The Pune-based firm will open 100 outlets, including in London, in the next three years with an investment of Rs 250 crore. These joints will offer chicken and vegetarian items on their menu, according to The Hindu Business Line. The company will raise money from internal resources and banks. It expected a break-even for the new initiative in 15 months. It opened its second Venky's Xprs outlet in Hyderabad on Monday.

B. Venkatesh Rao, Joint Managing Director of Venkateshwara Hatcheries, said the company had a technical agreement with Campden BRI of the United Kingdom to get food technologies.

Mr Rao, along with Hindi film actor Sanjay Dutt, was here to mark the inauguration of the second outlet.

"We are going to procure birds directly from farmers that would be directly sent to the processing unit set up for the initiative. This will give better price for farmers irrespective of ups and downs in the market," Mr Rao, who is also Managing director of Uttara Foods and Feeds Private Ltd that is promoting the chain, said.

Talking on the poultry industry, he said the industry shrugged off the sluggish phase in the first six months. "The last three months were better than the first quarter. We expect that this positive trend will continue through the remaining months of this financial year," he said.