The majority of those standing in line are under 30, most are in Western rather than Indian dress, and almost all in their choice of conversation and style are identifiably part of the much-fabled booming Indian middle class.
The only exceptions are the cheaply dressed office assistants who arrive bearing orders for McSpicy wraps or McVeggie burgers for their superiors back in the nearby corporate buildings.The result can be seen on the KFC India Facebook page, he says, where you see “umpteen requests asking ‘when are you coming? when are you opening here?’ There is a lot of latent demand.”
KFC “is very aspirational in smaller towns… the awareness of the brands is there and they’re waiting to join the party.”
As well as its favourable demographics and openess, India has a strong culture of eating on the run at street-side stalls and snacking on greasy deep-fried dishes, such as samosas or pakoras.Schoolchildren are attracted to the way it (junk food) is advertised,” she said. “They feel it is something that is high status. They want to try it out.”
The warnings about the future impact are multiplying.
A major 2010 study called “The Rise of Asia’s Middle Class” by the Asian Development Bank warned that in the next 20-30 years Asia will be faced with “an increasing number of chronic diseases on a scale previously unseen”.
These include cancer, heart disease and diabetes, which are linked to the adoption of high-fat, high-sugar diets coupled with sedentary lifestyles involving little physical activity.
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