Business Ideas, Blogs

Top 10 Food Franchise in India

May 24, 2025

India’s food franchise business is witnessing unprecedented growth, fueled by rapid urbanization, rising disposable incomes, and shifting consumer tastes towards quality and convenience. With over 1.4 billion citizens, of whom over 35% are middle-class consumers, demand for variety and value for money in dining is growing.

By 2025, the Indian organized food services market will be worth over ₹7.5 trillion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 12-15%. The digital boom has also been a driving force behind this—revenue for food delivery via online channels, for example, is expected to surpass ₹70,000 crore by 2025, highlighting how food and technology are converging to spawn new business opportunities.

In this constantly evolving environment, franchising offers a strategic advantage for small business people with established brand names, proven operating systems, and comprehensive support systems. This diversification, coupled with growing health awareness and lifestyle changes, makes the food franchise business in India one of the most attractive emerging and profitable business ventures for women and men entrepreneurs.

In this article, we will explore the top Food Franchise in India in 2025, walking you through this thrilling industry and helping you make the right investment decision.

Why the Food Franchise Sector is Sizzling in India

The Indian franchise food industry is witnessing unprecedented growth, fuelled by shifting consumer patterns and rapid urbanization. With altered lifestyles and rising disposable incomes, the sector is becoming a haven for entrepreneurs and investors looking to ride the surge in demand.

Urbanization and Increasing Incomes: India’s expanding urban population of over 480 million and increasing disposable incomes drive a strong demand for quick, convenient food. This population shift offers a humongous market eager for food diversity.
Changing Consumer Patterns: Young adults, especially millennials and Gen Z, seek diverse food options, healthy food, and convenient access, which makes franchises try out different menu offerings and delivery formats. This impels franchise growth in tier 1 and tier 2 cities.
Food Delivery Revolution: Websites for food delivery, such as Zomato and Swiggy, have transformed access to food, spreading customers beyond geographical loci. This boom in demand for delivery is driving franchise scalability and steady cash-in or delivery.
Health and Sustainability Trends: Customers increasingly opt for healthy, organic, and sustainable foods. Food franchises that adapt these trends are rewarded with higher brand loyalty and differentiation in the marketplace.
Enlarging Middle-Class Customer Base: India’s growing middle class, expected to increase to 580 million by 2025, is a gigantic consumer base with disposable incomes that can afford to eat out, which makes food franchising a very lucrative business.

Why Invest in a Food Franchise in India?

Investing in a food franchise provides a lower-risk entry into the profitable food market with the advantage of an existing brand and successful business model. New and seasoned entrepreneurs can benefit from the perfect balance of opportunity and support in providing consistent returns through franchising.

Existing Brand Acceptance: Brands are pre-sold to their customers, who are aware of what the name has to offer, and therefore reduce the effort of establishing trust and generating traffic, and begin driving revenues immediately.
Full Business Support: Franchisees benefit from ongoing training, marketing, and business operations support, which facilitates easy control and improves business efficiency. The support system is essential, especially for business novices.
Established Profitability and Scalability: Food franchises have high profit margins of 15-25%, with opportunities to expand to several outlets. The proven business model offers financial viability and expansion opportunities in India’s vibrant market.
Flexibility to Respond to Market Needs: Majority of the franchises update their menu and service format constantly to respond to changing Indian consumer needs, making them immune to market cycles and competitive scenarios.
Rising Demand in Emerging Markets: Except in metros, tier 2 and tier 3 cities show increasing demand for branded food restaurants, opening up the scope of franchise investments as well as financial opportunities.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Food Franchise

Selecting the right food franchise is essential to optimizing your investment returns and maintaining long-term prosperity. Important details regarding the franchise’s reputation, support network, and market fit can greatly affect your business outcome.

