Doughnuts descend on India

The Donut Factory has opened its first flagship outlet in Gurgaon. "Our USP is hygiene. No human hand touches the doughnut until they are being served," says the owner.

Two US-returned youngsters have started what they say will become India's first doughnut chain.

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"In the next 12 months we have five shops planned," said Rajat Bhayana, 24 and co-owner of The Donut Factory.

"The problem is no one has ever handled this product before - most of the few doughnut that you get in India today are usually soggy or fried in oil," said Bhayana, who returned to India with a degree in finance from New York's Rochester Institute three years ago.

"We have a system by which each doughnut is made through an automated system right in front of the customer. There's no backend kitchen."

The Donut Factory has opened its first flagship outlet at Metropolitan Mall in surburban Gurgaon. "Our USP is hygiene," said Bhayana. "No human hand touches the doughnut until they are being served, everything from kneading the dough, to making the shapes to putting the flavours is automated."

The shop offers a range of flavours from cinnamon to peach and chocolate.