In an unprecedented move, McDonald's has shifted away from its original menu, available in all its restaurants worldwide, and Indianised its burgers to cater to the local taste-buds. So much change that the 25 restaurant chain's menu is 75 per cent different from the one it offers abroad. "Even in China, the menu has remained largely the same," says Mr Vikram Bakshi, managing director, Connaught Plaza Restaurants, the Indian partner for McDonald's in north India.

Continuing with this pattern of change, McDonald's has unveiled two more Indianised items to its menu, the Chicken McGrill and the Veg Pizza McPuff.

The Chicken McGrill has a grilled chicken patty topped with onions and mint sauce, to give it an `Indian' flavour. The Veg Pizza McPuff is a take-off on the ubiquitous samosa, only the shape is rectangular and the stuffing more innovative, being similar to pizza topping-capsicum, onions and Mozzarella cheese mixed with tomato sauce. The Veg Pizza McPuff has been priced at Rs 16, while the Chickn McGrill is Rs 25. Both are the result of two years' experiments by the menu development team, says Mr Bakshi. McDonald's, however, is not looking at these additions as Indianisation. Mr Bakshi says the products are merely filling gaps in the menu, especially in the lower price segment. The core menu of burgers remains. "There was a demand for more vegetarian and chicken items and at the lower price segment too," he explains. The Chicken McGrill is definitely a winner with the taste-buds. It has a lovely, tangy flavour. Though Mr Bakshi maintains that the core American burgers are the most popular, there's no gettingaway from the fact that McDonalds had to add Chicken Tikka, Aloo Tikki and Mutton Kabab stuffing to its burgers in India. McDonald's has 13 restaurants in Delhi, 10 in Mumbai, one each in Pune and Delhi???. The company is now planning to foray into the South with a restaurant in Bangalore by mid-2000???.