Acting is the art and art has to be nurtured properly. Roshan Taneja is a film acting institute in Mumbai. It provide training in acting, television acting, film acting, diction training, theatre acting, bollywood dance, professional acting. It is the leading acting school in India and has many success stories with glorious 45 years of successful training.
Roshan Taneja Foundation for Performing Arts
Mr. Roshan Taneja is Indian guru of acting and has been teaching over 45 years. Roshan Taneja school of acting is the pioneer acting school in India. It conducts acting classes, professional acting course, bollywood acting course, theatre acting course, training in action, diction course, television acting course, crash course on acting, etc.
Course And Curriculum
With wide experience in field of teaching acting, Roshan Taneja provides all kind of acting courses which includes Improvisation, diction training, action training, monologue training, bollywood dance training, professional acting course, television acting course, bollywood acting course, theatre acting course etc.
Faculty
Roshan Taneja is the leading film acting institute in India who offers training on acting course like professional acting course, training in acting, film acting course, television acting course, theatre acting course, bollywood acting course, training in action, bollywood dance, diction training, scene training etc. with help of professional acting tutors who have huge experience and are associated with acting school since years.
Admissions
Roshan Taneja acting school is one of the leading film acting institutes in Mumbai and offers admission to people who want to learn acting. It offers professional acting course, television acting course, theatre acting course, bollywood acting course, training in action, bollywood dance, etc.
News
Roshan Taneja foundation of performing art has been the centre of attraction for acting professionals in Mumbai. It is the leading acting school in Mumbai and offers course on professional acting course, theatre acting course, television acting course, bollywood acting course, etc. and always remains in news due to various actors coming to acting school and giving their valuable tips to students on how to improve acting.
Franchise for Acting School
Roshan Taneja which is leading acting school in India, now offers franchise to the interested persons, this franchise will offer same training which Roshan Taneja school of acting conduct. These trainings will include professional acting courses, television acting courses, theatre acting courses, diction courses, bollywood acting courses, dance training, action training, etc.
Roshan Taneja Foundation of Performing Art, Mumbai
For any kind of training on professional acting classes, theatre acting classes, television acting classes, bollywood acting classes, action training, bollywood dance training, diction training. Contact Roshan Taneja which is the leading acting school in Mumbai.
Tags:Acting School Franchise, Performing Arts Franchise, Roshan Taneja Franchise, Franchise For Acting School, Film Institute Franchise, Dance Training Franchise, Bollywood Franchise.
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Gili to open 50 EBOs (COCO & FOFO Stores) by the end of 2010, Bets big on Tier II cities.
Having embarked on its shop-in-shop (SIS) format around 15 years ago, Gili – the diamond jewellery brand of Gitanjali Group – is set to open 50 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) by the end of this year. The EBOs, known as Gili World, have two formats – COCO stores (company owned and company operated) and FOFO stores (franchisee owned and franchisee operated) – and will be launched in tier II cities across India.
"EBOs are a new territory and in the branded jewellery segment, there is immense growth potential in this format. Having said that, it is also known that Gili is a pioneer in the category and enjoys a big chunk of the market share – about 46 per cent in SIS. So, the next logical step for expansion and growth is to capitalise on the EBO format," underlines Rahul Vira, CEO, Gili India Ltd.
Stressing that there is a lot of potential in tier II cities, Vira says, “Through Gili World, we are aspiring to create a great shopping experience for customers. While we increase the number of touch points, we also give a wider range of jewellery to choose from and go an extra mile to create customer delight.”
On why the company is upbeat on the franchise route, the CEO of Gili India says, "There is a lot of entrepreneurial calibre in India. When we choose our partners, we hope to capitalise on that skill. All our partners have strong local networks and knowledge of the catchments, making the entire business more personalised. Penetrating in tier II cities based on their experience gives us an opportunity to reach a wider customer base and make available premium products to jewellery buyers."
Gili currently has a pan-India presence through 16 operational EBOs and 145 SIS counters with major retailers such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Westside, Just In Vogue and Landmark.
Gili's existing COCO stores are located at Select Citywalk, Delhi; The Great India Place, Noida; Mantri Square and Garuda Mall, Bangalore, and R-City and Inorbit, Mumbai. Its FOFO stores are present at Hisar, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Nagpur and Satna.
Tags:gili franchise, gitanjali franchise,branded jewellery franchise, fofo stores, franchisee owned franchisee operated, tier 2 city franchise, shop in shop franchise,
coco stores.
Source:India Retailing Bureau, June
The company is exploring new locations and potential markets and has zeroed in on locations such as Aurangabad, Pune, Nagpur and Bangalore for its upcoming stores. The investment is facilitated through internal accruals.
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
"EBOs are a new territory and in the branded jewellery segment, there is immense growth potential in this format. Having said that, it is also known that Gili is a pioneer in the category and enjoys a big chunk of the market share – about 46 per cent in SIS. So, the next logical step for expansion and growth is to capitalise on the EBO format," underlines Rahul Vira, CEO, Gili India Ltd.
Stressing that there is a lot of potential in tier II cities, Vira says, “Through Gili World, we are aspiring to create a great shopping experience for customers. While we increase the number of touch points, we also give a wider range of jewellery to choose from and go an extra mile to create customer delight.”
On why the company is upbeat on the franchise route, the CEO of Gili India says, "There is a lot of entrepreneurial calibre in India. When we choose our partners, we hope to capitalise on that skill. All our partners have strong local networks and knowledge of the catchments, making the entire business more personalised. Penetrating in tier II cities based on their experience gives us an opportunity to reach a wider customer base and make available premium products to jewellery buyers."
Gili currently has a pan-India presence through 16 operational EBOs and 145 SIS counters with major retailers such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Westside, Just In Vogue and Landmark.
Gili's existing COCO stores are located at Select Citywalk, Delhi; The Great India Place, Noida; Mantri Square and Garuda Mall, Bangalore, and R-City and Inorbit, Mumbai. Its FOFO stores are present at Hisar, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Nagpur and Satna.
Tags:gili franchise, gitanjali franchise,branded jewellery franchise, fofo stores, franchisee owned franchisee operated, tier 2 city franchise, shop in shop franchise,
coco stores.
Source:India Retailing Bureau, June
The company is exploring new locations and potential markets and has zeroed in on locations such as Aurangabad, Pune, Nagpur and Bangalore for its upcoming stores. The investment is facilitated through internal accruals.
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Titan Industries Plans 50 Helion, Premium Watch Stores By 2015
Leading watchmaker Titan Industries Limited today announced to invest about Rs 100 crore for opening 50 premium watch outlets Helios in next five years to attain a sales target of Rs 400 crore.
"We have plans to open 50 outlets of Helios, which may involve an investment of close to Rs 100 crore in next five years," Company's Vice President (Retail) Ajoy Chawla told reporters after unveiling firm's second such outlet here.
In the first phase, the company will open 15 stores in top 10 cities within a year in line with its plans to have pan-India presence. "We are looking to open Helios outlets in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad etc in next 12 months," he said.
Titan Industries had come up with its first Helios store in Bangalore one and a half years back.
Although, Chawla refused to share details of revenue collected from the premium watch stores at present, he said the company targets sales of Rs 400 crore in a span of five years.
Stating that the company would also explore options of opening stores through the franchise route, Chawla said it would like to have outlets of size ranging between 1,500 square feet to 2,000 square feet.
The size of the premium watch (starting from minimum Rs 5,000) market is around Rs 500 crore and has the potential to grow further, he said.
"Last year, the market for premium and luxury watches took a hit due to slowdown. But this market has the potential to grow 30 per cent per annum in next five years in view of the growing purchasing power of people, who are highly brand conscious," he asserted.
Helios houses 34 fashion and premium global watch brands including Emporio Armani, Burberry, FCUK, Movadao, Fossil, Guess, Casio, Seiko, Titan etc.
Titan Industries is a joint venture between Tata Group and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation.
Source:Press Trust of India / Chandigarh June 22, 2010, 18:03 IST
Tags:Helios Franchise, Titan, Ajoy Chawla, Helios Outlets, franchise route,premium watch franchise, luxury watch franchise, global watch brands,Titan Franchise,Best Franchise, Latest Franchise.
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
"We have plans to open 50 outlets of Helios, which may involve an investment of close to Rs 100 crore in next five years," Company's Vice President (Retail) Ajoy Chawla told reporters after unveiling firm's second such outlet here.
In the first phase, the company will open 15 stores in top 10 cities within a year in line with its plans to have pan-India presence. "We are looking to open Helios outlets in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad etc in next 12 months," he said.
Titan Industries had come up with its first Helios store in Bangalore one and a half years back.
Although, Chawla refused to share details of revenue collected from the premium watch stores at present, he said the company targets sales of Rs 400 crore in a span of five years.
Stating that the company would also explore options of opening stores through the franchise route, Chawla said it would like to have outlets of size ranging between 1,500 square feet to 2,000 square feet.
The size of the premium watch (starting from minimum Rs 5,000) market is around Rs 500 crore and has the potential to grow further, he said.
"Last year, the market for premium and luxury watches took a hit due to slowdown. But this market has the potential to grow 30 per cent per annum in next five years in view of the growing purchasing power of people, who are highly brand conscious," he asserted.
Helios houses 34 fashion and premium global watch brands including Emporio Armani, Burberry, FCUK, Movadao, Fossil, Guess, Casio, Seiko, Titan etc.
Titan Industries is a joint venture between Tata Group and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation.
Source:Press Trust of India / Chandigarh June 22, 2010, 18:03 IST
Tags:Helios Franchise, Titan, Ajoy Chawla, Helios Outlets, franchise route,premium watch franchise, luxury watch franchise, global watch brands,Titan Franchise,Best Franchise, Latest Franchise.
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Shapoorjee Chandabhoy To Invest In Franchise Companies, Ace Tours and Liverpool Retail.
AHMEDABAD: Mumbai-BASED non-banking finance company (NBFC) Shapoorjee Chandabhoy Finvest Pvt Ltd (SCFPL) is planning to invest in two Gujarat-based small and medium-size companies — Ace Tour & Travel Ltd and Liverpool Retail India Ltd. The negotiations with both the companies that are into travel and readymade garment business are at the final stages and expected to conclude within the next few months.
If all goes as planned, SCFPL will pick up 26% stake in Ace Tour, a Surat-based travel company, for Rs 25 crore, and 20% in Liverpool Retail India Ltd, an Ahmedabad-based readymade garment retailing company, for Rs 15 crore.
Confirming the development, SCFPL president Farzan Ghadially told ET: “We are in the final stages of negotiation with both the companies. We see a lot of potential in both the sectors.” He further said the firm was looking at investments in the Rs 1 - 25 crore range, targeting small and medium size enterprises.
According to Liverpool MD Kailash Gupta: “The deal is yet to conclude. If done, we will be using the funds for further expansion.” Liverpool promoted by Vijay Singh Rathod and Kailash Gupta ventured into the readymade garment sector in 2001 and launched its fashion retail chain across the country under the brand name Liverpool in 2006.
Liverpool Retail recently added five family showrooms in Gujarat, Mumbai and Bangalore and plans to further scale up its presence in other parts of the country. “We intend to open up 50 family stores and also start our own garment manufacturing,” added Mr Gupta.
