McDonalds India Supply Chain: Supply Chain is one of the critical factors for the smooth functioning of any

business. And when we are talking about fast food business with McDonalds as the subject of the study it can expected a Supply Chain model of one of the highest precisions. It is this unmatched Supply Chain Structure, which not just ensures on time delivery of raw materials and supplies to McDonalds but also enables it to cut down on its cost and maximize profitability along with maintaining highest quality standards of its products. The level of commitment of McDonalds can be gauged from the fact that even before it set up its first restaurant in the country it infused Rs 400 Crore to set up its delivery mechanism. McDonalds initiative to set up an efficient supply chain and deploy state-of-art technology changed the entire Indian fast food industry and raised the standards of performance to international levels. As already mentioned, McDonalds had been working on its supply chain even before it opened its first joint in the country. McDonalds, an international brand which was trying to make inroads into the country, developed its Indian partners in such a manner that they stayed with the company from the beginning. The success of McDonalds India was achieved by sourcing all its required products from within the country. To ensure this, McDonalds developed local businesses, which can supply it highest quality products. Today, McDonalds India works with 38 different suppliers on a long term basis and several other stand alone restaurants for its various other requirements. McDonalds distribution centres in India came in the following order: Noida and Kalamboli (Mumbai) in 1996, Bangalore in 2004, and the latest one in Kolkata (2007). McDonald's entered its first distribution partnership agreement with Radha Krishna Foodland, a part of the Radha Krishna Group engaged in food-related service businesses. The association goes back to July 1993, when it studied the nuances of McDonald's operations and requirements for the Indian market. As distribution centres, the company was responsible for procurement, the quality inspection programme, storage, inventory management, deliveries to the restaurants and data collection, recording and reporting. Value-added services like shredding of lettuce, re-packing of promotional items continued since then at the centres playing a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the products throughout the entire 'cold chain'. Cold Chain was one of the unique concepts of McDonalds supply chain in India, on which it had spent more than six years to get the system into place. This system brought about a veritable revolution, immensely benefiting the farmers at one end and enabling customers at retail counters get the highest quality food products, absolutely fresh and at great value. Through its unique cold chain, McDonalds has been able to both cut down on its operational wastage, as well as maintain the freshness and nutritional value of raw and processed food products. This has involved procurement, warehousing, transportation and retailing of perishable food products, all under controlled temperatures. The following list of suppliers, who build up the major supply chain of McDonalds, reveal how this Cold Chain works and contributes towards the efficiency of McDonalds.