STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Last word in business today is: hold the meat.
Western fast food chains trying to expand in India have come up against the widespread taboo against eating beef. Many Indians consider cows sacred.
DAVID GREENE, HOST: And that is a supersized problem for McDonald's, as you can imagine. So now, in a nod to local customs, McDonald's is planning to open two outlets that serve no meat at all. One of those vegetarian-only McDonald's will be in the city of Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple, the holiest site for India's Sikh religion. The other will be near a Hindu mountain shrine.
INSKEEP: If this sounds radical, McDonald's is actually late to the game. Domino's already has all vegetarian pizza stores in India. And this week a subway opened its all veggie sandwich outlet in India's Punjab state.
GREENE: And that wraps up the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm David Greene.
INSKEEP: And I'm Steve Inskeep.
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