Currently, Liverpool sources its garments from third parties. With fresh capital infusion, it intends to source 25% of its garment requirements from in-house manufacturing. "It's a backward integration for us," he pointed out.
Ace Tour on the other hand wants to expand in western India especially in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Currently, the company has presence in four major cities of Gujarat and at a few locations in Maharashtra . Talking to ET, Raju Choksi MD of the Surat-based company said: “Once we are done with western India, then we will go for pan-India expansion.” Ace Tour & Travel was established in 1996 as a small family run neighborhood business, founded by Raju Choksi and Bharat Choksi. By 2008, the company expanded to seven branches. It now has 12 franchises in India and in the UK .
Tags:Invest In Franchise, Franchise Investments, Franchise Funding, Franchise Financing, Ace Tours, Travel Franchise, Raju Choksi, Liverpool retail, kailash gupta, vijay singh rathod, bharat choksi, Apparel Franchise
Source:22 Jun 2010, 1450 hrs IST,ET Bureau
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
If all goes as planned, SCFPL will pick up 26% stake in Ace Tour, a Surat-based travel company, for Rs 25 crore, and 20% in Liverpool Retail India Ltd, an Ahmedabad-based readymade garment retailing company, for Rs 15 crore.
Confirming the development, SCFPL president Farzan Ghadially told ET: “We are in the final stages of negotiation with both the companies. We see a lot of potential in both the sectors.” He further said the firm was looking at investments in the Rs 1 - 25 crore range, targeting small and medium size enterprises.
According to Liverpool MD Kailash Gupta: “The deal is yet to conclude. If done, we will be using the funds for further expansion.” Liverpool promoted by Vijay Singh Rathod and Kailash Gupta ventured into the readymade garment sector in 2001 and launched its fashion retail chain across the country under the brand name Liverpool in 2006.
Liverpool Retail recently added five family showrooms in Gujarat, Mumbai and Bangalore and plans to further scale up its presence in other parts of the country. “We intend to open up 50 family stores and also start our own garment manufacturing,” added Mr Gupta.
Currently, Liverpool sources its garments from third parties. With fresh capital infusion, it intends to source 25% of its garment requirements from in-house manufacturing. "It's a backward integration for us," he pointed out.
Ace Tour on the other hand wants to expand in western India especially in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Currently, the company has presence in four major cities of Gujarat and at a few locations in Maharashtra . Talking to ET, Raju Choksi MD of the Surat-based company said: “Once we are done with western India, then we will go for pan-India expansion.” Ace Tour & Travel was established in 1996 as a small family run neighborhood business, founded by Raju Choksi and Bharat Choksi. By 2008, the company expanded to seven branches. It now has 12 franchises in India and in the UK .
Tags:Invest In Franchise, Franchise Investments, Franchise Funding, Franchise Financing, Ace Tours, Travel Franchise, Raju Choksi, Liverpool retail, kailash gupta, vijay singh rathod, bharat choksi, Apparel Franchise
Source:22 Jun 2010, 1450 hrs IST,ET Bureau
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
IRCTC Warns Its Franchisees Against Taking Bribes, Cracks Whip against Erring Franchisees.
Ensuring that all franchisees offer their services in line with the franchisers guidelines and code of conduct,Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) recently announced that it will cancel the franchise of the owners, if they book “tatkal” e-tickets online against payment of graft, said Mr Shishir Khare, zonal tourism officer of IRCTC of eastern zone. He said the IRCTC will reject the user identification number of the offender permanently.
Mr Khare also pointed out that they have already rejected 3000 franchise on charges of irregularities. The IRCTC has already organised seminars and meeting for the franchise to aware them not to indulge in malpractice. Mr Khare highlighted that they will also aware train passengers as they will inform senior IRCTC officials whenever a passenger will be a victim of any malpractice by any franchise. IRCTC, on of India's largest franchisers has 50,000 franchises in India, who help passengers to book e-ticket, hotel booking, cab booking and charter coach booking. Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Anti-Fraud squad of commercial department of Eastern railway have arrested 39 touts on charges of selling train tickets outside of railway reservation centre.
Taking strong steps on proper franchise management, IRCTC, reached out to its franchisees to fall in line, to ensure that its customers have a hassle free ticket buying experience.
Tags:IRCTC Franchise, Railways Franchise, Franchise Rejections, Cancel Franchise Agreements, Franchise Training, Franchise Management,Franchise Relationship, Training Programme, Franchise Malpractice
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Mr Khare also pointed out that they have already rejected 3000 franchise on charges of irregularities. The IRCTC has already organised seminars and meeting for the franchise to aware them not to indulge in malpractice. Mr Khare highlighted that they will also aware train passengers as they will inform senior IRCTC officials whenever a passenger will be a victim of any malpractice by any franchise. IRCTC, on of India's largest franchisers has 50,000 franchises in India, who help passengers to book e-ticket, hotel booking, cab booking and charter coach booking. Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Anti-Fraud squad of commercial department of Eastern railway have arrested 39 touts on charges of selling train tickets outside of railway reservation centre.
Taking strong steps on proper franchise management, IRCTC, reached out to its franchisees to fall in line, to ensure that its customers have a hassle free ticket buying experience.
Tags:IRCTC Franchise, Railways Franchise, Franchise Rejections, Cancel Franchise Agreements, Franchise Training, Franchise Management,Franchise Relationship, Training Programme, Franchise Malpractice
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Goldgenie Appoint AARi as India Master Franchise
AARi one of India’s largest diamond treatment companies has bought a Goldgenie Master Franchise. Launching on Monday, the owners are a match made in heaven for Goldgenie who already supply bespoke diamond phones and iPods. With the help of their Asian partners, they are looking to expand this part of the business into the lucrative Indian market. Our Goldgenie partners will be carrying out the same services as Goldgenie in the United Kingdom which includes customization of products in finishes such as gold and gold plating, platinum, Swarovski crystals and diamonds.
Tags:Goldgenie, AARi, Gold Plating Franchise, Swarovski, India Master Franchise,Indian Master Franchise, Asia Franchise Partners, franchise partners,India Partners, India Franchisee,india franchise,
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Tags:Goldgenie, AARi, Gold Plating Franchise, Swarovski, India Master Franchise,Indian Master Franchise, Asia Franchise Partners, franchise partners,India Partners, India Franchisee,india franchise,
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
International Bakery Chain,Cinnabon, Opens Its Second Franchise Outlet In India at Bandra, Mumbai.
An American bakery chain that sells cinnamon-flavoured rolls has opened up its second outlet in India, in Bandra. The first ever Cinnabon Bakery opened in Delhi a year ago.
Now the first Mumbai branch has opened its doors in Pali Naka, on the former premises of HAS Juice bar. Apart from being a take-away, the bakery also has a small quick-service seating area.
Dish Hospitality, which runs Aurus in Juhu, has the master franchise for the Cinnabon brand in India and intends to open up 150 outlets here over the next eight years. A second Mumbai outlet will open in Juhu opposite the JW Marriott Hotel on June 29.
The entire menu at the bakery in India is eggless. Naveen Madan, brand head of Cinnabon India, says: “This suits the Indian palate as many Indians don’t like eggs. The secret is that despite not having eggs, they taste exactly the same as the ones made across the world with eggs. Indians are known for having a sweet tooth and these are anytime snacks.” Madan adds, “We think they will especially appeal to college students and ladies.”
The American company started in Seattle in 1985 and now has 650 outlets worldwide. It is most famous for its Cinnabon Classic Roll, which is priced at Rs 100 at the Bandra branch.
A guarantee of Cinnabon is that any roll is sold hot within 30 minutes of being baked on the premises. Cinnabon signature frozen blended drinks include MochaLatta Chills as well as MangoLatta Chills.
Tags:Bakery Franchise, Bakery Chain, Cinnabon, Dish Hospitality, India Master Franchise,Veg Franchise, Vegetarian Franchise, Cinnabon India, India Entry Strategy, India Franchise Consultants,
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.If you are a company or group seeking international franchisees or are a international brand seeking india master franchise or India Entry to Establishment Solutions, Speak to Us. Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Now the first Mumbai branch has opened its doors in Pali Naka, on the former premises of HAS Juice bar. Apart from being a take-away, the bakery also has a small quick-service seating area.
Dish Hospitality, which runs Aurus in Juhu, has the master franchise for the Cinnabon brand in India and intends to open up 150 outlets here over the next eight years. A second Mumbai outlet will open in Juhu opposite the JW Marriott Hotel on June 29.
The entire menu at the bakery in India is eggless. Naveen Madan, brand head of Cinnabon India, says: “This suits the Indian palate as many Indians don’t like eggs. The secret is that despite not having eggs, they taste exactly the same as the ones made across the world with eggs. Indians are known for having a sweet tooth and these are anytime snacks.” Madan adds, “We think they will especially appeal to college students and ladies.”
The American company started in Seattle in 1985 and now has 650 outlets worldwide. It is most famous for its Cinnabon Classic Roll, which is priced at Rs 100 at the Bandra branch.
A guarantee of Cinnabon is that any roll is sold hot within 30 minutes of being baked on the premises. Cinnabon signature frozen blended drinks include MochaLatta Chills as well as MangoLatta Chills.
Tags:Bakery Franchise, Bakery Chain, Cinnabon, Dish Hospitality, India Master Franchise,Veg Franchise, Vegetarian Franchise, Cinnabon India, India Entry Strategy, India Franchise Consultants,
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.If you are a company or group seeking international franchisees or are a international brand seeking india master franchise or India Entry to Establishment Solutions, Speak to Us. Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Watch IT Opens Its First India Franchise Store At Andheri, Mumbai.
Watch IT! Incorporated recently opened its first store in Mumbai, India. Watch IT! Inc. entered into a master franchise agreement with the retail subsidiary, Solo Commodities Pvt. Ltd. of the prestigious Lokhandwala Infrastructure Group -- one of Mumbai's premier real estate developers.
The agreement calls for the opening of 10 new retail stores across India with the first store now open in Mumbai's new first-class shopping center the Mega Mall in Andheri with the second location opening next week.
"Opening in India along with Lokhandwala Infrastructure is very exciting for the entire company. This is a key step in our planned international expansion and we are fortunate to have great local partners, a great team of staff and we feel confident that our boutique and unique product mix will be well received in the Indian market." Says Darren Bondar, President & founder of Watch IT!
"Watch IT! is a dynamic company with product offerings, vitality and creativity that rubs off on our customers which will allow us to continue to expand our company through a combination of corporate and master franchise openings worldwide."
Rishi Somaiya, Executive Director: "We identified a need in India for quality watch and sunglass retailing. After searching worldwide for a concept, we found Watch IT! and our due diligence and likeminded company philosophies concluded that the Watch IT! format will significantly improve the retail experience for watch consumers in the market."
About Watch It Incorporated
Founded in 1999, Watch IT! is a retail company that is expanding worldwide through a combination of corporate and master license agreements. Watch IT! aims to capitalize on the gap in the international marketplace by issuing master franchise licenses to qualified partners.
