Providing a new place and creating new employment opportunities for the street hawkers and vendors in the organised sector is the only way to encourage the unorganised sector and create a booming economy where competition is persistent. "If the food quality and the value proposition are great, you give the existing Chinese food market harder competition, rather than taking it from them. Our strategy has always been to enter markets where competition is present," says Ashish Kapur, MD of Yo! China.

A pioneering retail chain in the Chinese cuisine business in India, Yo! China is planning to open 50 more outlets across the country by the end of 2007.

With the increasing income of an average Indian household and the changing lifestyles, people are getting more quality-conscious. Whether it is dimsum or American chopsuey, people enjoy bingeing over Chinese food wherever they can afford. Although eating out on the streets has its own charm, “the unfavourable conditions take their toll,” says Pankaj, the owner of a kiosk called China on Wheels. Such conditions can be anything – from the lack of proper seating arrangements to the unpredictability of weather changes. Nevertheless, the street vendors attract innumerable customers by giving them low-priced food that scores high on taste. Strategically, they perhaps lack in hygiene and providing a good ambience.

The main objective of the organised sector is reaching out to the masses across various locations. Besides, people have more trust in, and are more loyal towards, the restaurants in the organised sector. Along with good hygiene, reasonable prices and fine ambience, location also plays a critical role. Placing themselves in high-footfall locations helps these restaurants to pull in more patrons. For this, they are launching new schemes to attract people from different strata of the society. Professionally trained staff fulfils the desire of delicious food, cooked hygienically. “People value hygiene and a good ambience,” says Silky, marketing and communications head, Taipan.

India is the ninth largest retail market in the world and is encouraging many foreign retailers to invest in her fortunes. The whole idea behind growing retail is to make India an organised global market that will be beneficial for the Indian economy as a whole. With the government seeming to be intent on ensuring for the people in Delhi hygienic and tasty street food, it is sure to give even bigger competition to the existing organised sector comprising premium restaurants as well as quick service restaurants. Although the difference between the organised and unorganised sectors is well marked, with the food streets hopefully getting consolidated, the unorganised sector is going to be clubbed with the organised.