Bengal inks MoU with Devyani Int'l, to see more KFC, Pizza Hut outlets

Kolkata: A day ahead of the Bengal Global Business Summit, the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Devyani International Limited, the Indian franchisee of YUM Restaurants India Pvt Limited, for an investment of Rs 100 crore.

The MoU is on investment to set up more KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in different parts of the state. As per the MoU, 4 to 5 KFC and 2 to 3 Pizza Hut restaurants will be set up every year in the next five years and it will lead to a generation of 800 direct and 600 indirect jobs.

It may be mentioned that initially, the group has chosen Kolkata, Asansol, Durgapur and Siliguri to set up more restaurants. The state government has also urged the group to procure chicken from Haringhata and vegetables from the Farmers' Producers Organisations (FPOs). Pradeep Majumdar, agriculture advisor to the Chief Minister, Sanjeev Chopra, Additional Chief Secretary of the state Agriculture department and Nandini Chakraborty, secretary of the state Food Processing and Horticulture department, were among the top brass of the state government, who were present during the signing of the MoU, apart from senior officials of Devyani International Limited.

Chakraborty said: "At present, West Bengal is number one in the country in vegetable production and it is being exported to different countries as well. Moreover, there are 100 FPOs in the state at present and the first FPO of the country had come into existence at Bhangar in South 24-Parganas." She said that it would be helpful if the group procures required vegetables from the FPOs.

Rajat Luthra of Devyani International Limited said: "We are emotionally connected to Bengal and 4 to 5 KFC and 2 to 3 Pizza Hut restaurants will be set up every year in the next five years."

"Already there are 1,100 employees in the state and it would go up with setting up of more restaurants," he said, adding in connection with procurement of vegetables from FPOs that the supply chain team of the group will be connected in the state.