Watch IT! carries a huge selection of the biggest names in fashion watches and sunglasses, including brands such as Fossil, Diesel, Swatch, Nixon, Citizen, Seiko, Guess, Oakley, Spy, D&G, and more. Each boutique carries hundreds of unique and innovative brand name styles of watches, sunglasses, jewelry and accessories that are cutting edge and lead the worldwide industry in both technological innovation and fashion design. Watch IT! customers take pride in their individuality, their sense of style, and their appreciation for quality.
About Solo Commodities PVT. Ltd.
Solo Commodities PVT. Ltd. is a newly formed retail division of The Lokhandwala Group. Founded in the year 1966, the group is diversified beyond its main line of business which is Real Estate and Property Development, are has activities such as exports, high tensile steel wires, plastics, outdoor advertising and event management.
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.If you want to know the finest master franchisees available for India Call us for our customized master franchise match making services.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
The agreement calls for the opening of 10 new retail stores across India with the first store now open in Mumbai's new first-class shopping center the Mega Mall in Andheri with the second location opening next week.
"Opening in India along with Lokhandwala Infrastructure is very exciting for the entire company. This is a key step in our planned international expansion and we are fortunate to have great local partners, a great team of staff and we feel confident that our boutique and unique product mix will be well received in the Indian market." Says Darren Bondar, President & founder of Watch IT!
"Watch IT! is a dynamic company with product offerings, vitality and creativity that rubs off on our customers which will allow us to continue to expand our company through a combination of corporate and master franchise openings worldwide."
Rishi Somaiya, Executive Director: "We identified a need in India for quality watch and sunglass retailing. After searching worldwide for a concept, we found Watch IT! and our due diligence and likeminded company philosophies concluded that the Watch IT! format will significantly improve the retail experience for watch consumers in the market."
About Watch It Incorporated
Founded in 1999, Watch IT! is a retail company that is expanding worldwide through a combination of corporate and master license agreements. Watch IT! aims to capitalize on the gap in the international marketplace by issuing master franchise licenses to qualified partners.
Watch IT! carries a huge selection of the biggest names in fashion watches and sunglasses, including brands such as Fossil, Diesel, Swatch, Nixon, Citizen, Seiko, Guess, Oakley, Spy, D&G, and more. Each boutique carries hundreds of unique and innovative brand name styles of watches, sunglasses, jewelry and accessories that are cutting edge and lead the worldwide industry in both technological innovation and fashion design. Watch IT! customers take pride in their individuality, their sense of style, and their appreciation for quality.
About Solo Commodities PVT. Ltd.
Solo Commodities PVT. Ltd. is a newly formed retail division of The Lokhandwala Group. Founded in the year 1966, the group is diversified beyond its main line of business which is Real Estate and Property Development, are has activities such as exports, high tensile steel wires, plastics, outdoor advertising and event management.
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.If you want to know the finest master franchisees available for India Call us for our customized master franchise match making services.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Compucom Play School Signs Its First Franchise In Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Compucom Software Ltd has signed its first franchise agreement to open a Pre-School under Compucom PlaySchool brand name in Jaipur Rajasthan. The company has ventured in Pre-School business seeing the huge market for such branded pre-schools in India. Some of the researches have estimated a market size of Rs 5,000 crore and is estimated to grow by 25% annually. On BSE, the company's shares were up 2.46% at Rs 18.75.
Source:LIVE FROM BSE/NSE,18 Jun, 2010, 1530 hrs IST,
Tags:compucom software ltd, compucom playschool, franchise in jaipur, franchise in rajasthan,pre-school business, branded pre-schools, Pre School Franchise,
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Source:LIVE FROM BSE/NSE,18 Jun, 2010, 1530 hrs IST,
Tags:compucom software ltd, compucom playschool, franchise in jaipur, franchise in rajasthan,pre-school business, branded pre-schools, Pre School Franchise,
This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Nirula's to expand its franchise footprint aggressively.
Going ahead with its expansion plan, Nirula's has recently opened outlets in Mumbai, Indore and Mussoorie.
"We would soon open more outlets in Mumbai, Bangalore, Jalandhar and Pathankot," said Samir Kuckreja, CEO and MD of Nirula's.
The QSR chain currently operates 75 outlets in 16 cities and the company plans to take the count to 200 outlets by March 2011. "The 125 new outlets will include 80 metro express format at Delhi Metro (stations) and 20 company-owned ice-cream kiosks. These formats will significantly improve our footprint and enable us to penetrate the Delhi, NCR market through increased customer touch-points," he added.
The company plans to have both metro express format, covering an area of 50-60 sq ft, as well as ice-cream kiosks/parlours, spreading between 75-200 sq ft area on an average.
Franchising is the next big ticket item for Nirula’s. "Currently, we have a number of franchisees to whom we provide training, product and marketing support in setting up and successfully running their restaurants. We’ve recently opened outlets in Indore, Mussoorie and at the Mumbai domestic airport. We are in discussions with potential franchise partners to open more outlets in Mumbai, Bangalore and Jalandhar and also looking at other opportunities including transit locations such as railway stations and inter-city bus stands, corporate parks/buildings and educational institutions," said Kuckreja.
For the entire expansion plan, the company would need Rs 15 crore, which would be raised through internal accruals, equity infusion and debt. The company has significantly increased the investment budget for its marketing plan, this year. "Each new unit has a marketing budget for which a plan is made on the basis of local unit requirements," Kuckreja added.
Tags:qsr chain, nirulas franchise, express format franchise,franchising, potential franchise partners,railway station franchise, franchise at bus stands, franchise expansion, Mumbai Franchise.
Note:This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
"We would soon open more outlets in Mumbai, Bangalore, Jalandhar and Pathankot," said Samir Kuckreja, CEO and MD of Nirula's.
The QSR chain currently operates 75 outlets in 16 cities and the company plans to take the count to 200 outlets by March 2011. "The 125 new outlets will include 80 metro express format at Delhi Metro (stations) and 20 company-owned ice-cream kiosks. These formats will significantly improve our footprint and enable us to penetrate the Delhi, NCR market through increased customer touch-points," he added.
The company plans to have both metro express format, covering an area of 50-60 sq ft, as well as ice-cream kiosks/parlours, spreading between 75-200 sq ft area on an average.
Franchising is the next big ticket item for Nirula’s. "Currently, we have a number of franchisees to whom we provide training, product and marketing support in setting up and successfully running their restaurants. We’ve recently opened outlets in Indore, Mussoorie and at the Mumbai domestic airport. We are in discussions with potential franchise partners to open more outlets in Mumbai, Bangalore and Jalandhar and also looking at other opportunities including transit locations such as railway stations and inter-city bus stands, corporate parks/buildings and educational institutions," said Kuckreja.
For the entire expansion plan, the company would need Rs 15 crore, which would be raised through internal accruals, equity infusion and debt. The company has significantly increased the investment budget for its marketing plan, this year. "Each new unit has a marketing budget for which a plan is made on the basis of local unit requirements," Kuckreja added.
Tags:qsr chain, nirulas franchise, express format franchise,franchising, potential franchise partners,railway station franchise, franchise at bus stands, franchise expansion, Mumbai Franchise.
Note:This Blog has been posted by Sparkleminds, A Franchise Consulting Company Based At Bangalore, India, Offering Complete Franchise Solutions Nationally and Internationally for more than a decade now.Visit www.sparkleminds.com for more details.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Reliance BIGFlix Looks at 150 Stores By Mar 2011 Via Franchise Route.
BIGFlix Movie Rentals, India’s largest online and offline movie rental service (a division of Reliance BIG Entertainment), announced today, its retail expansion plans via the franchise route with a total of 150 stores by March 2011. BIGFlix.com will deliver movies at home to the people residing in Tier II cities which will include Jaipur, Vadodara, Surat, Lucknow, Nasik, Jamshedpur, Kochi, Patna, Nagpur, Kanpur and many more.
BIGFlix currently delivers movies to 9 cities with a total retail presence of 60 stores and an access to a wide range of 21000 titles across 13 Indian languages. BIGFlix.com will engage local logistic partners best suited to the respective cities’ dynamics to deliver movies at home to the masses. The BIGFlix franchise business will have two models, namely, Store franchise and Master franchise. Store franchise, is where the interested party can become the franchise of a single store in any specific city and Master franchise, is where the interested party can opt for the franchise of a set number of stores for a specific geographic location.
Speaking on the announcement of the franchise plans, Mr. Puneet Sachdeva, Chief Lead- Franchise Operations, BIGFlix.com, said, “We are all geared up with the launch of our new expansion plans with the franchise route. While we will focus on the brand building and content acquisition aspects meeting with the specific requirements of the denizens residing in these cities, our franchisees will handle all the logistics and operations of the business. Considering that even today we see 75 – 80 % of our registrations come from the offline route, and constant tremendous response in terms of enquiries / registrations on our website from these cities for our movie service, we are confident that franchise model will be the most feasible path at this stage. Currently we have a customer base of 80,000 customers and with the franchise foray we aim to reach a target of 1, 50, 000 customers by March 2011.
Also, commenting on the launch, Mr. Pankaj Chandra, Chief Lead- Online Movie Rentals, said, “With the franchise route we aim to focus on the core aspects of our business and also reach as many people as possible and satisfy their overall movie entertainment needs. We have done intense research with regards to the movie watching habits of the population in these cities and have fine tuned basic requirements like content, pricing etc so as to cater to their requirements at best. Also, coupled with our constant urge to provide seamless experience of watching movies at home and aggressive marketing strategies planned for these cities, we will for sure meet their entertainment needs capturing the minds of the common man.”
BIGFlix Movie Rentals by now has 10 franchise stores in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh, Faridabad and Panipat and will start operations once they have their respective logistics partners finalized for these cities.
Notes to Editor
About BIGFlix Movie Rentals
BIGFlix.com, a part of Reliance BIG Entertainment, is India’s largest online and offline movie rental service, offering access to more than 21,000 titles. BIGFlix offers the biggest range of premium quality home video content spanning across 13 Indian as well as International languages. BIGFlix.com currently has a vast membership base of around 1,00,000 customers in the country. The service offers the biggest, widest library of films and other alternate content through multiple interfaces i.e. retail stores, online home delivery service and call centre. The service is available at affordable prices and offers option to view unlimited movies on subscription basis. With the aim to reach out to Indians of all age groups the world over, as the one entertainment hub to provide cutting-edge, world class digital content from the world of movies, TV serials, music and other short form content.
BIGFlix currently has a retail presence of 60 stores in 9 cities namely, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata.
Tags:BIGFlix Franchise, Movie Rental Franchise, Video library franchise, Store Franchise, Master Franchise, Franchise Plans, Franchise Operations, franchise model, reliance franchise,new franchise.
BIGFlix currently delivers movies to 9 cities with a total retail presence of 60 stores and an access to a wide range of 21000 titles across 13 Indian languages. BIGFlix.com will engage local logistic partners best suited to the respective cities’ dynamics to deliver movies at home to the masses. The BIGFlix franchise business will have two models, namely, Store franchise and Master franchise. Store franchise, is where the interested party can become the franchise of a single store in any specific city and Master franchise, is where the interested party can opt for the franchise of a set number of stores for a specific geographic location.
