- Saturday, March 01, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
UK’s coffee and sandwich chain Pret A Manger on Friday (21) made its debut in India by opening a shop in Mumbai, the country’s financial capital.
The development took place the same week that American tech giant Apple opened its first two stores in the South Asian nation — in Mumbai on Tuesday (18) and Delhi on Thursday (20).
Last year, Pret said it was partnering with a unit of Reliance Industries, owned by India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, the BBC reported.
Pano Christou, chief executive of Pret, said its offering in India will reflect the company’s brand “while also adapting to local preferences and food habits”.
It also marks the first venture by Reliance Brands, which owns India’s biggest retail chain, into the country’s expanding food and drinks industry.
Darshan Mehta, managing director of Reliance Brands said the shops will be aimed at “the new Indian consumer”, the BBC added.
Pret A Manger, which means in French “ready to eat”, was founded in London in 1983, with the first shop opened the following year.
The brand was bought by college friends Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe after the original company went into liquidation, with their first store starting in 1986.
The brand presently has 400 outlets around the globe and across nine markets including the UK, US, Europe, Middle East and Asia.
