Archive · 30 Nov 2025
Delhi's CC Market: A Community Hub
In Delhi, there's a special place called New Friends Colony.
A long time ago, a man named Ram Lal Jaggi bought land from villagers to build homes for people who needed a place to live.
As more people moved in, they needed shops for groceries and other things.
So, a market called CC Market was built.
Two shopkeepers, Gurcharan Singh and M Z Beg, started their businesses there.
Gurcharan opened a grocery store, and M Z Beg started the first shawarma shop in Delhi.
Even though times were tough, like during the pandemic, both shops managed to stay open.
The market has become an important part of the community, where people can shop and share stories.
CC Market in New Friends Colony, Delhi, was established in the 1960s to serve the growing residential area.
The market began with eight shops and has since expanded to 36 stores selling various goods.
Gurcharan Singh opened Jai Mata General Store, a grocery shop, in the early 1970s and has been a beloved part of the market ever since.
M Z Beg, after learning to cook Arabic delicacies in Saudi Arabia, opened Al-Bake, Delhi's first shawarma shop, in 2000.
Both shops survived the pandemic, with Beg's benefiting from online deliveries and Singh's enduring through grit and community support.
- Who
- Residents and shopkeepers of New Friends Colony, Delhi
- What
- The history and evolution of CC Market in New Friends Colony
- When
- The market's origins date back to the 1960s, with significant developments in the 1970s and 2000s
- Where
- New Friends Colony, Delhi
- Why
- To provide goods and services to the newly established residential area, fostering a sense of community
- Location
- New Friends Colony, Delhi
- Established
- 1960
- Founder
- Ram Lal Jaggi
- First Shops
- 1970s
- Shops Now
- 36
- Notable Businesses
- Jai Mata General Store, Al-Bake
- Pandemic Survival
- Both shops survived the pandemic