Brand Reputation and Market Presence: A well-established, reputable franchise with established success in comparable demographics reduces risk and instills confidence in duplicating their business model profitably within your region.
Support and Training Quality: Evaluate the franchisor’s commitment to training programs, operating support, and marketing support, critical to hassle-free business opening and sustained development, especially for new business owners.
Investment and Financial Terminology: Compare the initial franchise fee, recurring royalties, and overall establishment costs with projected return timetables to make sure that the opportunity is within your financial goals and means.
Local Consumer Preferences Alignment: Think about a franchise whose menu offerings and brand principles are compatible with your intended market’s local tastes, eating habits, and cultural preferences.
Location and Market Demand: Verify the viability of your preferred location, including footfalls, competition, and market demand for the specific food category, since this will also determine its potential for sales and profit.
Entrepreneur Enthusiasm and Involvement: Success in franchising typically requires genuine enthusiasm and active involvement in the food business that ensures quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

Top 10 Food Franchises in India (2025)

A. Fast Food Giants

1. McDonald’s

Ever since the establishment of its first Indian restaurant back in 1996, McDonald’s has developed a niche business model that perfectly mixes international standards with local tastes. Vegetarian and local foods are on its menu, making it a prime candidate for the best food franchise in India list. Westlife Development and Connaught Plaza Restaurants, splitting up the brand’s operations, have helped keep it at par with quality and operational prowess throughout the country. McDonald’s has McAloo Tikki and Maharaja Mac among its products, which strongly resonate with Indian customers and create footfalls regularly.

Roll-out of self-service kiosks and McCafé sites enhances customer engagement while creating new revenue for franchisees. Its strong real estate strategy implies it is situated in high footfall areas like malls, highways, and airports for high visibility and customer traffic. Prices via the McSaver menu are budget-friendly and suit price-sensitive consumers, and are also suitable for healthy profit margins. McDonald’s India also invests in green packaging and energy-efficient store formats, which are attractive to green consumers and enhance the brand image.

Why Choose this Franchise: Choose McDonald’s for its globally recognized brand name, effective localization of menu items to appeal to the Indian taste buds, and strong business support to franchisees. The efforts of the brand towards going green also attract increasingly large numbers of green consumers.

Area Required: 1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
Investment: ₹6-14 Crores
ROI: 3-5 Years
Profit: Approximately 5-7% of sales
Website: mcdindia.com

2. KFC

KFC has become the go-to brand for fried chicken enthusiasts in India since its re-entry in 2003. One of the top-rated food franchises in India, as ranked by its global brand reputation combined with innovation at the local menu level, KFC has reached tier-2 and tier-3 towns. Vegetarian variants such as Veg Zinger and Paneer Zinger address India’s large vegetarian base, leveraging marketplaces.

Cricket youth involvement and sponsorship of music festivals reinforce brand loyalty among Indian youth. Improved KFC mobile app and tie-ups with delivery platforms boost order numbers and customer convenience. Urban-centric small store formats reduce overheads and maximize profitability. Franchisees are supported by intense training, efficient supply chain, and promotion programs offering operating convenience and profitability.

Why Choose this Franchise: KFC shines through its world-famous brand and novel local menu items, with which it wins over fried chicken and veg food lovers. Dominance to tier-2 and tier-3 cities and broad youth reach through sponsorships guarantees extensive market reach and customer loyalty. Franchisees are specially trained, have an efficient supply chain, and have successful promotion schemes, making the operation simple and profitable.

Area Required: 1,000-1,500 sq. ft.
Investment: ₹1.5-2.5 Crores
ROI: 3-4 Years
Profit: Approximately 20% of sales
Website: online.kfc.co.in

3. Domino’s Pizza

Domino’s Pizza continues to be India’s unbeaten champion in the fast-food franchise business with over 1,800 outlets in 390 cities. Praised as India’s most loved food brand, it has raised the bar with its groundbreaking 30-minute delivery guarantee, ensuring timely and fast service throughout India. The ability of the brand to customize its menu with Indian favorites like Peppy Paneer and Cheese Burst has helped it grab the pizza space. Through sophisticated AI-powered logistics and real-time order tracking, Domino’s delivers a smooth customer experience that promotes repeat business. Franchisees are supported by comprehensive training, streamlined supply chain management, and aggressive promotional initiatives that allow for continuous growth and brand awareness.

