It was in 1971 that I arrived in Delhi. Many odd jobs later, I landed at Nirula’s as a manager. That was 41 years ago and today I own the company. Delhi has been my city of dreams and has given me everything,” says Pradeep Chadha, Director, Nirula’s. The country’s oldest and arguably the most popular fast food chain was recently taken over by Chadha and at the helm of affairs is his son Amit. Managing the company as CEO and MD, the first thing the 30-year-old did was to revive old favourites. “Sometime between 2007 and 2008, the previous management scrapped many popular items such as hot chocolate fudge and foot-longs from the menu. So when we took over, our key focus was to bring them back. No other fast food chain can sell the kind of hot chocolate fudge that we do,” says Amit.
Amit took up the task of turning around the loss-making chain into a profitable company. “The stiffest competition was from deep-pocketed multinationals, but we adopted aggressive pricing and expanded into smaller cities, while renewing focus on big stores and reviving the business-to business channel,” he says. The idea was to bring back the old charm of Nirula’s.
His entrepreneur father bought the company from Malaysia-based private equity firm Navis Capital Partners last July. Hugely popular in the 1980s and 90s, Nirulas lost its way with the entry of biggies like McDonald’s and KFC, but the Chadhas are confident that revival is not far away.
“The city is fast evolving and so are its citizens and their demands. In my time there was no home delivery or fast food outlets, but now you can have your meal anytime and anywhere. That is the kind of generation we have to cater to,” says Chadha senior. Quick to cater to the needs of a health conscious generation, Amit adds that revival of Brand Nirula’s has entailed introduction of many sugar-free and low to no calorie treats on the menu.
The Chadhas are keen to transform what began as India’s first fast food outlet in 1977 courtesy brothers L C Nirula and M Nirula into a multinational franchise. “Affiliation to MNCs is no longer an option and sole ownership is the way out. I am sure we will turn the table in our favour. Let’s not forget we are doing it first in Delhi, and the city has been extremely lucky for me,” signs off Chadha Sr.