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When Harrdy Sandhu, Aastha Gill, and Shalmali Kholgade played live at the McDonald's i'm lovin' it Live concert in association with MTV, Gurugram got warmed up. The gala performance served as the opening act for McDonald's worldwide flagship music IP, which McDonald's India - North and East first introduced in India in cooperation with MTV.

More than 1500 individuals flocked to the location to express their love and passion for cuisine and music. When Aastha Gill performed, the audience was seen singing and dancing along while flashing their cellphones. Shalmali Kholgade further shocked the audience with well-known renditions early in the evening. The event, which featured Harrdy Sandhu performing his top hits, was nothing short of a sensory delight.

Sanjeev Agrawal, Chairman, McDonald's India - North and East, said: "We are super elated to host the first musical concert in India under the banner of McDonald's i'm lovin' it Live in partnership with MTV. This is also our way of thanking McDonald's fans and strengthen our relationship with them. We are excited to have a stellar line-up of artists who performed today and for our upcoming studio-recorded performances. We are hopeful of creating the "feel-good" moments for the brand's fans through this banner."

Anshul Ailawadi- Business Head, Youth, Music and English Entertainment Cluster, Viacom 18, said: "We at MTV are excited to kickstart the first-ever McDonald's i'm lovin' it Live concert in India, with a stellar line-up of artists. With this curtain-raiser, we're happy to bring more elevated youth experiences to our fans."

The McDonald's global flagship music IP, i'm lovin' it Live, was introduced to India by McDonald's India - North and East in collaboration with MTV. As a component of the music IP, i'm lovin' it Live will pair well-known musicians to produce original, never-before-heard compositions while incorporating the fine cultural details that the musicians have been most influenced by. Guru Randhawa, Armaan Malik, Arjun Kanungo, Harrdy Sandhu, Shalmali Kholgade, and OAFF are just a few of the top musicians who will guide this avant-garde musical trip and compose 6 unique compositions that will be shown on MTV in a series of 4 episodes beginning in January 2023.

Sanjeev Agrawal, Chairman, McDonald's India - North and East shared his thoughts on the new IP with IANSlife

It's been a while since we saw a new campaign from the brand on these lines, what is the idea behind it?

Sanjeev Agrawal: i'm lovin' it Live is a unique global flagship music property of McDonald's with music at its core. The idea is to establish deeper connect with our brand fans through their passion for music and become a part of their lives. The IP is introduced for the first time in India by McDonald's India - North and East. The concept of i'm lovin' it Live is built around the premise of popular artists coming together, and creating unique, never-heard-before compositions, while experimenting with various genres and bringing out fine cultural nuances by which the artists have been influenced the most. The brand roped in Superstar and brand ambassador, Kartik Aaryan, who unveiled i'm lovin' it Live on December 14.

Armaan Malik and Kartik Aryan are big youth icons what synergies of the brand compliment them?

Sanjeev Agrawal: Love for music and love for food are the two most exciting binding factors for our youth today. Armaan is one of the most inspiring young singers India has today. His passion for music is what makes him rule over the hearts and playlists and we are so glad to have him as part of i'm lovin' it Live with MTV among an exemplary line-up of 8 artists including Guru Randhawa, Arjun Kanungo, Shalmali Kholgade, Harrdy Sandhu & OAFF.

Kartik represents the youth of the country and his love for the brand is evidential. He is versatility and popularity among the youth and families makes him the perfect choice as our brand's ambassador as we are a brand with mass appeal and a place for families.

When it comes to McDonald's there's a real focus on visibility, why is it important to be present in the best and most historical locations in each city?

Sanjeev Agrawal: We have presence in 12 states with 150+ restaurants across North and East India. We have a bold vision to become a better McDonald's that our customers know. We are redefining the McDonald's experience with the much-anticipated changes - a modern look & feel, self-ordering digital kiosks, and elevated hospitality standards with table service and Guest Experience Leaders. These are our Experience of the Future restaurants. Our people and technology will be the two key elements in this journey.

We recently launched our first restaurant in Odisha in Bhubaneswar and our first and largest restaurant in Northeast India in Guwahati. We continue to look for exciting locations to expand our footprint in the North and East India and our vision is to have approximately 300 Experience of the Future restaurants in the next 3 years in North and East India.

What is the trend prediction and marketing outlook for 2023?

Sanjeev Agrawal: As per the Euromonitor International report, the Indian informal eating out (IEO) industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10 percent to USD 64,977 million by 2025. And within the IEO segment, the chained QSRs market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13 percent to USD 3,917 million by 2025, offering immense growth potential. Chained QSRs are leading the growth for IEO.

McDonald's has a strong foundation and deep roots in India, and we are committed to writing the next great chapter of the McDonald's journey in India.