In order to cater to diverse regional tastes, Domino’s introduces seasonal and regional offerings such as “Mumbai Masala Magic” and “Bengaluru BBQ Blast” from time to time, updating the menu and making it attractive. With the comparatively low space requirement of 1,000-1,500 sq. ft., Domino’s offers a scalable business model that can entice first-time business individuals and experienced investors to invest. Furthermore, strong customer loyalty programs like Domino’s Pizza Club and promotional offers in the app have also generated loyal customers and higher lifetime value, which is a key factor in the profitability of franchises.

Why Choose this Franchise: Domino’s Pizza is a strong option because of its already established dominance of the Indian fast-food industry and industry-leading 30-minute delivery guarantee. Its capacity to personalize its menu using local Indian ingredients and utilize AI-driven logistics for hassle-free delivery to the customer provides repeat business. With relatively low space needs and strong loyalty schemes, it is a scalable and profitable business proposition for all investor classes.

Area Required: 1,000-1,500 sq. ft.
Investment: ₹75 Lakhs – 1.5 Crores
ROI: 2-3 Years
Profit: Approximately 8-10% of sales
Website: www.dominos.co.in

B. Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) – Indian Snacks & Street Food

4. Wow! Momo

Wow! Momo has emerged as one of India’s most rapidly growing fast-food chains specializing in momos and novel culinary innovation. As India’s leading QSR brand within India’s street food space, Wow! Momo presents a vibrant and value-for-money business with tremendous growth potential. The brand’s menu presents an expansive variety of momos, ranging from steamed, fried, and pan-fried momos to novel fusion momos that attract a massive and young consumer base. With taste, quality, and convenience on center stage, Wow! Momo uses robust digital ordering platforms and delivery collaborations to drive reach and sales.

Franchisees designed training programs, standardized operating procedures, and savvy marketing support carefully to create brand presence and consumer loyalty. Format flexibility of the outlet, from kiosks to stand-alone stores, enables owners to be responsive to different shopping settings such as malls, food courts, and urban cities. With comparatively low capital outlays and rapid return on investment, Wow! Momo best suits first-time franchisees and experienced investors seeking scalable opportunities in India’s growing QSR space.

Why Choose this Franchise: Wow! Momo is a strong contender for its fast growth in India’s street food industry, with its varied and innovative momo menu well-targeting youth clientele. Its versatile outlet formats and strong digital ordering platforms allow for wide reach and sales. With comparatively low capital expenses and fast returns on investment, it’s perfect for those looking for scalable bets in fast-expanding QSR space.

Area Required: 150-500 sq. ft.
Investment: ₹8 Lakhs – ₹20 Lakhs
ROI: 1-2 Years
Profit: Approximately 20% of sales
Website: www.wowmomo.com

5. Chai Sutta Bar

Chai Sutta Bar is a cutting-edge Indian cafe chain that serves traditional chai in eco-friendly clay kulhads, which became the trendy drink of choice among young Indians in no time. It is a good bet to ride the increasing cafe culture, as it is a low-investment best food franchise in India. A natural and green method of having tea in clay cups makes it a compelling offer for eco-conscious consumers.

Having grown from where it began in 2016 to more than 500 outlets, it has been highly scalable as a franchise and sought after. Small outlet size and low equipment save capital investment and operational costs, making it suitable for new entrepreneurs. Menu variety, such as chai and light food, such as samosas and pakoras, separates revenue streams and maximizes customer stay time. High social media visibility, modern branding, and low costs have made it trendy with millennials and Gen Z.

Why Choose this Franchise: Chai Sutta Bar is a lucrative franchise due to its low investment and high-profit potential, riding India’s burgeoning cafe culture on its green-friendly kulhad chai idea. Its rapid scalability, compact outlet size, and large menu options provide multiple revenue streams. Good social media presence and contemporary branding make it especially attractive to millennials and Gen Z, guaranteeing repeat customer interaction.

Area Required: 150-300 sq. ft.
Investment: ₹5-10 Lakhs
ROI: 8-10 Months
Profit: Approximately 35-40% of sales
Website: chaisuttabarindia.com

6. Amul Ice Cream Parlor

Amul, India’s largest dairy cooperative, has one of the most profitable and trustworthy franchise models. The company’s traditional ice cream parlors, kiosks, and retailing units have a strong Indian consumer culture base. Thus, Amul is one of India’s top food franchises to approach for frozen desserts and dairy. Amul’s wide range of products, from conventional Amul Butter to trendy ice cream flavor and shakes, attracts individuals of all ages and tastes.

