McDonald's is to open its first vegetarian-only restaurant in India next year.
The fast-food chain tailors its menus to suit local tastes, which in India means no beef to avoid offending Hindus and no pork to cater for Muslim requirements.
It said the vegetarian outlet would open some time in the middle of next year near the Golden Temple in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar. Religious authorities forbid consumption of meat at the shrine.
McDonald's spokesman in northern India, Rajesh Kumar Maini, said: "There is a big opportunity for vegetarian restaurants [in India] as many Indians are vegetarian."
After the opening in Amritsar, the US chain plans to open another vegetarian outlet near the Vaishno Devi cave shrine in northwestern Indian Kashmir - a revered Hindu pilgrimage site that draws hundreds of thousands of worshippers.
McDonald's in India has a menu that is 50% vegetarian. Its McAloo Tikki burger - which uses a spiced potato-based patty - is the top seller, accounting for a quarter of total sales. Among the chicken-only meat offerings, the Maharaja Mac is a favourite.
Maini said McDonald's believed India held a lot of potential as a market.
Hindus, who account for 80% of India's 1.2billion population, regard cows as sacred . For Muslims, the Koran prohibits consumption of pork.
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