Speaking on the announcement of the franchise plans, Mr. Puneet Sachdeva, Chief Lead- Franchise Operations, BIGFlix.com, said, “We are all geared up with the launch of our new expansion plans with the franchise route. While we will focus on the brand building and content acquisition aspects meeting with the specific requirements of the denizens residing in these cities, our franchisees will handle all the logistics and operations of the business. Considering that even today we see 75 – 80 % of our registrations come from the offline route, and constant tremendous response in terms of enquiries / registrations on our website from these cities for our movie service, we are confident that franchise model will be the most feasible path at this stage. Currently we have a customer base of 80,000 customers and with the franchise foray we aim to reach a target of 1, 50, 000 customers by March 2011.
Also, commenting on the launch, Mr. Pankaj Chandra, Chief Lead- Online Movie Rentals, said, “With the franchise route we aim to focus on the core aspects of our business and also reach as many people as possible and satisfy their overall movie entertainment needs. We have done intense research with regards to the movie watching habits of the population in these cities and have fine tuned basic requirements like content, pricing etc so as to cater to their requirements at best. Also, coupled with our constant urge to provide seamless experience of watching movies at home and aggressive marketing strategies planned for these cities, we will for sure meet their entertainment needs capturing the minds of the common man.”
BIGFlix Movie Rentals by now has 10 franchise stores in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh, Faridabad and Panipat and will start operations once they have their respective logistics partners finalized for these cities.
Notes to Editor
About BIGFlix Movie Rentals
BIGFlix.com, a part of Reliance BIG Entertainment, is India’s largest online and offline movie rental service, offering access to more than 21,000 titles. BIGFlix offers the biggest range of premium quality home video content spanning across 13 Indian as well as International languages. BIGFlix.com currently has a vast membership base of around 1,00,000 customers in the country. The service offers the biggest, widest library of films and other alternate content through multiple interfaces i.e. retail stores, online home delivery service and call centre. The service is available at affordable prices and offers option to view unlimited movies on subscription basis. With the aim to reach out to Indians of all age groups the world over, as the one entertainment hub to provide cutting-edge, world class digital content from the world of movies, TV serials, music and other short form content.
BIGFlix currently has a retail presence of 60 stores in 9 cities namely, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata.
Tags:BIGFlix Franchise, Movie Rental Franchise, Video library franchise, Store Franchise, Master Franchise, Franchise Plans, Franchise Operations, franchise model, reliance franchise,new franchise.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
The Preschool Franchise Business Industry Estimated at 4000 Cr Getting Organized.
How should you venture into this business currently worth Rs 4,004 crore? Estimates are that by 2010 this business will address 126 million tiny tots in the country!
Did you know that around 50% of a person’s ability to learn is developed in the first four years of their lives? Lina Ashar, founder of Brainworks and Kangaroo Kids Education, elaborates,
This is a critical period in a child’s life when specific types of learning take place. The brain is especially receptive to stimulation in the area of language, for example, during the first three years. Therefore, children that are exposed to speech (talking, reading, singing, etc) on a regular basis, exhibit language skills that far exceed those with little verbal stimulation.”
Lina, along with many specialists in the educational field are now pitching this concept and stressing towards the importance of preschools in a child’s life. Even parents are realizing the significance of building a foundation for their kids, thanks to tough competition that exists nowadays with regards to school admissions. They no longer resort to the neighborhood play schools or day care centers but are on the lookout for preschools with a reputed name and infrastructural facilities for their child’s overall development.
Several preschool chains have already opened up in the past few years to cater to the requirement. But with around 126 million children expected to be in the age group of 0 to 4 by the year 2010, according to the United Nations Population Division, the demand for preschools in the organized segment could be on the rise like never before.
A Rs 4,004 Crore Industry
According to reports by brokerage firm CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, the preschool industry in the country is currently estimated to gross about Rs 4,004 crore ($985 million). The report also indicated that the largest chain of preschools in India comprises of just 550 schools, less than 4% of the total market potential of 15,000 preschools.
This is primarily because most preschools in India fall in the unorganized sector. Says Lina, “The business of running preschools has tremendous potential in India as it is still highly unorganized and often lacks a standardized curriculum, infrastructure and quality. Given that it is lucrative, and there is still a quality gap, there is scope for several organized players to get into this business.”
According to Sarita Sayal, Director of Mother’s Pride, which enrolls around 10,000 children annually, “Driving this growth are several social factors, like the increasing number of double income nuclear families who desire to enroll their kids in the best of schools and fear losing out on the rat race.”
Setting up the preschool
The business is said to be low on investment and high on returns, with a break-even period within the first two years of operations. “If one plans to use the franchising model only, the investments are lower, since you only need to spend on curriculum development, nationalized marketing and teacher training. Starting your own school, however, is more capital intensive, since the cost of property refurbishment, toys and other equipment is high. Excluding brand building costs, we can safely assume around Rs 15 to 20 lacs per school,” says Lina. Trishna Kids, a preschool chain launched in Hyderabad, just about a month and a half back by Triumphant Institute of Management Education (TIME) is looking at an investment of around Rs 30 crore for around 200 schools over the country in the next three years.
Playing equipment, teaching supplies, interiors and transportation for children are significant investments. Besides this, one also has to pay attention to qualified teachers and staff. Says Jayesh Nair, Head of Trishna Kids, “Often, the quality of teachers suffers if the franchising model is adopted. To deal with this, we only appoint teachers who are well experienced and qualified in dealing with children. We have a separate team that trains teachers throughout the year to keep them abreast with teaching techniques” says Jayesh.
Many preschools also invest in a day care for children. Most schools that are running such centers get any where around 50 to 100 children annually, from both within the school and outside. Madhulika Bhupatkar, Director of Little Pearls, an initiative by the house of Pearl; which also runs the Pearl Academy of Fashion, says “A day care center is definitely a secure option for many working parents. Our day care provides all the facilities that a child would typically require throughout the day. It is equipped with a sterilizer, refrigerator and microwave to cater to these needs. A full time nurse for the babies ensures that we have a well-trained personnel taking care of them.”
Apart from academics, parents are also paying a lot of importance to extra curricular activities these days, wanting their kids to pick up an instrument, dancing or a sport as early as possible. Therefore, investing in an activity center that has programs in dance, music, art and craft, drama and speech, storytelling and other outdoor games for the children is of utmost importance.
So, could setting up daycare or activity centers be an opportunity in itself? Possibly. But as Sarita puts it, “Running a day care is a very delicate business as the children involved are very young. It is best if an entrepreneur joins hands with a preschool. He can make use of its experience and also get business easily.”
Last, but not the least, according to AL Deivanathan, CMD of Apple Kids Education, a considerable chunk of your initial investment should also go towards generating brand awareness. “Besides advertising in newspapers, we also advertise in magazines like Woman’s Era and channels catering to children like Cartoon Network and Pogo.” Depending on how well the business is doing, you can cut down on this cost over time. This is because a majority of the parents depend on word of mouth (i.e. other parents) while selecting a preschool. If your reputation is good and you manage to generate a positive word of mouth, the word spreads easily.
We also got in touch with some parents to tell us about some of the other requirements while selecting a preschool. Rakhi Pathela, a housewife, whose son just passed out of Mother’s Pride this year says, “Finding a school that was in the neighborhood was important.” Bimal Uppal, a police officer, with a working wife, also agrees, “The only thing that stopped me from sending my daughter to one of these schools is the distance factor. I didn’t feel comfortable about sending a three-year-old so far away from home and eventually settled for a playschool close to home.” Jayesh also seconds this notion. “No one wants to drive for an hour for a three-hour school. It doesn’t make sense.” Therefore, ensure that you choose the right locations to set up your chain of preschools.
Both Rakhi and Bimal also stressed on the importance of large and spacious classrooms, as well as outdoor areas. “Most preschools as of now are within the four walls, with not enough space attributed to an open area for the kids to play and move around. This is extremely important for the child’s overall grooming,” says Jayesh.
Following the franchising route
Like many existing preschools in the organized sector, you can also adopt the franchising model to achieve rapid growth. Also, as more and more parents are on transferable jobs, this would ensure that the child just has to shift to another branch of the preschool, rather than leaving it.
“Franchises enable not only sharing of expenses, but also knowledge, experience, brand image, as well as technical expertise,” says Deivanathan.
While on the lookout for franchisees, most preschools have a minimum land requirement of around 1000 square feet and a franchisee fee of anywhere around Rs 4 to 40 lacs, depending on the location. The royalty fees, which is on the total fee generated by the school in a year, can range anywhere between 15% and 30%.
After selecting a franchisee, ensure that there is a similar ambience, supplies and infrastructure in all the centers. A training program for the franchisees should be set up for this. Apple Kids, that has over 160 centers all over India and claims to be the largest preschool chain in South India, provides its franchisee with staff recruitment and training, transport, gymnasium, effective promotional material and even takes care of advertising. It also provides books, uniforms, shoes, activity charts, school bags, crayons, diaries, lunch boxes and water bottles to the children. “With an investment of Rs 6 lacs and annual loyalty fee of 30%, we set up the entire school just within ten days,” says Deivanathan.
But entrepreneurs should be very alert when following this model, because it might just appear that with such little investment requirement for franchisees and the desire to scale up rapidly, the quality of education will most likely suffer. Jayesh’s advice with regard to this model is, “Ensure that the prospective franchisee has enough experience in the educational field, has reasonable financial resources and has a passion for working with kids. Since, the franchisee doesn’t deal with the company directly; it could lack quality and a professional approach.”
Having a different approach
With more and more players looking to get into this business, attracting potential clients towards your school can be a difficult task. So, how can this be dealt with? Simply put, like any other startup, either do something different or do some things differently!
Trishna Kids, for example, can boast of their quality of teachers that have been well experienced in teaching for over seven years.“The reputation of TIME itself as a leading coaching institute for competitive exams such as CAT, GRE and TOEFL, sets us apart from the rest,” says Jayesh. Apple Kids, on the other hand, boasts of its ISO 9001:2000 certification from International Certification Services, accredited by the joint accreditation system of Australia and New Zealand. “Our curriculum, syllabus and methodology are at par with the international standards,” says Deivanathan.
When asked what sets Mother’s Pride apart, Sarita says, “Our founder Sudha Gupta did an extensive research on the psychology and needs of children before chalking out a scientific curriculum. That is the reason we constantly innovate and stay abreast of all other schools. Not only children but parents are also educated about parenting through books and seminars. We invest a lot of time, energy and money in research and development.”
Little Pearls also knows exactly how to attract those little delicate darlings to their school. Their school has a doll house, kitchen and a children dress up room. “We also look at holistic development through well-planned activities such as art and craft, yoga and taekwondo and computers. Each of these activities helps the child develope motor skills as well as creativity and imagination,” claims Madhulika.
Lina claims that Brainworks has one of the most compelling value propositions in the industry today. “Firstly, we have a strong understanding of the preschool business, thanks to Kangaroo Kids and have partnerships in key areas such as book publishing. Secondly, we have our professional management team, Better Value Brands, which is in place to spearhead this venture. Last but not the least, we have the marketing and creative strength of Star TV channels, as they are our media partner.”
