McDonald’s ropes in Kartik Aryan as face of Brand

Guwahati is considered the gateway to the North East of India, connecting all the 7 states including various parts of Assam. The thriving city is home to many international and domestic brands with a bustling mall culture. McDonalds opened India’s largest outlet of its brand in the city, spread over 6,700 sft. Over 200 guests can dine at a time in the restaurant, according to the company.

Speaking to PTI, Rajeev Ranjan, MD, McDonalds India (North & East) said the company is on an expansion spree and plans to have 300 operating outlets in the region by the year 2026. He also said that all legal issues with the erstwhile partner Connaught Plaza Restaurants (and Vikram Bakshi) have been settled and all issues and problems are behind them. In 2020, the US F&B giant chose MMG Group led by Sanjeev Agrawal as its new partner after ending its 2.5 decade journey with Mr. Bakshi, which culminated in a legal case. Both parites accused each other on various counts and eventually, things came to an end. The Westlife Group run by BL Jatia operates the West & south regions of the fast food brand popular for its fries and burgers.

Commenting on the association, Sanjeev Agrawal said, “Kartik is a youth icon and a popular name in families, just like McDonald’s. We feel that Kartik’s strong youth connect, mass appeal and captivating personality have made him emerge as an icon for India’s youthful populace, which resonates strongly with the ethos of McDonald’s brand. We are excited to welcome Kartik to McFamily and look forward to a great partnership.”

Speaking on this announcement, Kartik Aaryan, said, “McDonald’s has been a part of my growing up years. The name elicits so many happy memories from my teenage days and the brand continues to be special in my life. It gives me immense pleasure to be associated with McDonald’s. I am excited to be a part of the family and look forward to working on interesting, cool, and fun-filled projects with the brand.”

Starting from a single outlet in the early 90s, McD has endeared its fanbase across India with a strong presence on high streets, malls, food courts, highways, fuel stations and has also introduced drive-in type models which are popular across the world.