Taco Bell Plans Big Expansion In India, To Open 600 New Locations

(RTTNews) - Taco Bell, the Mexican inspired restaurant chain owned by Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM), Thursday announced the next level of its global expansion plans and said it will open 600 new locations in India in the next 10 years.

The company said it signed one of its largest master franchise agreement in India with franchise partner Burman Hospitality Private Limited (BHPL) of India. The company has committed to develop 600 restaurants on the sub-continent in the next 10 years.

India will become Taco Bell's largest market outside of the United States. The deal also sets up BHPL to become one of the largest Taco Bell franchisees globally by restaurant count. Currently, Taco Bell has 35 restaurants in India. By the end of 2019, the brand aims to have open over 60 restaurants across the country.

"We see so much opportunity in India, as it is still a largely untapped market for Taco Bell and offers huge potential for the brand," said Ankush Tuli, Managing Director, Taco Bell APAC. "We've partnered with Burman Hospitality for the past four years growing our presence in India, and the Master Franchise partnership marks a significant step in our journey."

Taco Bell also said it will open 5 restaurants in Thailand by the end of 2019, and will enter Australia for the first time with restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne over the next 12 months. The company is also planning to enter Indonesia and Portugal in the coming year.

Taco Bell operates over 500 restaurants across nearly 30 markets outside of the United States, and operates over 7,000 restaurants in the United States.