Looking at the Challenges
One of the biggest challenges that this industry faces at the moment is awareness amongst the parents about the importance of preschool education. “Parents usually plan, research and save up for their child’s higher studies but not preschool education,” says Sarita. Parents are not convinced about shelling out Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000 a year on preschool education.
Generating brand awareness and trust can also pose as a challenge. “It took me at least three years to make parents believe in our service. In India, everyone wants their kids to know everything at the age of three. If the neighbor’s child knows 20 rhymes, they expect their child to know the same. Since we aren’t following the traditional curriculum and are following an integrated method of education, it was hard to convince parents at first,” says Deivanathan.
We also asked Madhulika of Little Pearls what has stopped them from branching out so far. “I think the challenge we face today is the availability and readiness of quality teachers to be a part of such a setup. Preschool education requires teachers to have very specific competencies apart from an inherent passion for children; thus making it a rare combination to get.” Keeping the teacher student ratio low (around 1:10) so that every child can get individual attention could be tough when there is such a scarcity of qualified teachers.
So, how can you deal with this problem? Many housewives with MBA, B.Ed or a PhD degree can make good teachers, provided they get the right training. You can also tie up with teachers teaching in primary or secondary schools, to work with you on a part time basis.
Tags:Brainworks, Kangaroo Kids,Mothers Pride, Franchising Model, Trishna Kids,Little Pearls,Apple Kids,Preschool Franchise, Education Franchise, school franchise, Kids Franchise,play school franchise, day care franchise,
Did you know that around 50% of a person’s ability to learn is developed in the first four years of their lives? Lina Ashar, founder of Brainworks and Kangaroo Kids Education, elaborates,
This is a critical period in a child’s life when specific types of learning take place. The brain is especially receptive to stimulation in the area of language, for example, during the first three years. Therefore, children that are exposed to speech (talking, reading, singing, etc) on a regular basis, exhibit language skills that far exceed those with little verbal stimulation.”
Lina, along with many specialists in the educational field are now pitching this concept and stressing towards the importance of preschools in a child’s life. Even parents are realizing the significance of building a foundation for their kids, thanks to tough competition that exists nowadays with regards to school admissions. They no longer resort to the neighborhood play schools or day care centers but are on the lookout for preschools with a reputed name and infrastructural facilities for their child’s overall development.
Several preschool chains have already opened up in the past few years to cater to the requirement. But with around 126 million children expected to be in the age group of 0 to 4 by the year 2010, according to the United Nations Population Division, the demand for preschools in the organized segment could be on the rise like never before.
A Rs 4,004 Crore Industry
According to reports by brokerage firm CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, the preschool industry in the country is currently estimated to gross about Rs 4,004 crore ($985 million). The report also indicated that the largest chain of preschools in India comprises of just 550 schools, less than 4% of the total market potential of 15,000 preschools.
This is primarily because most preschools in India fall in the unorganized sector. Says Lina, “The business of running preschools has tremendous potential in India as it is still highly unorganized and often lacks a standardized curriculum, infrastructure and quality. Given that it is lucrative, and there is still a quality gap, there is scope for several organized players to get into this business.”
According to Sarita Sayal, Director of Mother’s Pride, which enrolls around 10,000 children annually, “Driving this growth are several social factors, like the increasing number of double income nuclear families who desire to enroll their kids in the best of schools and fear losing out on the rat race.”
Setting up the preschool
The business is said to be low on investment and high on returns, with a break-even period within the first two years of operations. “If one plans to use the franchising model only, the investments are lower, since you only need to spend on curriculum development, nationalized marketing and teacher training. Starting your own school, however, is more capital intensive, since the cost of property refurbishment, toys and other equipment is high. Excluding brand building costs, we can safely assume around Rs 15 to 20 lacs per school,” says Lina. Trishna Kids, a preschool chain launched in Hyderabad, just about a month and a half back by Triumphant Institute of Management Education (TIME) is looking at an investment of around Rs 30 crore for around 200 schools over the country in the next three years.
Playing equipment, teaching supplies, interiors and transportation for children are significant investments. Besides this, one also has to pay attention to qualified teachers and staff. Says Jayesh Nair, Head of Trishna Kids, “Often, the quality of teachers suffers if the franchising model is adopted. To deal with this, we only appoint teachers who are well experienced and qualified in dealing with children. We have a separate team that trains teachers throughout the year to keep them abreast with teaching techniques” says Jayesh.
Many preschools also invest in a day care for children. Most schools that are running such centers get any where around 50 to 100 children annually, from both within the school and outside. Madhulika Bhupatkar, Director of Little Pearls, an initiative by the house of Pearl; which also runs the Pearl Academy of Fashion, says “A day care center is definitely a secure option for many working parents. Our day care provides all the facilities that a child would typically require throughout the day. It is equipped with a sterilizer, refrigerator and microwave to cater to these needs. A full time nurse for the babies ensures that we have a well-trained personnel taking care of them.”
Apart from academics, parents are also paying a lot of importance to extra curricular activities these days, wanting their kids to pick up an instrument, dancing or a sport as early as possible. Therefore, investing in an activity center that has programs in dance, music, art and craft, drama and speech, storytelling and other outdoor games for the children is of utmost importance.
So, could setting up daycare or activity centers be an opportunity in itself? Possibly. But as Sarita puts it, “Running a day care is a very delicate business as the children involved are very young. It is best if an entrepreneur joins hands with a preschool. He can make use of its experience and also get business easily.”
Last, but not the least, according to AL Deivanathan, CMD of Apple Kids Education, a considerable chunk of your initial investment should also go towards generating brand awareness. “Besides advertising in newspapers, we also advertise in magazines like Woman’s Era and channels catering to children like Cartoon Network and Pogo.” Depending on how well the business is doing, you can cut down on this cost over time. This is because a majority of the parents depend on word of mouth (i.e. other parents) while selecting a preschool. If your reputation is good and you manage to generate a positive word of mouth, the word spreads easily.
We also got in touch with some parents to tell us about some of the other requirements while selecting a preschool. Rakhi Pathela, a housewife, whose son just passed out of Mother’s Pride this year says, “Finding a school that was in the neighborhood was important.” Bimal Uppal, a police officer, with a working wife, also agrees, “The only thing that stopped me from sending my daughter to one of these schools is the distance factor. I didn’t feel comfortable about sending a three-year-old so far away from home and eventually settled for a playschool close to home.” Jayesh also seconds this notion. “No one wants to drive for an hour for a three-hour school. It doesn’t make sense.” Therefore, ensure that you choose the right locations to set up your chain of preschools.
Both Rakhi and Bimal also stressed on the importance of large and spacious classrooms, as well as outdoor areas. “Most preschools as of now are within the four walls, with not enough space attributed to an open area for the kids to play and move around. This is extremely important for the child’s overall grooming,” says Jayesh.
Following the franchising route
Like many existing preschools in the organized sector, you can also adopt the franchising model to achieve rapid growth. Also, as more and more parents are on transferable jobs, this would ensure that the child just has to shift to another branch of the preschool, rather than leaving it.
“Franchises enable not only sharing of expenses, but also knowledge, experience, brand image, as well as technical expertise,” says Deivanathan.
While on the lookout for franchisees, most preschools have a minimum land requirement of around 1000 square feet and a franchisee fee of anywhere around Rs 4 to 40 lacs, depending on the location. The royalty fees, which is on the total fee generated by the school in a year, can range anywhere between 15% and 30%.
After selecting a franchisee, ensure that there is a similar ambience, supplies and infrastructure in all the centers. A training program for the franchisees should be set up for this. Apple Kids, that has over 160 centers all over India and claims to be the largest preschool chain in South India, provides its franchisee with staff recruitment and training, transport, gymnasium, effective promotional material and even takes care of advertising. It also provides books, uniforms, shoes, activity charts, school bags, crayons, diaries, lunch boxes and water bottles to the children. “With an investment of Rs 6 lacs and annual loyalty fee of 30%, we set up the entire school just within ten days,” says Deivanathan.
But entrepreneurs should be very alert when following this model, because it might just appear that with such little investment requirement for franchisees and the desire to scale up rapidly, the quality of education will most likely suffer. Jayesh’s advice with regard to this model is, “Ensure that the prospective franchisee has enough experience in the educational field, has reasonable financial resources and has a passion for working with kids. Since, the franchisee doesn’t deal with the company directly; it could lack quality and a professional approach.”
Having a different approach
With more and more players looking to get into this business, attracting potential clients towards your school can be a difficult task. So, how can this be dealt with? Simply put, like any other startup, either do something different or do some things differently!
Trishna Kids, for example, can boast of their quality of teachers that have been well experienced in teaching for over seven years.“The reputation of TIME itself as a leading coaching institute for competitive exams such as CAT, GRE and TOEFL, sets us apart from the rest,” says Jayesh. Apple Kids, on the other hand, boasts of its ISO 9001:2000 certification from International Certification Services, accredited by the joint accreditation system of Australia and New Zealand. “Our curriculum, syllabus and methodology are at par with the international standards,” says Deivanathan.
When asked what sets Mother’s Pride apart, Sarita says, “Our founder Sudha Gupta did an extensive research on the psychology and needs of children before chalking out a scientific curriculum. That is the reason we constantly innovate and stay abreast of all other schools. Not only children but parents are also educated about parenting through books and seminars. We invest a lot of time, energy and money in research and development.”
Little Pearls also knows exactly how to attract those little delicate darlings to their school. Their school has a doll house, kitchen and a children dress up room. “We also look at holistic development through well-planned activities such as art and craft, yoga and taekwondo and computers. Each of these activities helps the child develope motor skills as well as creativity and imagination,” claims Madhulika.
Lina claims that Brainworks has one of the most compelling value propositions in the industry today. “Firstly, we have a strong understanding of the preschool business, thanks to Kangaroo Kids and have partnerships in key areas such as book publishing. Secondly, we have our professional management team, Better Value Brands, which is in place to spearhead this venture. Last but not the least, we have the marketing and creative strength of Star TV channels, as they are our media partner.”
Looking at the Challenges
One of the biggest challenges that this industry faces at the moment is awareness amongst the parents about the importance of preschool education. “Parents usually plan, research and save up for their child’s higher studies but not preschool education,” says Sarita. Parents are not convinced about shelling out Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000 a year on preschool education.
Generating brand awareness and trust can also pose as a challenge. “It took me at least three years to make parents believe in our service. In India, everyone wants their kids to know everything at the age of three. If the neighbor’s child knows 20 rhymes, they expect their child to know the same. Since we aren’t following the traditional curriculum and are following an integrated method of education, it was hard to convince parents at first,” says Deivanathan.
We also asked Madhulika of Little Pearls what has stopped them from branching out so far. “I think the challenge we face today is the availability and readiness of quality teachers to be a part of such a setup. Preschool education requires teachers to have very specific competencies apart from an inherent passion for children; thus making it a rare combination to get.” Keeping the teacher student ratio low (around 1:10) so that every child can get individual attention could be tough when there is such a scarcity of qualified teachers.
So, how can you deal with this problem? Many housewives with MBA, B.Ed or a PhD degree can make good teachers, provided they get the right training. You can also tie up with teachers teaching in primary or secondary schools, to work with you on a part time basis.
