BUSINESS
Popularity of Indian F&B Outlets Globally An entrepreneur planning to enter the food & beverage industry but not sure about the location can do so in a completely different environment. A new country! This may be a little more complex but it can be an extremely rewarding experience. Indian cuisine is, today, extremely popular in several Western countries and provide an opportunity to creative and innovative entrepreneurs to make a mark globally. Ashok Malkani examines the hospitality scenario in the international arena and finds that there is a market for the success of an F&B outlet serving Indian cuisine in several countries and well known Indian chefs, besides other business enthusiasts have made a success of their restaurants, which are popular not only with the Indian migrants but also the local populace.
30
“Up, up and away,” says the superhero, Superman, as he zooms away on his mission! Indian cuisine, too is speeding away to satiate the craving for Indian food globally. The US economist, Joel Waldfogel , has, in his paper, ‘Dining Out as Cultural Trade’ stated that Indian cuisine enjoys its presence across most of the sampled countries, but it is especially popular in United Kingdom, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Germany, France and US. According to him Indian cuisine is the fourth most popular cuisine in the world. India has been establishing itself in the culinary world internationally. Several Indian chefs like Sanjeev Kapoor, Ranvir Brar, Vikas Khanna, Shipra Khanna, Atul Kochhar, to name a few, have established F&B outlets globally. For entrepreneurs who are keen to spread their wings, it may be mentioned that there are opportunities galore. Rahul Kumar, Chef de cuisine, Marriott International, Bengaluru, states, “Indian cuisine is popular around the globe, with Europe and Southeast Asia gaining in popularity. The most sampled and popular nations include the United Kingdom, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Germany, France and the United States.” Biswajit Das, Head Chef, Farmaaish Rooftop Lounge and Bar, Vimannagar, Pune and Sunny Kumar, Mixologist at Farmaaish Rooftop Lounge and Bar, aver, “As per stats from YouGov research, Indian cuisine is now an integral part of most multicuisine restaurants. A recent survey shows that Indian cuisine is among the top ten popular cuisines in the world; with a popularity of 62% across 24 countries. Indian cuisine is particularly popular in Britain (84%), Norway (75%), France and Finland (71%). Nearly three quarter (74%) Australians are fans of Indian cuisine. Even in Middle-Eastern countries, Indian food is a hit, with 76% in Saudi Arabia and 71% in UAE saying they like it.”
Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
June-July ’22
