McDonald's to Double Down on AI Investment by 2027, Focusing on India as Key Hub

McDonald's plans to 'double down' on AI investment by 2027, executive says

HYDERABAD, Aug 1 (Reuters) - McDonald's (MCD.N), opens new tab plans to "double down" on its artificial intelligence investments by 2027 and is betting on India to be a key hub for data governance, engineering and platform architecture, a senior executive said on Friday. The fast-food giant, which entered India in 1996, operates hundreds of restaurants across the country and recently set up a global office in the southern city of Hyderabad, with an aim to make it the largest outside the United States. "We're still in the early stages, so it's hard to pin down the exact investment," McDonald's head of Global Business Services operations, Deshant Kaila, said in an interview on the sidelines of an event in Hyderabad. McDonald's is using AI to verify orders at 400 restaurants to pre-empt errors before handing them over to customers, and expects to roll this out to 40,000 locations globally by 2027, Durga Prakash, head of technology (global offices), said. The fast-food giant is also using AI tools to forecast sales, decide on pricing and assess product performance and is building a personalised app, which would work across countries, according to Kaila. He said the India push will centre on building its AI team, but added that spending will lean more toward technology and tools, not headcount. The company is in talks to set up a global office in Poland, just like the ones in India and Mexico, according to Durga Prakash. Earlier this year, the southern Indian state of Telangana said that McDonald's would launch a global capability center, employing 2,000 people in Hyderabad. India's global capability centers, once low-cost outsourcing hubs for global corporations, have evolved to support their parent organisations in domains ranging from operations and finance to research and development. Reporting by Rishika Sadam, Chandini Monnappa and Praveen Paramasivam; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

McDonald's plans to 'double down' on AI investment by 2027, senior exec says

HYDERABAD, Aug 1 (Reuters) - McDonald's (MCD.N), opens new tab plans to "double down" on its artificial intelligence investment by 2027 and is betting on India as a key hub for data governance, engineering and platform architecture, a senior executive told Reuters on Friday. We're still in the early stages, so it's hard to pin down the exact investment, McDonald's head of Global Business Services operations, Deshant Kaila said at an event. Kaila said the fast-food giant's India push will centre on building its AI team, but added that spending will lean more toward technology and tools, not headcount. Reporting by Rishika Sadam and Chandini Monnappa; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

McDonald's announces plans to strengthen AI investments by 2027

The fast-food giant, which entered India in 1996, operates hundreds of restaurants across the country and recently set up a global office in the southern city of Hyderabad, with an aim to make it the largest outside the United States. "We're still in the early stages, so it's hard to pin down the exact investment," McDonald's head of Global Business Services operations, Deshant Kaila, said in an interview on the sidelines of an event in Hyderabad. McDonald's is using AI to verify orders at 400 restaurants to pre-empt errors before handing them over to customers, and expects to roll this out to 40,000 locations globally by 2027, Durga Prakash, head of technology (global offices), said.

McDonald's Bets Big on AI -- From Smarter Orders To Personalized Apps Across 40,000 Worldwide Stores by 2027 - McDonald's (NYSE:MCD)

McDonald's MCD has announced plans to significantly boost its artificial intelligence (AI) investments by 2027, with India playing a crucial role in its strategy. Trending Investment OpportunitiesAdvertisementArrivedBuy shares of homes and vacation rentals for as little as $100. Get StartedWiserAdvisorGet matched with a trusted, local financial advisor for free.Get StartedPoint.comTap into your home's equity to consolidate debt or fund a renovation.Get StartedRobinhoodMove your 401k to Robinhood and get a 3% match on deposits.Get StartedMcDonald's Expands AI Footprint in India, Targets Global Locations The fast-food giant, which has been operating in India since 1996, is looking to expand its AI capabilities in the country. The company recently established a global office in Hyderabad, in South India, aiming to make it the largest outside the United States. Check out the current price of MCD stock here. "We're still in the early stages, so it's hard to pin down the exact investment," said Deshant Kaila, McDonald's head of Global Business Services operations. The company is currently deploying AI to verify orders and reduce errors at 400 restaurants, with plans to expand the system to 40,000 locations globally by 2027, according to Durga Prakash, head of technology for global offices. McDonald's is also leveraging AI tools for sales forecasting, pricing decisions, product performance assessment and the development of a personalized app that would operate globally. Kaila noted that while the focus in India will be on building the AI team, the majority of the spending will be directed towards technology and tools rather than personnel. SEE ALSO: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP Struggle After Underwhelming Jobs Report: Will A September Rate Cut Save The Bull Run? - Benzinga McDonald's Responds To Revenue Dip With Expansion Push, New Beverage Line This move comes as McDonald's is grappling with challenges on multiple fronts. In May 2025, the company reported a 3.4% year-on-year decline in Q1 revenue due to tensions in the Middle East. The ongoing war adversely affect the company's systemwide sales and revenue, particularly in the International Developmental Licensed Markets, where most restaurants operate under developmental licenses or affiliate agreements. In the same month, McDonald's announced a massive hiring drive to add 375,000 employees across U.S. locations as part of its aggressive expansion plans. Recently, the fast-food giant forayed into the $100 billion beverage market with a new lineup in July 2025 after its December 2023 pivot did not meet expectations. Now, the company is gearing up to introduce a new range of colorful iced drinks, including Creamy Vanilla Cold Brews, Popping Tropic Refreshers, and "dirty sodas" with flavored syrups and dried fruit. The AI investment could be a strategic move to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and boost sales amid these challenges. Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings shows that McDonald's had a strong price trend over the long term but not short or medium term. Its momentum ranking was 63.07, whereas its growth ranking was poor at 80.34; the details of other metrics are available here. READ MORE: Green Apron, Red Flag? Starbucks Analysts Wonder About $500 Million Investment As Sales Slump Image via Shutterstock Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. MCDMcDonald's Corp$303.400.17%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum60.56Growth81.24QualityN/AValue17.37Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

McDonald's plans to 'double down' on AI investment by 2027, executive says

HYDERABAD (Reuters) -McDonald's plans to "double down" on its artificial intelligence investments by 2027 and is betting on India to be a key hub for data governance, engineering and platform architecture, a senior executive said on Friday. The fast-food giant, which entered India in 1996, operates hundreds of restaurants across the country and recently set up a global office in the southern city of Hyderabad, with an aim to make it the largest outside the United States. "We're still in the early stages, so it's hard to pin down the exact investment," McDonald's head of Global Business Services operations, Deshant Kaila, said in an interview on the sidelines of an event in Hyderabad. McDonald's is using AI to verify orders at 400 restaurants to pre-empt errors before handing them over to customers, and expects to roll this out to 40,000 locations globally by 2027, Durga Prakash, head of technology (global offices), said. The fast-food giant is also using AI tools to forecast sales, decide on pricing and assess product performance and is building a personalised app, which would work across countries, according to Kaila. He said the India push will centre on building its AI team, but added that spending will lean more toward technology and tools, not headcount. The company is in talks to set up a global office in Poland, just like the ones in India and Mexico, according to Durga Prakash. Earlier this year, the southern Indian state of Telangana said that McDonald's would launch a global capability center, employing 2,000 people in Hyderabad. India's global capability centers, once low-cost outsourcing hubs for global corporations, have evolved to support their parent organisations in domains ranging from operations and finance to research and development. (Reporting by Rishika Sadam, Chandini Monnappa and Praveen Paramasivam; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)