IN MOST ways the McDonald’s outlet in Jangpura, a gentrifying neighbourhood in south Delhi, looks like one anywhere else, with bright displays, plastic seating and a familiar menu. But this week a disconcerting sign warns that “unpredictable” conditions have affected tomato supplies; none are available. Not bad though for a store that McDonald’s has been trying to close since September 6th. Over a third of its 400 or so outlets in India were supposed to shut their doors then—yet nearly all are still slinging McSpicy Paneers to customers.

在德里南边贾格普拉（Jangpura），麦当劳的门店看起来基本上与其它地方的门店没有什么两样：装饰亮丽，塑制桌椅和菜单大同小异。不过，这一周却挂出一让人不安的告示，称因“不可预知的”情况影响了土豆条的供应；没有土豆条了。对于一家麦当劳从9月6日以来就想关闭的门店来说，这种情况并不是最糟糕的。在印度400多家门店中，有三分之一以上的门店有可能关门——然而，几乎所有的门店仍然在向消费者兜售麦辣奶酪。

War rages between McDonald’s India and Vikram Bakshi of Connaught Place Restaurants Limited (CPRL), who first brought the American chain to India in 1996 as a local partner in a 50-50 joint venture, starting in Delhi (along with another franchisee, Hardcastle Restaurants, which went into the southern and western states). Over the next two decades, Mr Bakshi expanded in the north and east. In 2008 McDonald’s tried to buy out Mr Bakshi’s share for $7m, but he had evidence from an accounting firm that his stake was worth $331m.

麦当劳印度与康乐广场餐饮有限公司（Connaught Place Restaurants Limited）的老板维克拉姆·巴什史克（Vikram Bakshi）之间的战火始于德里。巴什史克是第一个在1996年将美国快餐连锁企业麦当劳引进印度的人，并占有一半股份，成为麦当劳的印度合作伙伴。另一个特许经销商是Hardcastle Restaurants，主要是在南部和西部各邦。在接下来的20年里，巴什史克在印度北部和东部扩张。2008年，麦当劳试图以700万美元收购巴什史克手中的股份，不过，后者用会计事务所出示的证据，称手中的股份价值3.31亿美元。

From his upstairs office in a residential colony near the Jangpura store, Mr Bakshi has been giving hell to the world’s biggest restaurant chain. In 2013 McDonald’s had him ousted as CPRL’s managing director. He sued to be reinstated, then sued to have his stake revalued, and again to keep control of 169 branches without interference from the mother ship.

在贾格普拉店不远的一个居民区的高层办公室里，巴克什史 一直对全球最大的餐饮连锁企业不屑一顾。在2013年，麦当劳撤掉了巴克什史的CPRL执行总经理一职。对此，他上诉要求撤消，之后又上诉要求重新估算他的股价。而后，他将169家门店控制在手中，不让麦当劳美国母公司插手。

When McDonald’s tried to take him to the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) in December 2013, he complained of “oppression and mismanagement” to an Indian national tribunal and won a reprieve; only in 2016 did another Indian court allow the chain’s case to proceed to the LCIA. Mr Bakshi is now trying his luck with an appeal to yet another court, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal. The battle illustrates multinationals’ worst fears about India, from the instability built into the joint-venture model to the ease of stymieing legal judgments.

2013年，麦当劳曾想将巴克什史告上伦敦的国际仲裁法庭。他则以“压迫和管理不善"的理由向印度调解委员会投诉，并获得缓期执行；只有在2016年，印度一法庭才准许该案发往国际仲裁法庭。巴什克史目前正试图向印度公司法上诉法庭上诉。两者之间的争夺表明，跨国企业在印度最大的担忧：既有合资企业模式中存在的不稳定性，也有随意阻碍司法判决等等等。

The prospects for McDonald’s in India look appealing, thanks to expanding middle classes. But Mr Bakshi’s chain all but ceased growing since he crossed swords with the golden arches. He shows no signs of giving up. Now his hope is that the appellate tribunal will find in his favour on the LCIA case after a hearing due on October 25th.

随着印度中产阶级的扩大，麦当劳在印度的前景似乎很光明。不过，由于巴克什史与麦当劳的争斗，他手中的连锁店完全处于停滞状态。不过，他没有表态放弃。如今，他希望，在10月25日举行的听证会后，上诉调解委员会对LCIA的案件的判定有利他。

Meanwhile, McDonald’s seems to be taking matters into its own hands and squeezing Mr Bakshi’s suppliers. Jangpura’s ketchup comes from Cremica Food Industries in Punjab. Cremica stopped shipping to CPRL in August (it will not say why). Over the approaching holiday weekend of Dussehra, a Hindu festival, the restaurants should see their heaviest footfall of the year. McDonald’s worst fear must be that Mr Bakshi will find a way to carry on for months or years using its brand. But no tomato, then no ketchup. These are formidable weapons.

与此同时，麦当劳似乎想要将所有一切掌控在手，同时将巴克什史的供应商挤出去。贾格普拉的酱料包来自Punjab的Cremica食品工业集团。Cremica自八月就停止了向CPRL供货（原因不明）。对于即将到来的印度教十胜节（Dussehra）周末假期，餐饮业将迎来年里人流最大的时期。麦当劳最大的担忧是巴克什史想方设拖延几个月，甚至几年的时间，一直占用其品牌。不过，先是没有了土豆条，后来没有酱料，这些都是令人难以对付的手段。

编辑：翻吧君

来源：经济学人