The present corporation dates its founding to the opening of a franchised restaurant by Ray Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois on April 15, 1955, the ninth McDonald's restaurant overall. Kroc later purchased the McDonald brothers' equity in the company and led its worldwide expansion. Now the company has become a symbol of globalization and the spread of the American way of life. Its prominence has also made it a frequent topic of public debates about obesity, corporate ethics and consumer responsibility.
The following graph shows the global penetration by McDonald's over the years:INDIA CALLINGIn the mid 1990s, a spate of global fast food chains entered India hoping to capture a part of Indian fast food segment. They knew that gaining acceptance locally and blending into the Indian culture proved difficult. It was at this time only that McDonald's began to look at the Indian market sometime in 1990, when its executives started making exploratory trips. By 1994, some international suppliers of McDonald's had visited India to identify local partners. Meetings with agriculturists were conducted with a view to set up a supply chain. Finally, all this fructified when a 50:50 joint venture was entered between McDonald's and Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd in April 1995.
In October 1996, McDonald's opened its first Indian outlet in Vasant Vihar, an affluent residential colony in India's capital, New Delhi.
Today, McDonald's has 137 restaurants mainly spread across the North and the west. McDonald's