Compass Group, the world’s largest food services company, is doubling down on India as one of its fastest-growing and most strategic markets, banking on corporate cafeterias, global capability centres (GCCs), manufacturing-led demand, and technology-led services to sustain growth well ahead of the industry average.

Globally, Compass Group reported revenues of $46.1 billion for FY25, operates across 25 countries, employs nearly 590,000 people, and serves about 5.5 billion meals annually. While the UK and the US remain its biggest markets, India has quietly emerged as one of the group’s top three countries by both number of meals served and employee base.

In India, Compass Group serves around 1.2 million meals every day through nearly 900 cafeterias, employs about 45,000 people, and operates across roughly 45 cities. “The industry grows at about 10–15%, and we grow at almost double that rate in India, which contributes meaningfully to the group’s overall growth,” said Vikas Chawla, MD & CEO, Compass Group India.

India’s business has tripled over the past three years, growing at more than 20% annually. “We believe the business can at least double every three years. That’s the fundamental rate of growth we’re looking at,” Chawla said. While India’s numbers are not disclosed as the entity is unlisted, its contribution to group growth is becoming increasingly meaningful.

Growth drivers

A key growth engine is Compass Group India’s dominance in the corporate and GCC ecosystem. The company currently partners with over 120 GCCs across the country and has seen a 51% CAGR in its corporate segment between FY22 and FY25. This segment, Chawla said, will remain a “key growth catalyst over the next three to five years”, driven by the return-to-office trend, Gen Z-heavy workforces, and rising expectations around food quality, safety, and choice.

“Two-thirds or more of large GCCs are first served by us,” he said, pointing to a clear shift from fragmented local caterers to organised players. Food safety, in particular, has become a decisive factor. “In India, we tend to be very cavalier about food safety overall. But we are maniacal about food safety, and that’s leading to a natural flow of enquiries from corporates, healthcare, education, and manufacturing.”

Beyond corporate cafeterias, Compass is seeing strong momentum in manufacturing-linked food services, supported by the government’s Make in India push. The company acquired north-based ICS Foods last year to strengthen its presence in factory sites, where demand is rising sharply as global manufacturers expand local operations.

Technology is another differentiator. Compass runs SmartQ, a Bengaluru-based digital cafeteria and food aggregation platform acquired five years ago, which now exports technology to 18 Compass Group markets globally. The company was also among the first in India to launch digital cafeteria solutions as early as 2017.

Geographically, Compass is choosing focus over sprawl. Bengaluru and Hyderabad lead due to the concentration of GCCs, followed by Mumbai and NCR. Chennai, Pune, and Gujarat - buoyed by manufacturing and GIFT City - are other priority markets. “We want to stay focused on about eight to ten cities for the next five years, rather than spread ourselves too thin,” Chawla said.

While India remains a fragmented and cost-conscious market, Compass is betting that organised food services, automation in facilities management, and rising safety standards will steadily tilt the balance in its favour. “If we are growing at double the rate of the market, it’s obvious the shift is happening,” Chawla said.