"As part of a plan to have 1,000 international stores by 2022, Taco Bell has signed deals to add 600 restaurants in India and more than 100 units in Australia and New Zealand.

The Irvine, Calif.-based fast-food chain is super charging its growth in India under a new master franchise agreement with Burman Hospitality Private Limited. Burman will nearly double Taco Bell’s presence in the subcontinent by the end of the year, where it will go from 35 to more than 60 units, the chain announced Thursday.

Burman, or BHPL, will also buy two company stores that opened in 2010, the year Taco Bell entered India. Most of the 600 restaurants will be inline stores, or units without drive-thrus, which is common in international markets, said Liz Williams, president of Taco Bell International.

Some of the restaurants will also offer table service and serve alcohol. Williams said Taco Bell is leveraging the brand’s popularity among consumers who are gravitating towards the chain’s signature and innovative vegetarian options created exclusively for the market.

“Taco Bell really is perfect for the Indian market because our menu has so much flexibility to go veg or non-veg,” Williams said during a phone interview with Nation’s Restaurant News."

Read the full article by Nancy Luna here.

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