The organised tobacco-free paan café chain opens its first outlet at Lake Place Road, Kolkata as it deepens its presence across key Indian markets
Mast Banarasi Paan, one of India’s largest organised tobacco-free paan café chains, has entered West Bengal with the opening of its first outlet in the capital city of Kolkata at Lake Place Road, Lake Market, Kalighat. The new outlet is part of the brand’s wider expansion strategy as it plans to scale its network from more than 400 outlets to 600 outlets over the next two years.
The West Bengal entry extends Mast Banarasi Paan’s presence into another major metropolitan market as the company deepens its footprint across existing and new geographies. The brand currently operates across 320+ cities and 20+ states and is strengthening its franchise ecosystem alongside investments in technology, supply chain capabilities and central sourcing to support its next phase of growth.
Speaking at the launch, P. N. Thakur, Founder & CEO, Mast Banarasi Paan, said, “Kolkata is an important market for us as we expand our presence across key cities in India. Our objective is to build a strong and scalable network while bringing greater consistency, hygiene and organisation to the paan category without losing its traditional character. This outlet marks our entry into West Bengal, and we see significant potential to expand further in the state through the right franchise partnerships.”
India’s paan category remains largely fragmented, even as consumer preferences are increasingly shifting towards organised, hygienic and experience-led food formats. Mast Banarasi Paan is seeking to address this opportunity by standardising the traditional paan experience through its franchise-led model, technology-enabled processes and central sourcing.
The West Bengal entry follows Mast Banarasi Paan crossing the 400-outlet milestone nationally. As it works towards its 600-outlet target, the company is exploring strategic growth capital to support geographical expansion, strengthen technology and supply chain infrastructure, and enhance its franchise ecosystem, while also evaluating international opportunities in markets with sizeable Indian diaspora populations. Through its franchise-led, 100% tobacco-free paan café format, the brand will continue to focus on disciplined expansion, operational consistency and product innovation across metropolitan, Tier II and Tier III markets.