Tags:Brainworks, Kangaroo Kids,Mothers Pride, Franchising Model, Trishna Kids,Little Pearls,Apple Kids,Preschool Franchise, Education Franchise, school franchise, Kids Franchise,play school franchise, day care franchise,
Monday, June 14, 2010
Kaati Zone, India's First Kaati Rolls Franchise Outlet Opens at Hebbal, Bengaluru.
Bengaluru, 9th June 2010 : Kaati Zone, the first Indian fast food chain in India specializing in Kaati rolls opened its first franchise outlet at Kempapura main road, Hebbal, Bengaluru.
The brand new outlet has a seating capacity of 40 and offers dine-in, take away and delivery service to the customers. The spacious 1,200 sq ft restaurant is situated behind the Esteem Mall, near Sindhi College, in Kempapura, Hebbal. The interiors and architecture has international standard and style.
Speaking about the franchise business model, Kiran Nadkarni, CEO Kaati Zone, says "Kaati Zone is strongly differentiated in the marketplace as the only QSR brand offering Indian foods. Over 14 own restaurants in different environments, we have proven the viability of our concept. A franchise of Kaati Zone restaurant is an attractive proposition as a business idea for entrepreneurs and to generate superior returns on their capital."
Moutushi Mallik, the Hebbal Kaati Zone franchisee says, "Owning a business was a dream for many years and I looked at several options. After a lot of research, I zeroed in on Kaati Zone. The cuisine and the concept are perfect, and the company has years of experience to back my venture and a professional team to guide me at every juncture. I am very excited as the Kaati Zone business opportunity is a great fit for the change in life I was looking for."
Kaati Zone restaurants & kiosks are designed based on global trends in quick service restaurants where customers can grab a quick bite. The outlet offers the full range of items offered by Kaati Zone including Kaati Rolls, Sides, Salads, Parathas, Rice Meals, Desserts and Beverages. The outlet is open 7 days a week from 11:30am to 10:30pm.
About Kaati Zone:
Kaati Zone is the first chain of restaurants in India that specialises in Indian quick service foods. The idea of Kaati Zone was conceived by the founders as a brand of Indian quick service restaurants for customers both within India as well as overseas. Kaati Zone offers healthy and hygienic food at moderate prices and addresses the needs of busy customers in different daily environments. Presently, there are 15 Kaati Zone restaurants in Bangalore & Mumbai located at strategic locations.
For customers who want the convenience of eating a meal at home or office, Kaati Zone provides free delivery service with a dedicated call centre. Customers can call 411-22-100 to get Kaati rolls delivered at their doorstep. One can also log onto www.kaatizone.com for online ordering.
Kaati Zones in Bangalore
Church Street - S&B Towers , opposite Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank - ADCB
Indiranagar - 80 ft. Road, opposite 12th Main , adjacent to Planet M
Hebbal - Kempapura Main Road, Kempapura
Bangalore International Airport, Devanahalli - Near arrival gates
Koramangala - 5th Block, near Jyoti Niwas College and Opposite Empire Hotel
Malleswaram - 8th Main near 19th Cross, adjacent to BPCL petrol station
Banashankari - 2nd Stage, opposite BDA Complex
Total Mall - Sarjapur Road
Embassy Golf Links Business Park - Intermediate Ring Road
RMZ Infinity Tech Park - Old Madras Road
RMZ Ecospace Tech Park - Outer Ring Road
Dell Campus - Intermediate Ring Road
Accenture Campus - Bannerghatta Road
Tags:bangalore franchise, franchise bengaluru, bangalore franchising, Kaati Zone, kiosk franchise, franchise business model, kaati zone franchise, Fast Food Franchise,Restaurant Franchise,
Source:Press Release, Admanya.Com, June 14 2010.
The brand new outlet has a seating capacity of 40 and offers dine-in, take away and delivery service to the customers. The spacious 1,200 sq ft restaurant is situated behind the Esteem Mall, near Sindhi College, in Kempapura, Hebbal. The interiors and architecture has international standard and style.
Speaking about the franchise business model, Kiran Nadkarni, CEO Kaati Zone, says "Kaati Zone is strongly differentiated in the marketplace as the only QSR brand offering Indian foods. Over 14 own restaurants in different environments, we have proven the viability of our concept. A franchise of Kaati Zone restaurant is an attractive proposition as a business idea for entrepreneurs and to generate superior returns on their capital."
Moutushi Mallik, the Hebbal Kaati Zone franchisee says, "Owning a business was a dream for many years and I looked at several options. After a lot of research, I zeroed in on Kaati Zone. The cuisine and the concept are perfect, and the company has years of experience to back my venture and a professional team to guide me at every juncture. I am very excited as the Kaati Zone business opportunity is a great fit for the change in life I was looking for."
Kaati Zone restaurants & kiosks are designed based on global trends in quick service restaurants where customers can grab a quick bite. The outlet offers the full range of items offered by Kaati Zone including Kaati Rolls, Sides, Salads, Parathas, Rice Meals, Desserts and Beverages. The outlet is open 7 days a week from 11:30am to 10:30pm.
About Kaati Zone:
Kaati Zone is the first chain of restaurants in India that specialises in Indian quick service foods. The idea of Kaati Zone was conceived by the founders as a brand of Indian quick service restaurants for customers both within India as well as overseas. Kaati Zone offers healthy and hygienic food at moderate prices and addresses the needs of busy customers in different daily environments. Presently, there are 15 Kaati Zone restaurants in Bangalore & Mumbai located at strategic locations.
For customers who want the convenience of eating a meal at home or office, Kaati Zone provides free delivery service with a dedicated call centre. Customers can call 411-22-100 to get Kaati rolls delivered at their doorstep. One can also log onto www.kaatizone.com for online ordering.
Kaati Zones in Bangalore
Church Street - S&B Towers , opposite Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank - ADCB
Indiranagar - 80 ft. Road, opposite 12th Main , adjacent to Planet M
Hebbal - Kempapura Main Road, Kempapura
Bangalore International Airport, Devanahalli - Near arrival gates
Koramangala - 5th Block, near Jyoti Niwas College and Opposite Empire Hotel
Malleswaram - 8th Main near 19th Cross, adjacent to BPCL petrol station
Banashankari - 2nd Stage, opposite BDA Complex
Total Mall - Sarjapur Road
Embassy Golf Links Business Park - Intermediate Ring Road
RMZ Infinity Tech Park - Old Madras Road
RMZ Ecospace Tech Park - Outer Ring Road
Dell Campus - Intermediate Ring Road
Accenture Campus - Bannerghatta Road
Tags:bangalore franchise, franchise bengaluru, bangalore franchising, Kaati Zone, kiosk franchise, franchise business model, kaati zone franchise, Fast Food Franchise,Restaurant Franchise,
Source:Press Release, Admanya.Com, June 14 2010.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Cafe Business Opportunities Galore In India.Top Coffee Chains across the world lined up.
June.11, 2010.At least three international coffee chains are preparing to enter India, adding to a crowded market that is set to bulge some more.
The UK's Coffee Republic, Malta's Cafe Jubilee and Australia's Coffee Club Group have given mandates to retail consultancies in India to scout for franchise partners.
"We have identified real growth opportunities in India as (the) cafe culture is taking hold," said Tariq Affara, chief executive, Coffee Republic Trading Ltd. "We have international experience, a very strong brand offer, and we are excited and confident about our prospects in the Indian market."
More than 1,200 cafes have sprung up across India in the past decade, mostly from six organized chains, clocking an average annual growth of around 40 percent. They have made the cafe industry -- currently capped at Rs1,000 crore -- one of the fastest growing organized retail segments.
Chains such as Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) -- which recently acquired Czech label Cafe Emporio -- Barista and Costa Coffee plan on opening hundreds of outlets in major cities over the next two-three years, pinning their hopes on the deep pockets of India's growing class of young professionals and students.
According to industry estimates, there is scope for another 5,000 or so outlets strategically located close to offices, colleges and shopping malls.
That's the space the foreign chains want to tap.
Coffee Republic is working with consultants to identify a partner who can expand its business across India. Affara didn't name the consultant.
Cafe Jubilee and Coffee Club Group are working with New Delhi-based consultancy Franchise India Holdings Ltd for strategizing their entry into the country.
Starbucks Corp., the world's largest coffee retailer, is also eyeing the Indian market, after having dropped the plan a few years ago following some regulatory hurdles.
"At some point in the near future, we will make the right announcement and the right partner in India," chief executive Howard Schultz had told Reuters in April. "We are enthused about India."
The country is a big draw for international cafes, four of the six organized coffee chains in India being foreign players.
"It is important for the global players to drive strategies by making the campaigns more product-centric than the destination, in addition to the given mandates to flourish in India," said Gaurav Marya, president, Franchise India. "This poses a huge challenge to bring the required shift in Indian consumerism."
Their biggest challenge will come from India's largest cafe chain, CCD, which has 917 outlets in 150 cities and towns. It is looking to launch another 200 cafes to add to its presence on highways and inside malls and corporate offices by March.
CCD also plans to open 100 lounges in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Chennai to add to its single lounge in Bangalore, as well as Coffee Day Squares in major cities.
"With lounges, we hope to address young professionals who grew up on CCD and want to indulge a lot more," said K. Ramakrishnan, president of marketing.
"It's a market that needs to be created. Geographical expansion has huge possibilities. Cities are not saturated yet and the market is not limiting at all," he said.
Barista Coffee Co. Ltd, India's second largest organized cafe chain with 210 outlets, plans to launch 40-45 outlets a year in the next two-three years.
It will be followed closely by Costa Coffee, the UK's largest coffee brand, which entered India in September 2005 through an exclusive franchisee tie-up with Devyani International Ltd.
The company has opened around 50 outlets in northern and western India, and plans to invest Rs250 crore in the next four years to take its store count to 500.
But experts point out the chains are targeting the same locations and clients, with little other than price to differentiate them.
Clients agree. Prakash Chandra, a 25-year-old software engineer, said his loyalties don't lie with any particular chain, as he sat with a couple of friends, sipping from a Barista cup in Noida, a New Delhi suburb. "I go to these coffee chains very often. I go to Barista, I go to Cafe Coffee Day; anything will do for me."
Australian cafe chain Gloria Jean's Coffees, which entered India in 2008 through the Landmark Group's hospitality section, Citymax, positions itself at the upper end of the market.
The chain, which has 12 outlets across India, offers a premium cup of coffee at 10-15 percent more than a cup at Barista, which is priced at around Rs60. It is looking to add another 18 outlets by March. The prices at Costa Coffee are also 10-15 percent above that at CCD, where a regular cup costs Rs40.
"In the cafe business, it is a question of which market and segment one is targeting," said Pinakiranjan Mishra, partner and national leader, retail and consumer product practice, Ernst and Young. "One needs to see if they are offering value for that money. In future, it would become more service-led than price-led differentiation."
Outlet managers also say that with cafe chains vying for the same strategic locations, their sales are being affected. In Noida's Sector 18 market, for instance, there are four Barista outlets competing with five outlets of CCD, two of Costa Coffee and five or six small independent cafes within a radius of half a kilometre.
In Bangalore's Indiranagar locality, there are four cafes on a 1km stretch. "I wish they were not here," said the manager of one of the Indiranagar cafes, requesting anonymity. "Since they opened, we have lost at least 20 percent of our regular customers."
