India

Received independence from Britain in 1947 7th largest country in the world (about 1/3 the size of the US) 2nd highest population in the world with over 1.2 billion people (almost 4 times as many people as there are in the US) Expected to have world’s highest population by 2022 2017 estimated GDP $9.54 trillion (3rd), $7,197 per capita (122nd)

Languages: English and Hindi are the official languages of the entire country. There are 22 total officially recognized languages, many of which are local to one state. Currency: Indian Rupee (1 US Dollar = 62.83 Rupees) Religion: The majority of the population (80%) practices Hinduism with 13% practicing Islam. 2% or less practice Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism or Jainism.

Customs, Values & Etiquette Traditional greeting is “namaste” with hands together and a slight bow Show respect (authority and titles are important) Don’t directly say no Patriarchal society Wear conservative attire, especially for women Cows are sacred to Hindus, other animals respected too

Marketing/Promotion Considerations American/international brands becoming more common Standard of living is lower than in the US, so luxury items may not sell as well Beef and leather goods are not big sellers Have vegetarian options Scantily clad women aren’t common in advertisements Hollywood & Bollywood movies are both very popular

McDonald’s India

Product Differences Product Similarities No beef or pork Many more vegetarian and chicken dishes Emphasis on spicy options Product Similarities “Happy Price” Menu similar to Dollar Menu but some different options Some breakfast (hot cakes, McMuffins, hash browns) Some entrees (McNuggets, McChicken, Filet-O-Fish) Desserts (ice cream, shakes, McFlurries) are similar, may have different flavors

$1 = _65.54

Place Around 250 restaurants nationwide, located in or around a total of about 50 towns and cities Drive-thru service is not as common since cars are also not as prevalent Some have windows for walk-up service

Delivery is also offered by some locations for a 25 rupee fee (no minimum order)

Branding & Promotion Uses the same golden arches and “I’m Lovin’ It” slogan Many happy meal promotions are tied into familiar US brands/movies (Despicable Me, Smurfs, Batman, etc.) Video advertisements: http://www.youtube.com/user/McDonaldsinIndia?feature=watch Focus is often on family

Local Culture/Community They don’t sell beef or pork in deference to the major religions. Products with chicken are prepared on separate lines from vegetarian dishes. 90% of their ingredients/supplies are sourced from Indian vendors.

Local Culture/Community Supports many domestic nonprofits: Nareswadi Project and Spoorthi (malnutrition) Oasis and Mahipatram Ashram (underprivileged youth) Dr. Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital (childhood blindness) Contributes to Ronald McDonald house charities and has set up polio vaccination booths outside some restaurants. Ran a traffic safety week with the Mumbai Police, offered free Coke floats for voting on election day, conducted a Go Green campaign.