The parlors require minimal investment and space and offer a perfect entry point for small family setups and enterprises. Amul’s extensive cold chain logistics guarantee the freshness of products even in remote areas, ensuring uninterrupted supply and customer satisfaction. Interestingly, Amul does not take any royalty from franchisees, providing them higher margins. By numerous years of consumer confidence and regular national promotions, brand equity induces high recall and generates incessant footfalls and sales.

Why Choose this Franchise: Amul Ice Cream Parlor is a very successful and stable franchise concept supported by India’s largest cooperative dairy industry and robust consumer culture base. Its extensive product line, low investment, and small space requirement make it viable for different entrepreneurs. Most importantly, Amul’s non-royalty (non-participating) policy substantially expands profit margins with a strong brand identity and regular national promotions.

Area Required: 300-500 sq. ft.
Investment: ₹5-15 Lakhs
ROI: 1-2 Years
Profit: Approximately 15-20% of sales
Website: amul.com

C. Cafes and Beverage Chains

7. Cafe Coffee Day (CCD)

Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) is one of the most successful coffee and beverage chains in India, commonly known as a hangout spot for youth and working professionals in urban areas. With its warm and intimate setting and massive menu of coffee mix, snack foods, and drinks, CCD has built a dominant brand image throughout India. The scalable franchise model can work well for busy locations like malls, business parks, and college campuses. Robust training programs, supply chain functions, and brand marketing assistance support franchisees.

CCD innovatively updates its menu with seasonal and local tastes throughout the year, like popular items cold brews and specialty teas, to cater to varying customers’ preferences. CCD is the best for entrepreneurs who want to capitalize on India’s thriving coffee culture at a moderate investment and with variable outlet sizes. The company also uses digital marketing and app-based ordering to get the highest customer interaction and retention.

Why Choose this Franchise: Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) is a desirable investment opportunity for people who want to tap India’s rising coffee wave, with a tried brand recognized as an established hangout place. Its expandable system through franchising is designed for diverse high-traffic venues, with strong back-up in training and promotion. CCD’s ongoing menu innovation led by seasonal and regional ingredients provides broad appeal and sustained interaction.

Area Required: 800-1,500 sq. ft.
Investment: ₹10 Lakhs – ₹30 Lakhs
ROI: 18-24 months
Profit: Approximately 30-35% of sales
Website: www.cafecoffeeday.com

8. The Belgian Waffle Co. (BWC)

Belgian Waffle Co. (BWC) is India’s favorite waffle brand and innovation leader for introducing real Belgian waffles to India since 2015. With a chain of over 400 restaurants across India, BWC has established a separate dessert segment that customers have embraced for the customizable menu, which can be enjoyed as sweet or savory. The outlet design of the brand makes it easy to operate within busy spaces like malls, office campuses, food courts, and thus it is a very scalable franchise venture.

BWC ensures practical training of franchisees, including waffle preparation methods, customer care, and inventory management. They have innovative product offerings like vegan waffles and savory waffles that attract a broad consumer base, and their packaged waffle goods create new sources of revenue. BWC’s high social media following and good-looking products drive organic traffic and repeat sales. The brand ensures consistency by using high-quality raw materials and standardized taste profiles.

Why Choose this Franchise: The Belgian Waffle Co. (BWC) offers a differentiated, high-volume dessert segment with its innovative and custom waffle offerings that have the potential to attract a large base of customers. Its low outlet design makes for high-footfall location operation with scalability. Franchisees benefit from hands-on training and uniformity of quality, while social media visibility and product attention influence organic traffic and repeat purchases.

Area Required: 100-250 sq. ft.
Investment: ₹12 Lakhs – ₹18 Lakhs
ROI: 1.5 – 2 Years
Profit: Approximately 18-25% of sales
Website: http://thebelgianwaffle.co

D. Traditional Indian Sweets and Snacks

9. Haldiram’s

Haldiram’s is an Indian sweets and snacks chain that leads the brand with a diversified business in casual dining restaurants within urban India. Through its traditional Indian tastes and extensive products, including namkeens, sweets, and ready-to-eat foods, Haldiram’s has a product that is attractive to a broad base of customers. Kiosk formats in high-retail traffic locations or more substantial casual seating restaurants are available for franchisees.

