Japan’s popular curry rice chain CoCo Ichibanya is entering the Indian market and planning to open its first restaurant early next year in Delhi-NCR. Mitsui & Co has formed a 60:40 joint venture (JV) Ichibanya India with Japan-based Ichibanya, which owns curry chain Coco Ichi, and plans a combined investment of USD 3 million (about Rs 20 crore) in the Indian market to establish its network in the country. The partnership marks Mitsui’s, which is one of the largest and prominent global trading and investment companies of Japan, entry into the restaurant business in India. Increasing vibrancy in the retail sector with the opening new flagship stores of big MNC brands is an added business opportunity for the signage companies whose works include in-store signage and branding projects.
