Around 500 Domino's Pizza outlets across north, central, and parts of west India will only serve vegetarian food during Navratri, which begins on October 1. The restaurant chain has served vegetarian food during such festivals in the past as well, but seasonal alterations were restricted to a few selected outlets for dine-in customers only. This time, the quick service chain will completely convert services at half of its restaurants in the country for all nine days of the festival, reported the Economic Times.

Dev Amritesh, the company's India president, said the consumption of meat reduces significantly during this time. "This move is an acknowledgement that though we are a global brand, we are conscious about consumer needs. It's about making a statement to consumers."

A new menu incorporating the dietary restrictions people observe during Navratri will be made available, the company said. This will include pizza bases made of singhara atta (water chestnut flour) and saabudana crispies, as regular grains are deemed unfit for consumption. Rock salt will replace regular salt in sauces, and no onions or garlic will be used across the board.

The brand is hoping to attract a significant portion of the population through the scheme in an effort to revive its sales, which have been staggering for the past two years. It claims it is the first brand of its kind to offer such a radical change in its festive menu. Domino's has 1,062 outlets across 248 cities.