hindus. The menu will have choices like Mac Aloo Tikki Burger, mashed potato patties and Pizza Mac Puff, a vegetable and cheese pastry to replace meat and fish fillings. Mac Donald opened its first outlet in India only in 1996. Today they have 271 stores through partnerships with two local companies. Over 60 percent of their revenue comes from International stores. With this move, they are hoping to win over the world’s second most populous nation and double their profits.
(Based on Bloomberg.com )

Girl arrested for a Facebook update!

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First a cartoonist gets arrested on sedition charges for an illustration that ‘offended’ the government. Then a Twitter update questioning a Chief Minister’s son gets another man arrested. Now it’s a Facebook update.
A young girl of 21 was recently taken into custody for her update questioning the Mumbai shutdown that followed Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackeray’s demise. She reportedly wrote that people like Thackeray are born and die daily and one should not observe a 'bandh' for that. (For two days, the entire city grinded to a halt; even milk and vegetables were not available.) A friend of hers made the mistake of ‘liking’ the comment. Soon after, both found themselves facing a mob of Shiv Sena protestors who turned the police on them, having them arrested. Worse, about 2000 of them attacked and ransacked the orthopaedic clinic of the girl’s uncle at Palghar, north of Mumbai. The girls apologized and withdrew their comment after which they were released on bail.
The shocking incident has caused widespread concern among the public, most of who voice their views on social networking sites with the freedom that’s the birth right of the world’s largest democracy. Campaigners demand that the Shiv Sena sainiks and police are punished for their blatant disregard of the law by bullying and victimizing innocent citizens to have their way.

                                                    (Based on Mumbaimirror.com/article)

India growing at 5% per annum

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The economic growth of India has slowed down even further in 2012.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said that India’s growth slowed down mainly because of severe monetary tightening by the Reserve bank of India. In 2011, the Indian economy grew by 6.5%. This time it’s only 5.9%, after an 8 percent growth in the last three years. This makes it the lowest growth rate since 2002-03; and this has affected Rupee in Forex market trading.
In September, the government took the decision to pursue some economic reforms such as FDI in multi-brand retailing, hike in petrol prices in the hope to turn around the economy.
Chief Economist Nagesh Kumar said that the RBI needs to ease monetary policy that give rise to high inflation, exchange rate instabilities, high interest rates and adversely impacted business growth. “It is time to loosen the policy,” he said.
On a different train of thought, it is said the recently, Rupees fell for weeks straight, and it could look bad on currency trading exchange.

                                                                           (Based on Timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Hillary Clinton visits controversial Indian minister

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Her name is Mamata which means affectionate and nurturing. Her demeanour is anything but gentle.
The chief minister of West Bengal wears flip flops, a scowl, cotton sarees, resides alone in a humble home, wears no make-up and leads a formerly communist state with an iron hand, a commanding voice and an unpredictable temper.
Yet, her power and popularity prompted the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to pay her a special visit on a recent trip to India. It's an ghonour that’s highly unusual for any regional leader. Mamata opposes many policy changes such as allowing foreign retail outlets such as Wal-Mart to set up base in India and often ends up contradicting her views.
‘Didi’ (sister) as she is called,claims there is a global conspiracy to kill her. She seldom keeps her temper in check or her views to herself. Her decisions are spontaneous and often spark heated debates. But she is still a hero to many in West Bengal for having the courage to stand up to a communist government that ruled West Bengal for 34 years and even beat her up black and blue when she voiced her protest. Whether she is a stumbling block to India’s growth as many believe or the light of hope to a better India remains to be seen. As some say, Mamata is a very determined lady and it is the determined people who get things done.

              
                                                                                ` (Based on NYtimes.com)

Coca Cola revives old relationships in India

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Coca Cola plans a new strategy to reach out further in India by reviving popular old brands.
The name is RimZim. Flavoured with cumin and other spicy ingredients, the masala-soda is an old brand that’s being revived. Currently, coke is reaching out to about one in five outlets in India. The plan is to be one in three outlets in three years. On an average, 1.2 billion people consume 12 bottles of coke per year compared to the global average of 92. The potential of distribution and expansion in India is unlimited. With a population in millions spread out in every part, increasing urbanization and a growing economy, India is still a virgin market waiting to be untapped. With the Parle take over in 1993, Coca Cola secured two of Indi’s two favourite drinks then – Thums Up, a fizzier version of Coke,a nd the mango flavoured Maaza. Coke is planning to resuurect the lime flavoured Citra and masala-soda RimZim.

  

                                                                (Based on Bloomberg.com)