India Palace

What India Palace does

India Palace is a UAE-headquartered Indian restaurant chain founded in 1997 and operated as a unit of SFC Group, a diversified UAE conglomerate with over 50 outlets spanning restaurants, catering, construction, hotels, and FMCG. The brand operates 14 restaurant locations across five UAE emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, and Ras Al Khaimah), including high-traffic mall anchors such as Dubai Mall, Ibn Battuta Mall, Mushrif Mall, and Deerfields Mall, as well as street-front locations at Al Garhoud and The Walk-JBR. Its core product is Mughal-inspired fine dining featuring North-West Frontier cuisine (kebabs, biryanis, curries, dals, and breads) prepared in traditional clay tandoor ovens using marinade-driven cooking techniques rooted in royal Mughal kitchens.

Revenue is generated primarily through dine-in service, supplemented by online ordering for delivery and takeaway, a separate catering inquiry channel for events, and a newly formalized franchise program targeting Europe and broader GCC markets. The customer base is horizontal: UAE residents, families, and visitors seeking authentic Indian dining for celebrations, family gatherings, and business meals. Distribution is omnichannel with physical dine-in as the primary surface and direct-to-consumer digital channels (ordering, reservations, email newsletter) as supplementary layers. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by outlet.

The brand leverages 28 years of heritage, the Dubai Service Excellence Award, an EXCELLENT aggregate rating from 8,857 reviews, and a Shaquille O'Neal endorsement for its Butter Chicken Biryani as core marketing assets. Leadership sits at SFC Group level under Founder and Chairman Kesavan Muraleedharan, with Rohith Muralya serving as Director of Concept & Cuisine for India Palace. The company is privately held with no funding rounds disclosed, indicating it is internally financed within SFC Group.

Name

India Palace

Legal name

India Palace (A Unit of SFC Group)

Website

https://indiapalace.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

India Palace is a UAE-based Indian restaurant chain operating 14 outlets across five emirates, serving Mughal-inspired North-West Frontier cuisine prepared in tandoor ovens. It is a unit of diversified conglomerate SFC Group and now expanding via franchising into Europe and broader GCC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indian Restaurant Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly) (HSACAGAH), All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Indian restaurant chain
• Mughal cuisine dining
• Fine dining UAE
• Tandoor grill food
• Restaurant franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Abu Dhabi

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Revenue: Revenue generated from customers dining in at restaurant locations across the UAE. The restaurants offer a full menu including kebabs, biryanis, dals, curries, and breads.
2. Online Ordering and Delivery: Online ordering system for delivery and takeaway orders from restaurant locations.
3. Franchise Revenue: Revenue model includes franchising the India Palace brand to new operators for expansion into new markets.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

India Palace operates a chain of dine-in restaurants serving authentic Mughal-inspired North-West Frontier Indian cuisine across 14 locations in the UAE. The menu features kebabs, biryanis, curries, dals, and breads prepared in traditional clay tandoor ovens. The offering is complemented by online ordering for delivery and takeaway, table reservations, catering services, and a franchise program for international expansion.

Product overview

India Palace operates as a unified restaurant dining concept offering Mughal-inspired Indian cuisine across 14 outlets in the UAE. The core product is the dine-in restaurant experience featuring traditional North-West Frontier dishes (kebabs, biryanis, curries, dals) cooked in clay ovens. This core offering is supported by digital modules including online ordering for delivery/pickup, an online reservation system for table bookings, catering services for events, and a franchise program for global expansion. The company also offers specialized menus including an A La Carte Menu and Signature Desserts Menu as supplementary offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• India Palace Restaurant Dining Experience Mughal-inspired fine-dining Indian restaurant chain offering traditional North-West Frontier cuisine, including kebabs, biryanis, curries, and dals, prepared in traditional clay tandoor ovens. Operates across 14 locations in the UAE and recreates royal Mughal dining experiences for individuals, families, and corporate diners.
• India Palace Franchise Program Franchise offering that allows partners to establish and operate India Palace restaurants in new geographic markets, targeting entrepreneurs and operators with restaurant, food, or retail experience.
• India Palace Catering Services Catering service for events and special occasions, accessible via the contact page for reservations and special requests.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SFC GroupcoreOthersIndia Palace is a brand owned and operated by SFC Group (Sandy Fried Chicken Group), a diversified UAE business enterprise with operations spanning restaurants, catering, construction, hotels, and FMCG. The group has over 50 thriving outlets including India Palace, SFC Plus, Golden Dragon, and Sthan brands.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bikanervala: Indian-origin restaurant and sweets chain with established UAE presence offering North Indian vegetarian cuisine. Comparable as a multi-outlet Indian dining and sweets brand targeting family dining, celebrations, and takeaway in similar UAE locations.
• Calicut Paragon: UAE-based Indian restaurant chain specializing in South Indian cuisine with multiple UAE outlets. Comparable as an established, multi-outlet regional Indian dining concept competing for similar mall-based foot traffic and family dining occasions.
• Asha's: Celebrity-founded (Asha Bhosle) Indian fine dining concept with significant UAE presence. Comparable as a premium-positioned Indian restaurant chain leveraging celebrity association and authentic regional recipes in similar UAE locations and customer segments.
• Gazebo Restaurant: Long-established UAE-based Indian restaurant chain offering Mughlai and North Indian cuisine across multiple UAE locations. Directly comparable as a competing Indian casual/fine-dining chain targeting similar family and group dining occasions in the same UAE mall and high-street locations.
• Rajdhani Restaurant: Indian thali-specialist restaurant chain with international presence including the UAE. Comparable as a multi-outlet Indian restaurant concept offering structured dining experiences, overlapping on occasion-based dining (celebrations, family meals) and mall-based locations.
• Sangeetha Restaurant: UAE-based South Indian vegetarian restaurant chain with multiple locations. Comparable as a regional Indian cuisine chain operating a comparable dine-in model in similar UAE malls and commercial districts targeting similar family and group demographics.

Broad incumbents

• P.F. Chang's: Internationally established Asian-fine-dining restaurant chain with UAE presence. Comparable as a broader full-service restaurant competitor operating in similar UAE mall locations (e.g., Dubai Mall) targeting similar dine-in occasions and average ticket sizes, though with a pan-Asian rather than Indian cuisine focus.
• The Cheesecake Factory: Large American full-service restaurant chain with flagship UAE presence at Dubai Mall. Comparable as a competing full-service dine-in destination in the same high-traffic UAE mall locations targeting similar group/family dining occasions and occasion-based spending.
• Nando's: Global ethnic-cuisine restaurant chain with extensive UAE footprint in malls. Comparable as a multi-outlet, brand-driven casual dining concept operating in similar UAE mall locations with overlapping dine-in, delivery, and family-occasion positioning.

Emerging players

• Moti Mahal Delux: Indian-origin restaurant chain with international franchise presence including the Middle East. Comparable as a North Indian / Mughlai cuisine brand pursuing franchise-led expansion into new markets, with overlapping culinary positioning and target customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/indiapalacearabia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/india-palace-restaurant
• Instagraminstagram.com/indiapalaceme
• Xx.com/indiapalaceme

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about India Palace