India's quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry is showing early signs of demand recovery, but Macquarie highlights rising costs and intensifying competition from food-delivery aggregators as reasons for its cautiousness. According to Macquarie, post-fourth-quarter trends indicate a gradual improvement in dine-in demand across restaurant chains. Within the sector, Macquarie remains most constructive on franchise operators Devyani International, Sapphire Foods and Westlife Foodworld. However, the recovery remains uneven and is being overshadowed by inflationary pressures and the growing dominance of delivery platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy. The brokerage said same-store sales growth across the listed QSR universe is tracking broadly in line with or slightly ahead of fourth-quarter levels. However, restaurant brands continue to trail delivery aggregators in growth, highlighting a structural shift in consumer behaviour. To counter this trend, restaurant operators have increa...
A Delhi-based entrepreneur has sparked a conversation online after sharing how impressed he was by the convenience of travel during a recent visit to China. In a series of posts, Akash Bansal, the co-founder of Skyvik, revealed that he covered 1,600 km in a single day, and was still back in bed by night. He shared that the entire journey cost him just Rs 8,000, including Rs 4,000 for an 800-km leg completed in 4.5 hours on China's high-speed rail. However, for Mr Bansal, it wasn't just about the speed; it was the seamless experience that impressed him.
"So, I traveled 1600 km in a single day for a 3-hour meeting and wasn't dead by the end. This shows how convenient life in China is. I took a train in the morning, traveled 800 km one way, had a meeting, and returned at night to sleep in my bed," Mr Bansal wrote.
So, I traveled 1600 km in a single day for a 3-hour meeting and wasn't dead by the end.
— Akash Bansal (@akashbnsal) June 24, 2025
This shows how convenient life in China is. I took a train in the morning, traveled 800 km one way, had a meeting, and returned at night to sleep in my bed. pic.twitter.com/QZyAfuwz5K
In the following post, the entrepreneur praised the size and efficiency of Chinese train stations and shared how smooth the boarding process was.
"Stations are massive. You enter the platform just 10 minutes before departure, and the gates open on both sides, east and west. You simply scan your national ID or passport at the scanner, and the door opens. Let's say you arrive early. Go to the counter, and they will change your ticket to an earlier train. How sick is that?" he wrote.
"They have thousands of seating capacity at the stations, and almost 30% are massage chairs. You pay around 100 Rupees and wait while receiving a massage. Everything is just so systematic, no nonsense at all," he continued.
Further, Mr Bansal explained, "Once I reached a station half an hour early, a security person approached me, checked my ticket, and took me to the counter to change it for a train that was departing in the next 10 minutes. Mind you, I said nothing; this fellow did all this on his own. He could have ignored me."
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The entrepreneur's post has sparked a wide range of reactions on social media. While some asked genuine questions about his journey, others jokingly asked why he didn't just take the meeting online.
"Google Meet ya Zoom kar leta?" jokingly wrote one user. To this, Mr Bansal shared that it was meeting about hardware, and an online meeting wasn't possible.
"That's truly impressive! The efficiency and convenience of China's high-speed rail system make it sound like they transform travel into a seamless experience. It highlights what's possible with modern infrastructure and efficient systems, making long distances feel short," expressed one user.
"They really have good infrastructure ! high speed railways!" said another.
"That's not just convenience - that's infrastructure-driven productivity at scale. When speed meets reliability, economic output compounds. India has a lot to learn here," commented a third user.
"China's bullet train project is still far away from breakeven. It is still luxury to setup such a big infra. I would not want this to be in india. rather have more airport connectivity," one user wrote.
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