McDonalds opened its first restaurant in Chennai this month

McDonalds opened its first outlet in Chennai on April 2, 2008. PCO Mark Russell inaugurated the facility and consumed the restaurant's first french fries and Maharaja Mac. The outlet, located in a food court in an information technology park near the American International School, serves more than 1200 meals per day. McDonald's plans to supply its Chennai outlet through its local supply network. Ranging from liquid products coming from Punjab to lettuce from Pune, the outlet receives items from different parts of the country.

ServiceMaster Clean and SIS India sign the master license agreement for India

Carmine D'Aloisio, Minister Counselor of Commercial Affairs, India looks on as ServiceMaster Clean and SIS India sign the master license agreement for India. 

The ServiceMaster Company is a leading U.S. service franchising firm that owns well-known service franchising brands including Terminix (pest control), Merry Maids, Chem Lawn (lawn service), and ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial services). The firm has been a client of our Chicago Export Assistance Center since July 1999. Trade Specialist Debra Rogers has provided them with numerous franchising market research reports, trade leads, and export counseling besides introducing them to our Gold Key Service in India, and advertising in our Commercial News USA, which the firm did extensively.  After the succesful Gold key in India, the firm has used the same service in at least five other countries and plans to use in more.

On March 7, 2008, ServiceMaster and SIS, a local company identified by U.S. Commercial Service India through the goldkey program signed the contract in the presence of Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs in India, D'Aloisio; Deputy Commercial Counselor, Dale Tasharski; and other staff of U.S. Commercial Service in New Delhi.