Tags:coffee republic, cafe jubilee, coffee club, franchise partners, retail consultancies, cafe franchise, starbucks, cafe coffee day, Cafe Emporio, barista, Costa Coffee, foreign chains,
Source:Mint,New Delhi,Deepti Chaudhury,Friday June 11,2010.
The UK's Coffee Republic, Malta's Cafe Jubilee and Australia's Coffee Club Group have given mandates to retail consultancies in India to scout for franchise partners.
"We have identified real growth opportunities in India as (the) cafe culture is taking hold," said Tariq Affara, chief executive, Coffee Republic Trading Ltd. "We have international experience, a very strong brand offer, and we are excited and confident about our prospects in the Indian market."
More than 1,200 cafes have sprung up across India in the past decade, mostly from six organized chains, clocking an average annual growth of around 40 percent. They have made the cafe industry -- currently capped at Rs1,000 crore -- one of the fastest growing organized retail segments.
Chains such as Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) -- which recently acquired Czech label Cafe Emporio -- Barista and Costa Coffee plan on opening hundreds of outlets in major cities over the next two-three years, pinning their hopes on the deep pockets of India's growing class of young professionals and students.
According to industry estimates, there is scope for another 5,000 or so outlets strategically located close to offices, colleges and shopping malls.
That's the space the foreign chains want to tap.
Coffee Republic is working with consultants to identify a partner who can expand its business across India. Affara didn't name the consultant.
Cafe Jubilee and Coffee Club Group are working with New Delhi-based consultancy Franchise India Holdings Ltd for strategizing their entry into the country.
Starbucks Corp., the world's largest coffee retailer, is also eyeing the Indian market, after having dropped the plan a few years ago following some regulatory hurdles.
"At some point in the near future, we will make the right announcement and the right partner in India," chief executive Howard Schultz had told Reuters in April. "We are enthused about India."
The country is a big draw for international cafes, four of the six organized coffee chains in India being foreign players.
"It is important for the global players to drive strategies by making the campaigns more product-centric than the destination, in addition to the given mandates to flourish in India," said Gaurav Marya, president, Franchise India. "This poses a huge challenge to bring the required shift in Indian consumerism."
Their biggest challenge will come from India's largest cafe chain, CCD, which has 917 outlets in 150 cities and towns. It is looking to launch another 200 cafes to add to its presence on highways and inside malls and corporate offices by March.
CCD also plans to open 100 lounges in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Chennai to add to its single lounge in Bangalore, as well as Coffee Day Squares in major cities.
"With lounges, we hope to address young professionals who grew up on CCD and want to indulge a lot more," said K. Ramakrishnan, president of marketing.
"It's a market that needs to be created. Geographical expansion has huge possibilities. Cities are not saturated yet and the market is not limiting at all," he said.
Barista Coffee Co. Ltd, India's second largest organized cafe chain with 210 outlets, plans to launch 40-45 outlets a year in the next two-three years.
It will be followed closely by Costa Coffee, the UK's largest coffee brand, which entered India in September 2005 through an exclusive franchisee tie-up with Devyani International Ltd.
The company has opened around 50 outlets in northern and western India, and plans to invest Rs250 crore in the next four years to take its store count to 500.
But experts point out the chains are targeting the same locations and clients, with little other than price to differentiate them.
Clients agree. Prakash Chandra, a 25-year-old software engineer, said his loyalties don't lie with any particular chain, as he sat with a couple of friends, sipping from a Barista cup in Noida, a New Delhi suburb. "I go to these coffee chains very often. I go to Barista, I go to Cafe Coffee Day; anything will do for me."
Australian cafe chain Gloria Jean's Coffees, which entered India in 2008 through the Landmark Group's hospitality section, Citymax, positions itself at the upper end of the market.
The chain, which has 12 outlets across India, offers a premium cup of coffee at 10-15 percent more than a cup at Barista, which is priced at around Rs60. It is looking to add another 18 outlets by March. The prices at Costa Coffee are also 10-15 percent above that at CCD, where a regular cup costs Rs40.
"In the cafe business, it is a question of which market and segment one is targeting," said Pinakiranjan Mishra, partner and national leader, retail and consumer product practice, Ernst and Young. "One needs to see if they are offering value for that money. In future, it would become more service-led than price-led differentiation."
Outlet managers also say that with cafe chains vying for the same strategic locations, their sales are being affected. In Noida's Sector 18 market, for instance, there are four Barista outlets competing with five outlets of CCD, two of Costa Coffee and five or six small independent cafes within a radius of half a kilometre.
In Bangalore's Indiranagar locality, there are four cafes on a 1km stretch. "I wish they were not here," said the manager of one of the Indiranagar cafes, requesting anonymity. "Since they opened, we have lost at least 20 percent of our regular customers."
Tags:coffee republic, cafe jubilee, coffee club, franchise partners, retail consultancies, cafe franchise, starbucks, cafe coffee day, Cafe Emporio, barista, Costa Coffee, foreign chains,
Source:Mint,New Delhi,Deepti Chaudhury,Friday June 11,2010.
North East Govt Promotes Entrepreneurship & Vocational Training. Starts Livelihood School Of Retail Management.
Minister inaugurates Livelihood School for Retail Management in Arithang Constituency
Youth will be given placements after completion of training: NK Pradhan
GANGTOK, June 10: State HRD Minister NK Pradhan today assured that proper education would be provided to those who are deprived of good education.
Inaugurating the Livelihood School for Retail Management for Arithang Constituency here today, Mr. Pradhan, who is also the Chairman of State Board for Livelihood School said the Government has propounded the concept of livelihood schools in the country to make the younger generation capable and produce a complete work force of technically sound and skilled individuals. “Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, the State Government has targeted every youth to be self dependent, capable of living a respectable life and capable in every aspect,” he said adding that the thrust would be on technical education.
Stating that Government wanted disciplined, qualitative, skilled, educated, technically sound and determined youths, the minister said livelihood schools were in the process of commencement in all the 31 constituencies of the State.
“Our youths have plenty of talents but in absence of proper guidance and exposure, they cannot showcase their talents,” he said. At the same time, Mr. Pradhan urged students of his constituency to give up the mentality of running after easy money and white colour jobs and opt for technical education and be self employed.
Explaining the reason behind choosing Retail Management for his constituency youth, the minister said that there was immense scope for retail market. “Around 80-90 percent youths will be given placements after undergoing the trainings,” he informed.
Under Retail management, 50 students, mainly locals are enrolled at Arithang Constituency with five instructors. The students will be given a stipend of Rs. 2500 per month, Chief Administrator of State Board of Livelihood School SD Dhakal informed. He further informed that the faculties will be given trainings at SIRD complex, Karfectar, Jorethang by the resource persons.
In his introductory note, Mr Dhakal said, “Retail management will be tomorrow’s market and under the training every aspect of retail management will be taught to the participants who start from small retail knowledge to big mall management. Livelihood management schools on animal husbandry, horticulture, fashion designing, computer software and hardware and many more are in the pipeline,” he informed.
A thousand students will be given training within a time period of one year to six months, it was informed. “Large corporate houses have entered the retail market and if India maintains the present growth, it will be the third developed country by 2032 after USA and China, Mr. Dhakal said adding “our government has the foresight and the vision and wants to provide every opportunity to the people, for which livelihood schools have been started for every constituency.”
Tags:sikkim franchise, north east franchise, business opportunities in north east, retail management,Training Franchise, Pawan Chamling, NK Pradhan, Gangtok Franchise,retail business,Franchise Business,
source; sikkim express
Youth will be given placements after completion of training: NK Pradhan
GANGTOK, June 10: State HRD Minister NK Pradhan today assured that proper education would be provided to those who are deprived of good education.
Inaugurating the Livelihood School for Retail Management for Arithang Constituency here today, Mr. Pradhan, who is also the Chairman of State Board for Livelihood School said the Government has propounded the concept of livelihood schools in the country to make the younger generation capable and produce a complete work force of technically sound and skilled individuals. “Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, the State Government has targeted every youth to be self dependent, capable of living a respectable life and capable in every aspect,” he said adding that the thrust would be on technical education.
Stating that Government wanted disciplined, qualitative, skilled, educated, technically sound and determined youths, the minister said livelihood schools were in the process of commencement in all the 31 constituencies of the State.
“Our youths have plenty of talents but in absence of proper guidance and exposure, they cannot showcase their talents,” he said. At the same time, Mr. Pradhan urged students of his constituency to give up the mentality of running after easy money and white colour jobs and opt for technical education and be self employed.
Explaining the reason behind choosing Retail Management for his constituency youth, the minister said that there was immense scope for retail market. “Around 80-90 percent youths will be given placements after undergoing the trainings,” he informed.
Under Retail management, 50 students, mainly locals are enrolled at Arithang Constituency with five instructors. The students will be given a stipend of Rs. 2500 per month, Chief Administrator of State Board of Livelihood School SD Dhakal informed. He further informed that the faculties will be given trainings at SIRD complex, Karfectar, Jorethang by the resource persons.
In his introductory note, Mr Dhakal said, “Retail management will be tomorrow’s market and under the training every aspect of retail management will be taught to the participants who start from small retail knowledge to big mall management. Livelihood management schools on animal husbandry, horticulture, fashion designing, computer software and hardware and many more are in the pipeline,” he informed.
A thousand students will be given training within a time period of one year to six months, it was informed. “Large corporate houses have entered the retail market and if India maintains the present growth, it will be the third developed country by 2032 after USA and China, Mr. Dhakal said adding “our government has the foresight and the vision and wants to provide every opportunity to the people, for which livelihood schools have been started for every constituency.”
Tags:sikkim franchise, north east franchise, business opportunities in north east, retail management,Training Franchise, Pawan Chamling, NK Pradhan, Gangtok Franchise,retail business,Franchise Business,
source; sikkim express
Friday, June 11, 2010
Entrepreneurship & Entrepreneurs Engage India Inc For Growth.Are You Ready For Business!!
Entrepreneurship Rewards:
Identify a need and fill it is the business mantra today. It calls for a certain ability to understand requirements and match the standards of produce for the customer. The measure product requirement in the market, people orientation must be properly scaled and a study of inclination to buy the product at reasonable costs must be made. Research on its utility, acceptance, weaknesses, and competition must be identified and practically addressed.
Two kinds of people cohabit the world of business. The normal business psyche markedly differs from the employee mindset. Employees are concerned with career, position, increment, and a good take home salary; and they do not go beyond. Ambitions are limited and have boundary lines.
The business oriented people have a pattern of interests and the manifold vision and mission seem to be superior in the thought process and functioning style. One with the orientation of business not only thinks of money, but his thoughts extend beyond personal growth. The strategy is to live with good employees, build higher infrastructure, produce a superior product line, win competition, and finally be the backbone of the country’s sustained economics.
Entrepreneurship invariably has a sense of independence culminating into a desire; a desire to achieve in spite of obstacles and constraints, constantly desiring to be successful. With this comes a state of mind, which becomes strong with every passing day. This desire will sustain all hardships.
