In honor of International Day of Sign Languages, KFC is making history by becoming the first quick-service restaurant (QSR) in India to launch a comprehensive Sign Language training program for all its employees. This groundbreaking initiative will see over 17,000 staff members across 1,200 restaurants in more than 240 cities, including those in corporate roles, participating in the training.
Crafted in collaboration with a Sign Language expert, the online program consists of several modules tailored for beginners to learn the basics of Indian Sign Language (ISL). The first module introduces the ISL alphabet, followed by lessons on essential greetings and conversational phrases. This training is part of KFC India’s Kshamata program, dedicated to empowering individuals and bridging gender and ability gaps. KFC aims to double its speech and hearing-impaired (SHI) workforce by 2026, enhancing opportunities for women and SHI employees within its restaurants.
Additionally, as a continuation of the #SpeakSign campaign, KFC has unveiled India’s first interactive Sign Language kiosk, designed to engage the entire hospitality sector. This innovative kiosk allows individuals to learn how to order their favorite dishes from various brands using ISL. Launched today at Select CityWalk in New Delhi and Ambience Mall in Gurugram, the kiosk teaches users to sign over 30 popular food items, including Pizza, Burger, Dosa, Momos, Pasta, and KFC favorites like Hot & Crispy Chicken, Popcorn Chicken, and Zinger.
Speaking about the initiative, Moksh Chopra, General Manager, KFC India & Partner Countries, said, “Through our KFC Kshamata program, one of the areas of focus has been to help unlock the potential and opportunities for the Hearing-impaired community. One of the most important steps towards this is spreading the usage of Sign Language and since 2021, our annual #SpeakSign campaign focuses on enabling this goal. This year, we are proud to announce that 100% of our teams will be trained in basic Indian Sign Language, making our restaurants across the country more inclusive. We’re also taking this Sign Language movement beyond just our organization into the hospitality industry. With the interactive kiosk at popular locations, we’re encouraging consumers to learn to order their favourite food items across brands using Sign Language.”
KFC India’s franchise partners Devyani International Limited (DIL) and Sapphire Foods India Limited (SFIL) have played an integral part in the Kshamata journey.
Pradeep Das, CEO, KFC at Devyani International Limited (DIL) said, “All of us at DIL are proud partners of KFC’s Kshamata initiative. Bridging the ability gap is critical to creating accessible and inclusive workplaces. The rollout of Sign Language training is a forward-thinking approach which will help ensure that we’re fostering an environment across all our restaurants and offices where speech and hearing-impaired individuals, whether teams or consumers, can interact confidently.”
Deepak Taluja, President & CEO-KFC at Sapphire Foods India Limited (SFIL) said, “Creating a culture where everyone feels valued is at the heart of SFIL, and all of us are extremely proud of the KFC Kshamata initiative. The rollout of Sign Language training for all employees is a significant step, and shows how small but powerful changes can help businesses foster truly inclusive environments. We at SFIL are committed towards feeding people’s potential with KFC Kshamata.”
The interactive kiosks are available in Select CityWalk, New Delhi & Ambience Mall, Gurugram until 21st September.
Consumers can visit any of the 54 Special KFCs (operated by speech and hearing impaired employees) on International Day of Sign Language on 23rd September, and learn to #SpeakSign with team members as they encourage communication in ISL. Special Sign Language buckets and Sign Language menus have also been created to help consumers learn how to sign and order their KFC favorites, along with short tutorial videos on KFC’s social media channels and website.
About KFC
KFC, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM.), is a global chicken restaurant brand with a rich, decades-long history of success and innovation. It all started with one cook, Colonel Harland Sanders, who created a finger lickin’ good recipe more than 80 years ago, a list of secret herbs and spices scratched out on the back of the door to his kitchen. Today we still follow his formula for success, with real cooks breading and freshly preparing our delicious chicken by hand in more than 26,000 restaurants in over 145 countries and territories around the world.
For more information, visit https://online.kfc.co.in/
