India: More than 40 McDonald's outlets shut down in Delhi

**By APD Writer Rishika Chauhan **

NEW DELHI, July 3 (APD) - This week around 43 McDonald's restaurants closed in Delhi, leading to more than 1200 people losing jobs.

McDonald's outlet being shut down in New Delhi on Thursday.

The development came about due to the ongoing tussle between Vikram Bakshi, the former managing director of Connaught Plaza Restaurants (CPRL), who has a stake in the Indian McDonald's outlets and the global burger company.

"It's unfortunate, but operation of 43 restaurants operated by CPRL has been temporarily suspended," said Vikram Bakshi.

Bakshi is still on the CPRL board and the decision was made on Wednesday during a board meeting via Skype.

It is believed that the reason for closing down the outlets is that the CPRL failed to get the compulsory health licenses renewed because of the disagreements between Bakshi and McDonald's.

Currently a case is going on between Bakshi and McDonald's in the Company Law Board (CLB). McDonald's is pursuing arbitration against Bakshi in the London Court of International Arbitration.

According to experts, the closing of the outlets will have a negative impact on the image of McDonald's as well, which lost its position of being the best quick service restaurant (QSR) in India to pizza brand Domino's in 2013.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)