McDonald's vs Tata Motors: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
McDonald's reported $26.9B of revenue in FY2025 and $8.6B of net income. Tata Motors reported ~$9.7B of revenue in FY2026 and ~$351.5M of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
McDonald's
- Latest revenue
- $26.9B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $8.6B
- Net margin
- 31.9%
- Revenue growth
- +1.0% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Tata Motors
- Latest revenue
- ~$9.7B (FY2026)
- Net income
- ~$351.5M
- Net margin
- 3.6%
- Revenue growth
- +3.2% a year, FY2024–FY2026
Financial summary
McDonald's
McDonald's corporate revenue ($26.885 billion in 2025, up 3.7%) is a fraction of the roughly $139 billion that customers spend across the system, because franchised restaurant sales are not booked as company revenue. What the company does book is mostly franchise rent and royalties, which explains net income of $8.563 billion in 2025 and operating margins well above typical restaurant operators. In Q2 2026, revenue rose 4% (2% in constant currency) to about $7.1 billion, diluted EPS was $3.32 ($3.38 adjusted), and systemwide sales grew 5% to $37 billion. The company returns most free cash flow through dividends, which it has raised every year since 1976, and share buybacks.
Tata Motors
The post-demerger Tata Motors Limited reported FY2026 (year to March 31, 2026) revenue from operations of ~$9.73B (INR83,855 Cr), up 44% from ~$6.75B (INR58,217 Cr), as wholesales rose 14% to about 428,000 units. The jump partly reflects the changed perimeter after the demerger, so it is not a clean like-for-like growth rate. Profit for the year fell 5.2% to ~$351M (INR3,030 Cr), weighed by one-time demerger costs (about $111M (INR960 Cr) in Q3) and new labour-code charges. Momentum carried into Q1 FY2027: revenue rose about 20% to ~$2.39B (INR20,576 Cr) and attributable profit rose 83% to ~$297M (INR2,560 Cr), helped by a one-time gain linked to Tata Capital, while commodity costs squeezed margins.
Revenue and profit by year
McDonald's
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $26.9B | $8.6B | 31.9% | +3.7% | Source |
| FY2024 | $25.9B | $8.2B | 31.7% | +1.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | $25.5B | $8.5B | 33.2% | +10.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | $23.2B | $6.2B | 26.6% | -0.2% | Source |
| FY2021 | $23.2B | $7.5B | 32.5% | +20.9% | Source |
| FY2020 | $19.2B | $4.7B | 24.6% | -10.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $21.4B | $6B | 28.2% | +0.5% | Source |
| FY2018 | $21.3B | $5.9B | 27.9% | -6.8% | Source |
| FY2017 | $22.8B | $5.2B | 22.8% | -7.3% | Source |
| FY2016 | $24.6B | $4.7B | 19.0% | — | Source |
Tata Motors
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | ~$9.7B | ~$351.5M | 3.6% | +44.0% | Source |
| FY2025 | ~$6.8B | ~$370.6M | 5.5% | -26.1% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$9.1B | — | 0.0% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
McDonald's
- Franchise rent and royalties~45%
Franchise rent and royalties
- Company-operated restaurants~25%
Company-operated restaurants
- Licensing and delivery economics~15%
Licensing and delivery economics
Tata Motors
- Trucks and small commercial vehicles
Primary revenue source
Revenue from trucks, pickups, small commercial vehicles and heavy vehicles.
- Buses and vans
Major segment
Bus and van sales to public transport, schools, fleets and private operators.
- Spares and services
Recurring support stream
Parts, maintenance, service contracts, uptime products and dealer service revenue.
- Connected and non-vehicular businesses
Strategic growth stream
Fleet Edge, Tata OK, aggregates and other mobility services.
Business model and strategy
McDonald's
How it makes money
About 95% of McDonald's restaurants are owned and operated by franchisees or developmental licensees. The corporation makes money in three main ways: (1) rent, because it owns or leases the land and buildings at many franchised sites and charges franchisees rent, often tied to a percentage of sales; (2) royalties, a percentage of each restaurant's monthly sales;
Growth strategy
McDonald's growth plan, branded Accelerating the Arches, rests on marketing, core menu (burgers, chicken, coffee), and the 3 D's: digital, delivery, and drive-thru. The company targets roughly 50,000 restaurants worldwide by the end of 2027, with China, other developmental licensed markets, and the U.S. contributing the largest number of openings.
Competitive advantage
McDonald's advantage is scale that rivals cannot easily copy: more than 45,000 restaurants, control of prime real estate at many franchised sites, a long-tenured franchisee base that funds most store capital, and a supply chain that buys beef, potatoes, chicken, and packaging at volumes few chains match.
Tata Motors
How it makes money
Tata Motors -- following an October 2025 demerger that split the historic company in two -- now refers specifically to the commercial-vehicle business: trucks, buses, and other heavy vehicles sold mostly to the Indian domestic market, plus a proposed international expansion through the pending Iveco Group acquisition.
Growth strategy
Tata Motors is growing through next-generation trucks, buses, electric and alternative-fuel commercial vehicles, Fleet Edge, service parts, exports, operational discipline and the planned Iveco expansion.
Competitive advantage
Tata Motors' advantage is its scale in Indian commercial vehicles, deep dealer and service reach, Tata brand trust, engineering base and ability to bundle vehicles, spares, fleet tools and service.
Questions about McDonald's vs Tata Motors
Which company has higher revenue — McDonald's Corporation or Tata Motors Limited?
McDonald's Corporation reported $26.9B (FY2025), while Tata Motors Limited reported ~$9.7B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, McDonald's Corporation is the larger business, with Tata Motors Limited reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of McDonald's Corporation vs Tata Motors Limited?
McDonald's Corporation's market capitalisation stands at $175.7B, while Tata Motors Limited's is $17.5B. McDonald's Corporation carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Tata Motors Limited.
Which is more financially efficient — McDonald's Corporation or Tata Motors Limited?
McDonald's Corporation generates $179k / employee in revenue per employee, while Tata Motors Limited generates $240k / employee. Tata Motors Limited shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do McDonald's Corporation and Tata Motors Limited make money?
McDonald's Corporation and Tata Motors Limited generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. McDonald's Corporation: About 95% of McDonald's restaurants are owned and operated by franchisees or developmental licensees. Tata Motors Limited: Tata Motors -- following an October 2025 demerger that split the historic company in two -- now refers specifically to the commercial-vehicle business: trucks, buses, and other heavy vehicles sold mostly to the Indian domestic market, plus a proposed international expansion through the pending Iveco Group acquisition.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — McDonald's Corporation or Tata Motors Limited?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, McDonald's Corporation trades at 6.5x P/S and Tata Motors Limited at 1.8x P/S. McDonald's Corporation commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Tata Motors Limited. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is McDonald's Corporation bigger than Tata Motors Limited?
By last reported revenue, McDonald's Corporation ($26.9B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Tata Motors Limited (~$9.7B (FY2026)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the McDonald's vs Tata Motors overview