Goli Vada Pav in America: Potential

According to the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau, the Asian Indian

population in the United States grew from almost 1,679,000 in 2000 to 2,570,000 in 2007: a

growth rate of 53%, the highest for any Asian American community, and among the fastest

growing ethnic groups in the United States. Indian Americans are the third largest Asian

American ethnic group.

The U.S. states with the largest Indian American populations, in order, are California, New York,

New Jersey, Texas, and Illinois. There are also large Indian American populations in Florida,

Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia. The New York metropolitan

area, consisting of New York City and adjacent areas within the state of New York as well as

nearby areas within the states of New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, is home to

approximately 600,000 Indian Americans as of 2009, comprising by far the largest Indian

American population of any metropolitan area in the United States. As of August 2009, Indian

airline carriers Air India and Jet Airways as well as United States airline carrier Continental

Airlines were all offering flights from the New York metropolitan area to and from India. Indian

American enclaves characterized as a Little India have emerged in the New York metropolitan

area.

Between 2000 and 2006 421,006 Indian immigrants were admitted to the United States, up

from 352,278 during the 1990–1999 period. According to the US census, the overall growth rate

for Indians from 1990 to 2000 was 105.87 percent. The average growth rate for the whole of

USA was only 7.6 percent.

Indians comprise 16.4 percent of the Asian-American community. They are the third largest in

the Asian American population. In 2000, of all the foreign born population in USA, Indians were

1.007 million. From 2000 onwards the growth rate and the per cent rate of Indians amongst all

the immigrants has increased by over 100 percent. According to the US Census Bureau,

between 1990 and 2000, the Indian population in the US grew 130% — 10 times the national

average of 13%.

Socioeconomic

Education

Indian Americans have the highest percentage of higher education when compared to other

racial groups. According to the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, there are

close to 35,000 Indian American doctors. According to the 2000 census, about 64% of Indian

Americans have attained a Bachelor's degree or more. (compared to 28% nationally, and 44%

average for all Asian American groups). Almost 40% of all Indians have a master’s, doctorate or

other professional degree, which is five times the national average. Among Indian Americans,

72.3% participate in the U.S. work force, of which 57.7% are employed in managerial and

professional specialties.

Economics

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Indian American men had "the highest year-round, full-time

median earnings ($51,094)", while Indian American women had a medium income of $35,173.

This phenomenon has been linked to the "brain drain" of the Indian intelligentsia from India.

Recently, however, there has been a drop in immigration of Indians from India to the United

States. This is generally attributed to the improving economy of India. A large group of Indian

Americans are presently second or third generation.

Indian Americans own 50% of all economy lodges and 35% of all hotels in the United States,

which have a combined market value of almost $40 billion. In 2002, there were over 223,000

Asian Indian-owned firms in the U.S., employing more than 610,000 workers, and generating

more than $88 billion in revenue.

CULTURE:

Food

Indian Americans have brought Indian cuisine to the United States, and it has become

established as a popular cuisine in the country, with hundreds of Indian restaurants and

eateries nationwide. There are many Indian markets and stores in the United States. Some of

the biggest Indian markets are in Silicon Valley, Chicago, New York City, the Philadelphia

metropolitan area, and Edison, New Jersey. Areas with a significant Indian market presence also

include Devon Avenue neighborhood/market in Chicago, Pioneer Blvd. in the Los Angeles

region, and University Ave in Berkeley, California. Other predominantly Indian neighborhoods

are Journal Square in Jersey City, New Jersey, Jackson Heights in Queens, New York, Hillcroft

Avenue in Houston, Texas and Richardson near Dallas, Texas.

Entertainment

Hindi radio stations are available in areas with high Indian populations, for example, RBC Radio

in the Tri-state Area of New York city, parts of New Jersey, Connecticut and New York state,

Radio Humsafar, Desi Junction in Chicago, Radio Salaam Namaste in North Texas, FunAsia

Radio, and Sangeet Radio in Houston. There are also some radio stations broadcasting in Tamil

and Telugu within these communities.

Several cable and satellite providers offer Indian channels: Sony TV, Zee TV, Star Plus, Colors,

Regional and Others have offered Indian content for subscription, such as the Cricket World

Cup.

Many metropolitan areas with high Indian-American populations now have movie theatres

specialized for showing Indian movies specializing Bollywood. Silicon Valley, for example has

two such multiplexes: one in Fremont and one in San Jose.

The Dallas – Ft. Worth Metroplex has a "Desi" Multiplex in the Richardson township. The area

also has a movie theatre that plays Indian movies, FunAsia. In 2006, the first 24 × 7 Desi

F.M. station in North America was launched, Radio Salaam Namaste 104.9 FM, in the Dallas

area. A similar multiplex, featuring Indian film exclusively on two screens (and other

international films on four additional screens) opened in 2002 in Cary, N.C.. FunAsia owns all

Desi multiplexes in the state of Texas including two(six and five screens) in Houston.

(www.funasia.net)

In July 2005, MTV premiered a spin-off network called MTV Desi which targets Indian

Americans. It has been discontinued by MTV.

Economic relations

The United States is also one of India's largest direct investors. From 1991 to 2004, the stock of

FDI inflow has increased from USD $11.3 million to $344.4 million, totaling $4.13 billion. This is

a compound rate increase of 57.5% annually. Indian direct investments abroad were started in

1992. Indian corporations and registered partnership firms are allowed to invest in businesses

up to 100% of their net worth. India's largest outgoing investments are manufacturing, which

account for 54.8% of the country's foreign investments. The second largest are non-financial

services (software development), which accounts for 35.4% of investments.

Trade Relations:

The United States is one of India's largest trading partners. In 2007, the United States exported

$17.24 billion worth goods to India and imported $24.02 billion worth of Indian goods. Major

items exported by India to the U.S. include Information Technology Services, textiles,

machinery, ITeS, gems and diamonds, chemicals, iron and steel products, coffee, tea, and other

edible food products. Major American items imported by India include aircraft, fertilizers,

computer hardware, scrap metal and medical equipment.

The United States is also India's largest investment partner, with American direct investment of

$9 billion accounting for 9% of total foreign investment into India. Americans have made

notable foreign investment in India's power generation, telecommunications, ports, roads,

petroleum exploration/processing, and mining industries.

GOLI VADA PAV:

Goli Vada Pav not only maintains the quality and taste of the food but also ensures economical

pricing of it. In addition to it, they offer ten different varieties of vada pav like Schezwan Vada

Pav, Cheese Vada Pav, Veg Cutlet Pav and Paalak Makai Tikki.

It aims to provide standarised Ethnic fast food in clean and hygienic conditions to mobile Indian

masses at economic pricing.S Venkatesh Iyer is the brain behind the concept of Goli Vada Pav.

Goli Vada Pav - has partnered with OSI Inc, which has been processing and supplying food to

McDonald's for the last forty years.

Right from slicing, peeling and dicing each process is completely automated. The process

involved is similar to that of making a McDonald's burger. These vadas - or golis as they are

called - after being prepared, are frozen at (-18) degrees Celsius and then packed. These packets

are marked with the date of manufacture and the date of expiry, the frozen vada pavs have a

shelf-life of nine months. Hence it can be shipped anywhere in the world.

Strategy to enter US Market:

The market research on the price and the hygiene level.

Change in taste preferences to be traced accurately.

New variants can be introduced.

It’s an alternative to Mc Donald’s for the American Indians.

Outlets near the Indian Restaurants.

Fast deliveries, competitive to Mc Donald’s take away service.