Burger King was yet to open its first outlet in the country, yet over 1,200 Indians had already pre-ordered the chicken, mutton or veggie versions of its Whopper sandwich for 128 rupees (just over $2) each. Online shoppers then collected their orders in a separate line when the store opened in New Delhi’s Select Citywalk Mall on November 9.
Pre-ordering has become a bit of a craze in India, and Coca-Cola India launched its Coke Zero exclusively through pre-orders on Amazon. Burger King entered India almost two decades after its competitor McDonald’s. Honoring the sentiments of Hindus and Muslims, the chain will not offer any items made of beef or pork. And, just as McDonald’s has done, Burger King too will Indianize its menu by including dishes made of paneer or cottage cheese that is so popular in India.
Burger King’s late entry may not be a constraint in a country where fast food is in hot demand. The segment is dominated by Western players as Indian food does not easily lend itself to the standardization demands of fast food chains. India’s organized fast food market is expected to grow to $8 billion in 2020 from $2.5 billion in 2013. Even though digital commerce is in its infancy in India, it is one of the fastest growing e-commerce markets in the APAC region according to Gartner which predicts it will hit $6 billion in 2015 – a 70% rise over 2014 revenues of $3.5 billion.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
