Franchise Deals Flood India: From 60 Harry Ramsden's to 33 Krispy Kreme Shops

Harry Ramsden's Group will open a minimum of 60 restaurants across India over the next decade under a master franchise agreement with Franchise India, with the first location planned for early 2027 — one of roughly a dozen franchise deals and store launches announced in the past week across India's food, mobility and retail sectors.

How big is the EV franchise play?

Zypp Electric, an EV rental platform, launched a nationwide franchise partner program. The company runs an active fleet of 25,000+ electric scooters across Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru, and has raised over INR 400 crore in equity from international and Indian investors. Zypp will expand through the FOCO model — franchise-owned, company-operated — providing partners with a full tech stack including real-time tracking, fleet utilization tools and predictive maintenance.

The company claims the EV market holds INR 50,000 crore of potential and that EV platforms can deliver 200% ROI with a 1.3-year payback on initial investment. Fortune Business Insights values the Indian EV market at USD 5.28 billion in 2025, growing to USD 17.88 billion by 2032 at a 19.0% CAGR. In short: Zypp wants franchise money to fund a national footprint.

Which food brands are betting on India?

Canada's MB Chicken plans 220 outlets in India by 2030, with 10 opening by year-end and a revenue target of INR 550 crore by 2030. The chain, founded in 1969 by Pat Tarrant and Cyril Fleming and acquired by Gregory Roberts in 2007, entered India in 2025 with a Chandigarh flagship and has partnered with Hindustan Petroleum to place outlets at HP fuel stations.

Krispy Kreme signed a franchise development agreement with Original Entrepreneurs LLC to open 33 shops across the New York metro area over five years. The operator already runs 12 Krispy Kreme shops. CEO Josh Charlesworth said the deal "reflects our focus on capital-light franchise growth."

UK-based Oodles Wok is entering India — its fifth market after the UK, UAE, Canada and Qatar — via FranGlobal. Founder and CEO Shoyab Umar said: "Expanding into India as our fifth market is another huge milestone for us, especially with its incredible food culture." The brand operates 50+ locations and runs kiosks (450 sq ft), food court (750 sq ft) and standalone (1,000 sq ft) formats.

Others include: Figaro's Pizza opening in Bangalore toward a 100-outlet target by 2027; Scotland's Nardini gelato brand entering via FOCO with a 3-6 month incubator program; Vietnamese chains Three O'Clock (10th store in Bhilai, targeting 300 outlets in five years) and Coffee Buddy; California's Pho Hoa entering with an India menu that eliminates beef; and Australian chain The Pancake Parlour joining via FranGlobal.

Gaurav Marya, Chairman of Franchise India, commented on Harry Ramsden's: "We see immense potential in introducing this iconic British dining experience to the Indian consumer and scaling the brand significantly over the coming years."

What's happening in retail?

Off-White opened its third Indian store at Quest Mall, Kolkata, managed with Brand Concepts Ltd. Co-founder Abhinav Kumar said the response to the brand "has reinforced our confidence in the appetite for global, highly relevant luxury."

Pepe Jeans London opened three upgraded Bengaluru stores in one day and plans to add 100 more stores over 18 months on top of its 200+ existing Indian outlets. Campus Activewear opened its first reimagined 1,640 sq ft format store in Roop Nagar, New Delhi, inaugurated by Indian cricket head coach Gautam Gambhir; it operates 311 stores nationally and sees Delhi NCR supporting 60+. Tribe Amrapali opened its 43rd store at Chennai Airport Terminal 4.

Mehul Telecom, now listed via an INR 27.73 crore IPO in April 2026, opened three Gujarat franchise stores, taking its network to 80 outlets as India's smartphone market heads from 163.72 million units in 2025 toward 295.92 million by 2034.

The pattern is clear: international brands are using FOCO and master franchise structures to enter India at scale, and investors are being courted with explicit payback math.