The franchise is especially desired in city centers and IT parks, as there is a high demand for quick-service Indian cuisine. Haldiram’s provides support to franchisees in the form of extensive training, supply chain management, and promotional events that create brand equity. The franchise follows a modular royalty structure based on store size and location, and hence, is a very profitable venture in the segment of Indian traditional food.

Why Choose this Franchise: Haldiram stands out with a diversified business model between traditional Indian sweets and snacks and casual dining and a massive customer base potential. The company provides agile formats ranging from kiosks to restaurants, suited for investment at different levels and geography. Complete franchisee support in training, supply chain, and promotions complemented by a modular royalty structure guarantees profitability for the Indian traditional food business.

Area Required: Kiosks: 150-300 sq. ft., Restaurants: 1,500 – 3,000 sq. ft.,
Investment: ₹10 Lakhs – ₹30 Lakhs (kiosks) / ₹1 Crore – ₹4 Crores (restaurants)
ROI: 2-3 years
Profit: Approximately 10-25% of sales
Website: www.haldirams.com

10. Bikanervala

Bikanervala is a popular sweets and snacks company in India with more than 150+ retail outlets in India and other foreign nations. The franchise was started as a pioneer brand of traditional Indian food, and it provides a complete menu of authentic sweets, namkeens, snacks, and North Indian specialties like chaat, thalis, and regional desserts. Bikanervala is famous for its quality ingredients, age-old recipes, stringent food safety measures, heritage-blending, and modern retailing excellence.

Franchisees enjoy the advantages of the brand’s strong national and international presence, sophisticated supply chain infrastructure, and focused marketing support, driving visibility and customer loyalty. The franchise business model is very flexible and can be configured to accommodate small market and mall kiosks and large dine-in restaurants, tailored for a range of investment levels and business objectives.

Why Choose this Franchise: Bikanervala provides an established and globally acclaimed brand in authentic Indian cuisine, providing an entire range of traditional sweets, snacks, and North Indian food. The franchisees receive the advantageous presence and cutting-edge supply chain of the brand, with high exposure and customer loyalty creation. Its versatile business model, ranging from kiosks to large dine-in restaurants, is suitable for varying investment aspirations.

Area Required: Kiosks: 150-300 sq. ft., Restaurants: 1,500 – 3,500 sq. ft.
Investment: ₹15 Lakhs – ₹40 Lakhs (kiosks) / ₹1 Crore – ₹5 Crores (restaurants)
ROI: 4-5 years
Profit: Approximately 10-15% of sales
Website: www.bikanervala.com

Conclusion

Indian food franchise business is expanding at an alarming pace, creating humongous business opportunities for aspiring businesspeople and entrepreneurs. The best food franchise in India combines powerful brand name, proven-and-tried business models, and flexibility to accommodate local tastes, bringing them down to extremely profitable ventures. From fast food outlets like Domino’s Pizza to new-generation brands such as Wow! Momo and genuine ethnic names like Bikanervala and Haldiram’s, these chains are proof of the country’s varied food culture.

With consumer demand for quality, convenience, and variety growing daily, 2025 will be a vibrant year to invest in the food and beverage industry. Selecting any one of these best franchises provides access to complete training, marketing assistance, and operational assistance, putting you on the path to long-term success. Whether you are an experienced entrepreneur or seasoned investor, such franchises give clear routes to profitability and expansion, and therefore the best food franchise in India.

FAQs

1. What makes the best food franchise in India?

The best food franchises have brand equity, proven profitability, affluent support for franchisees, local taste matching capabilities, and a scalable business model.

2. What is the general investment in food franchises in India?

Investment ranges anywhere from ₹8 Lakhs for low-profile quick-service centres like Wow! Momo to ₹1.5 Crores and more for big brands like Domino’s Pizza.

3. How crucial is location to a food franchise?

The location is most important, as the locations that enjoy heavy traffic, such as shopping malls, business hubs, and commercial avenues, are where good sales and quick ROI can be expected.