KFC’s India Sahyog program pledges support to local & small food businesses

The ongoing pandemic has had far-reaching effects on the foodservice industry and even more on small restaurants & local food businesses; with many fighting a grim battle for basic survival. With an aim to give back to the community it operates in and support local food businesses in the country, KFC India today announced KFC’s India Sahyog program. Designed to help local and small food joints to revive their business as they work to overcome the impact of Covid-19, the program will be executed in association with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). KFC’s India Sahyog initiative also builds on the brand’s global commitment to lend entrepreneurial support, in this case, to small food business owners, thereby augmenting the growth of the food industry in India.

Speaking of the brand’s efforts to support local restaurants in their road to recovery, Samir Menon, Managing Director, KFC India, said, “As a leading QSR brand in the country, we continually strive to grow with India, and not just in India. Empowering local food businesses and supporting their entrepreneurial spirit forms an integral part of our commitment to the community we operate in. The ongoing pandemic has brought tough times for the F&B industry and we have taken a step towards helping local food businesses recover from its impact. KFC’s India Sahyog will support 500 restaurants in strengthening their businesses over the next two years. This will in turn provide impetus to the growth of the restaurant industry.”

In the first phase of the program, select restaurants across Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore will have access to specially designed training modules on various aspects of the restaurant business. Designed to help to participate in restaurants’ work on various aspects of business revival, the program includes training modules on Enhancing Sales & Customer Service, Improving Profitability, Food Safety, Hygiene & Sanitation. Participating food business owners would receive a certification by FSSAI, NRAI, and KFC India upon completion of the modules. In the past, KFC India has pioneered a street food vendor training program in association with FSSAI, training over 1500 street food vendors across 4 states on food safety parameters. In addition, the brand also undertook a Food Safety Officers capability enhancement program along with the State Food Safety Authorities.

Talking about partnering on KFC’s India Sahyog initiative, Ms. Rita Teaotia, Chairperson, FSSAI, said, “I am very glad that the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and KFC India are coming together for this thoughtful initiative to support the Restaurant sector during the ongoing pandemic. Local restaurants across the country are an integral part of the urban economy. However, due to the heightened concerns around COVID, the food industry has been significantly impacted. FSSAI is supporting NRAI-KFC’s India Sahyog initiative with specifically designed modules for improving food safety and sanitization. With its rollout, we are confident that local restaurants will better safeguard the health and safety of their customers as well as employees. We are happy to be a part of this program and will extend our support to the initiative.”

Being an integral partner on the program, Anurag Katiyar, President, NRAI, said, “We are extremely delighted to partner with a leading QSR brand as KFC India on their initiative to help the restaurant industry overcome the impact of Covid-19. Restaurants that do not have the means or access to necessary support, especially in the unorganized sector, require timely guidance in order to sustain through these difficult Covid times; else it’ll hurt the entire industry. It is extremely commendable of KFC India to address a key issue as profitability, along with other key aspects of the restaurant business. KFC is known for following the best international processes and hygiene standards across all restaurants. With their expertise and our vast network of restaurants, we are sure we would be able to help many participating restaurant owners in reviving their businesses from the impact of the ongoing pandemic.”