Can late-entrant Burger King win the burger battle in India?

It was Monday afternoon The food court of Oberoi Mall in Goregaon was abuzz with folks enjoying their meal I chose a relatively quiet spot for my interaction with Uma Talreja the chief marketing officer of Burger King India We were barely done introducing ourselves when I heard loud chants from behind that silenced the crowdI panicked I turned around I smiledThe staff of Burger King had started singing their anthem Its an hourly ritual I was told Though I couldnt catch the exact words I could catch their enthusiasmUS fastfood giant Burger King launched its maiden outlet in Mumbai on November 22 PicsVeda RamaswamyLate entrantWhy join the party now when its biggest rival McDonalds entered India almost two decades agoIndia was always part of our growth plan We were waiting to find the right partner says UmaIt is only in 2013 that the burger chain found its match in Everstone Capital Management a group with panIndia presence in restaurant business Everstone helped us identify prime locations with high footfall for our outlets Uma assertsOn being asked about choosing Oberoi Mall as the location for Mumbais first outlet Uma says Our research showed not only was the business doing well here over weekends but also on weekdaysBurger battle heats upWith McDonalds and KFC having found a strong foothold in India how does Burger King plan to carve a niche for itself in this competitive marketOur competition is with different cuisines and not different players in our food category says Uma More competition leads to more choices More choices lead to more consumersBurger King with its foray into its 100th market India may be a late entrant to the countrys fastfood scene but it sees India becoming one of the largest markets globallyUSP New Indian menuWith pricing on par with rival McDonalds Burger King pegs its newly fashioned Indian menu as the differentiator A menu that gives equal importance to vegetarian and nonvegetarian offerings both made from locallysourced produce and priced between Rs 35 Rs 169 regular size With 6 different types of vegetarian burgers to offer Burger King has left no stone unturned to create a wholesome vegetarian platter However it fails to offer any Mumbaicentric flavoursThe Whopper is now the largest burger in India surpassingthe Maharaja Mac by McDonaldsIts flagship burger the Whopper has been unveiled for the first time in a vegetarian chicken and mutton variant The Whopper now becomes the largest burger in Indian market surpassing the Maharaja Mac by McDonalds One glaring miss is Burger Kings original Whopper made from beef Why leave out your trump card when testing new waters Our research didnt show enough demand for beef in India says UmaSome Mumbaikars beg to differI was disappointed when there was no beef burger I am sure there are many others like me who were vouching for it And if there isnt a consumer base why not create one asks Siddharth Kejriwal a 19yearold from GoregaonWhat nextBurger King plans to open 10 more outlets in 23 months with the next launch in Mumbai slated to be an independent restaurant The initial expansion is focused only in Mumbai and Delhi as it feels they are the key markets to gain a firm footing in IndiaWith crores of rupees invested in each outlet Burger King will decide on its future growth plan after studying the initial response of consumers to its products and pricingBurger King has no plans to offer home delivery online ordering and drivethrough services initially and will consider them only after launching its outlets reveals Uma