Aditya Birla Group announces entry into premium casual dining space

The Aditya Birla Group on Wednesday said it has entered into the premium casual dining space, a fast-growing segment in the organised food services market.

The group's hospitality arm housed under Aditya Birla New Age (ABNA) has collaborated with India's well-known chef restaurateur Rahul Akerkar and will build premium casual dining restaurant chains across India.

ABNA, promoted by Aryaman Vikram Birla, son of Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, aspires to create a preferred house of F&B brands in India under its umbrella.

"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. Therefore, the demand for premium casual dining restaurants (PCDR) is expected to increase across India as consumers seek new dining experiences," Aditya Birla Management Corporation director and ABNA Founder Aryaman Vikram Birla said.

Akerkar is a chef restaurateur entrepreneurs and joined ABNA's wholly-owned subsidiary as a creative director and director cuisine and will be responsible for the restaurant's concept and the culinary vision.

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