Aditya Birla Group forays into premium casual dining segment

The Group’s hospitality arm is set to build premium casual dining restaurant chains across India.

The Aditya Birla Group announced foray into the premium casual dining space, a fast-growing segment in the organised food services market, in collaboration with chef and restaurateur Rahul Akerkar.

The group’s hospitality arm housed under Aditya Birla New Age (ABNA) is set to build premium casual dining restaurant chains across India.

ABNA, promoted by Aryaman Vikram Birla, aspires to create the ‘most preferred house of food and beverages brands in India’ under its umbrella.

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Commenting on the foray, Aryaman Vikram Birla, director of Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited and founder of ABNA, said, “The dynamism and buoyancy of the Indian consumption story is driving a preference for premium experiences. High disposable income among the rising middle class in India, and the expansion of the urban cosmopolitan lifestyle is driving the boom in dining-out behaviour.”

Birla expects demand for premium casual dining restaurants to increase across India as consumers seek new dining experiences.

“Our vision is to build the best F&B Brands, with a clear focus on both quality and value for customers... we are in advanced stages of project execution and aim to launch the first restaurant in Mumbai next quarter,” he added.

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Akerkar has joined ABNA’s wholly-owned subsidiary as a creative director and will be responsible for the restaurant’s concept and the culinary vision.

“I am thrilled to join the team at ABNA and introduce our latest concept — a casual, neighborhood, restaurant for all seasons, weeknight dates, or lunches with a co-worker,” said Akerkar, commenting on the partnership.

ABNA currently operates Jolie’s, a members-only club, spanning across over 30,000 square feet in Worli, Mumbai.