The first generation entrepreneurs are those who will have crossroads of anxieties, personal dilemmas, and conflicting ideas of birth and death of business models. They have the real spirit of adventure and a diehard attitude. Some succeed and continue to win, while some meet with an untimely end.
The success and failure in business although is very transient, the qualities and personal markings that an entrepreneur must cultivate are imminent, and let us examine them.
Attributes: Doing business does not mean that one has to be equipped with high qualifications. Qualities of aggressiveness, social exposure, networking, street smartness, ability to grasp things quickly, being good at mental mathematics, and the ability to think laterally and find solutions are the most important hallmarks of intelligence that are required to become successful in business. Above all, a person must have marketing abilities.
Attitudes: Patience and perseverance are essential attributes in doing business, the ability to compromise when things are down and striving for betterment in future are qualities of merit. Scaling down or scaling up are strategic decisions and are not stagnant processes confined to boundaries of management.
Business Ethics: Business ethics and value systems need to be in place, without which the foundations will become weak over a period of time. An organization with staunch value systems and practices would certainly consolidate its brand image and brand equity. Companies gain reputation by virtue of aggrandizing customer faith and public interests, nurturing and cultivating best business practices.
Human Value Systems: A strong HRM is a deciding platform, or the root, of any organization; it has to have fair practices, be six sigma principle driven, and keep up ethical values. Traditional companies have been very successful in consolidating human resources as opposed to non-traditional companies, which, in the name of innovation and rational approach invite more trouble.
Crisis and Risk Management: Minimizing threats, maximizing benefits, and the ability to handle crisis in organizations are other great attributes. Defining the problem or issue, looking for alternatives, methodology to resolve crisis, freezing best alternatives, and implementing orders conceived by these efforts are basic requirements. Risk management should be value driven, an integral part of organizational process, should lead to focused elimination of uncertainties, and decisions need to be taken on the basis of factual information and be tailored.
Franchise Business Opportunities
The modern business opens up innumerable opportunities for the discerning entrepreneur; one such opportunity could be the franchise model. A successful business with established brand equity may offer franchise in selected areas and in your location. Here, the business model built is preconceived and meditated to generate business from day one of operations. All that one has to do is to strictly follow the defined disciplines and comply with internal and external mechanisms. There will be a detailed franchise orientation and product or service trainings, and one must learn it from the roots.
Defined clientele and expected ROI, from familiar boundary lines are the advantages in this model. Leveraging brand capitalization business edge, with no need for extra intelligence, the principal franchisor will have everything in place and one has to learn everything with patience and perseverance.
The market survey, competitor activities, and tests and trials are all being taken care of by the franchisor. It’s with this franchise model that good companies garnish further growth and capitalize markets. Name any FMCG brand today; they will have surely taken the franchise business model for their marketing strategy.
In this scope and venue, young capitalists can take maximum opportunity to start a business, with the assurance of guaranteed and measured business outlay and strategies.
MNC brands, who are onto the franchise business model, will have very defined structures in conducting their business, advertising strategies, marketing techniques, promotional campaigns, and events. Customer services will be clearly defined and practiced. Their training camps for appointed franchisees comprise of all the facets of business management. In short, franchise business being a time-tested and proven model can assuredly generate business, with the least amount of efforts and low turnaround time. Quality assurance and supervision will be slated at every stage of the product and best quality of product is guaranteed. Consumers will have assorted international brand choice and satisfaction.
Sir M.Vishweshwaraiah once said ‘Industrialize or perish’. He saw such great need for India to become self sufficient, and encouraged total industrial revolution. Entrepreneurship does not rest at the doorsteps of businessmen but extends its benefits to a larger public welfare and society. It eases unemployment in the country and creates new frontiers of employment opportunities.
Jawaharlal Nehru contended once saying: As long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work is not over. He advised us to sacrifice, focus our efforts, and to strive hard in removing poverty and hunger.
India today is Asia’s fast growing developed economy, advancing faster on the global scenario to become a super power. India's per capita income (an indicator of collective prosperity) is $1,124, ranked 139th in the world, while its per capita (PPP) of $3,176 is ranked at 128th place. Previously a closed economy, India's trade has grown fast in the past two decades. India currently accounts for 1.5 percent of world trade according to the WTO. After taking inflation into account, the per capita income is estimated to grow by 5.4 percent to Rs. 33,540 this fiscal against Rs. 31,821 during 2008-09. Last fiscal, it grew by 5 percent.
The future of India lies with its young, strong-willed entrepreneurs and the spirit with which this community takes off decides the future standing of this great nation. For the young and agile entrepreneurs multi-skilled and tailored entrepreneurship development courses, distance learning, and e-learning methodologies are now open.
Tags:India entrepreneurs, India Entrepreneurship, Franchise Business Opportunities, franchise business model, offer franchise,appoint franchisees,entrepreneurship development,
Source:Silicon India,Entrepreneurship Rewards
Author: R.Subramanya, Associate Vice President, Educampus
Identify a need and fill it is the business mantra today. It calls for a certain ability to understand requirements and match the standards of produce for the customer. The measure product requirement in the market, people orientation must be properly scaled and a study of inclination to buy the product at reasonable costs must be made. Research on its utility, acceptance, weaknesses, and competition must be identified and practically addressed.
Two kinds of people cohabit the world of business. The normal business psyche markedly differs from the employee mindset. Employees are concerned with career, position, increment, and a good take home salary; and they do not go beyond. Ambitions are limited and have boundary lines.
The business oriented people have a pattern of interests and the manifold vision and mission seem to be superior in the thought process and functioning style. One with the orientation of business not only thinks of money, but his thoughts extend beyond personal growth. The strategy is to live with good employees, build higher infrastructure, produce a superior product line, win competition, and finally be the backbone of the country’s sustained economics.
Entrepreneurship invariably has a sense of independence culminating into a desire; a desire to achieve in spite of obstacles and constraints, constantly desiring to be successful. With this comes a state of mind, which becomes strong with every passing day. This desire will sustain all hardships.
The first generation entrepreneurs are those who will have crossroads of anxieties, personal dilemmas, and conflicting ideas of birth and death of business models. They have the real spirit of adventure and a diehard attitude. Some succeed and continue to win, while some meet with an untimely end.
The success and failure in business although is very transient, the qualities and personal markings that an entrepreneur must cultivate are imminent, and let us examine them.
Attributes: Doing business does not mean that one has to be equipped with high qualifications. Qualities of aggressiveness, social exposure, networking, street smartness, ability to grasp things quickly, being good at mental mathematics, and the ability to think laterally and find solutions are the most important hallmarks of intelligence that are required to become successful in business. Above all, a person must have marketing abilities.
Attitudes: Patience and perseverance are essential attributes in doing business, the ability to compromise when things are down and striving for betterment in future are qualities of merit. Scaling down or scaling up are strategic decisions and are not stagnant processes confined to boundaries of management.
Business Ethics: Business ethics and value systems need to be in place, without which the foundations will become weak over a period of time. An organization with staunch value systems and practices would certainly consolidate its brand image and brand equity. Companies gain reputation by virtue of aggrandizing customer faith and public interests, nurturing and cultivating best business practices.
Human Value Systems: A strong HRM is a deciding platform, or the root, of any organization; it has to have fair practices, be six sigma principle driven, and keep up ethical values. Traditional companies have been very successful in consolidating human resources as opposed to non-traditional companies, which, in the name of innovation and rational approach invite more trouble.
Crisis and Risk Management: Minimizing threats, maximizing benefits, and the ability to handle crisis in organizations are other great attributes. Defining the problem or issue, looking for alternatives, methodology to resolve crisis, freezing best alternatives, and implementing orders conceived by these efforts are basic requirements. Risk management should be value driven, an integral part of organizational process, should lead to focused elimination of uncertainties, and decisions need to be taken on the basis of factual information and be tailored.
Franchise Business Opportunities
The modern business opens up innumerable opportunities for the discerning entrepreneur; one such opportunity could be the franchise model. A successful business with established brand equity may offer franchise in selected areas and in your location. Here, the business model built is preconceived and meditated to generate business from day one of operations. All that one has to do is to strictly follow the defined disciplines and comply with internal and external mechanisms. There will be a detailed franchise orientation and product or service trainings, and one must learn it from the roots.
Defined clientele and expected ROI, from familiar boundary lines are the advantages in this model. Leveraging brand capitalization business edge, with no need for extra intelligence, the principal franchisor will have everything in place and one has to learn everything with patience and perseverance.
The market survey, competitor activities, and tests and trials are all being taken care of by the franchisor. It’s with this franchise model that good companies garnish further growth and capitalize markets. Name any FMCG brand today; they will have surely taken the franchise business model for their marketing strategy.
In this scope and venue, young capitalists can take maximum opportunity to start a business, with the assurance of guaranteed and measured business outlay and strategies.
MNC brands, who are onto the franchise business model, will have very defined structures in conducting their business, advertising strategies, marketing techniques, promotional campaigns, and events. Customer services will be clearly defined and practiced. Their training camps for appointed franchisees comprise of all the facets of business management. In short, franchise business being a time-tested and proven model can assuredly generate business, with the least amount of efforts and low turnaround time. Quality assurance and supervision will be slated at every stage of the product and best quality of product is guaranteed. Consumers will have assorted international brand choice and satisfaction.
Sir M.Vishweshwaraiah once said ‘Industrialize or perish’. He saw such great need for India to become self sufficient, and encouraged total industrial revolution. Entrepreneurship does not rest at the doorsteps of businessmen but extends its benefits to a larger public welfare and society. It eases unemployment in the country and creates new frontiers of employment opportunities.
Jawaharlal Nehru contended once saying: As long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work is not over. He advised us to sacrifice, focus our efforts, and to strive hard in removing poverty and hunger.
India today is Asia’s fast growing developed economy, advancing faster on the global scenario to become a super power. India's per capita income (an indicator of collective prosperity) is $1,124, ranked 139th in the world, while its per capita (PPP) of $3,176 is ranked at 128th place. Previously a closed economy, India's trade has grown fast in the past two decades. India currently accounts for 1.5 percent of world trade according to the WTO. After taking inflation into account, the per capita income is estimated to grow by 5.4 percent to Rs. 33,540 this fiscal against Rs. 31,821 during 2008-09. Last fiscal, it grew by 5 percent.
The future of India lies with its young, strong-willed entrepreneurs and the spirit with which this community takes off decides the future standing of this great nation. For the young and agile entrepreneurs multi-skilled and tailored entrepreneurship development courses, distance learning, and e-learning methodologies are now open.
Tags:India entrepreneurs, India Entrepreneurship, Franchise Business Opportunities, franchise business model, offer franchise,appoint franchisees,entrepreneurship development,
Source:Silicon India,Entrepreneurship Rewards
Author: R.Subramanya, Associate Vice President, Educampus
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Swensens Ice Cream Franchise Opens Its First Outlet In India at Mantri Square, Bangalore
BANGALORE: American ice cream brand Swensen’s has opened its first outlet in Bangalore, India at what is purportedly the largest mall in India – The Mantri Square. The Swensen’s franchise for South India is held by the Ravi Jaipuria (RJ Group)-owned Devyani International Limited (DIL).
On the anvil over the next few months are a Swensen’s outlet at the international airport in New Delhi, three more outlets in malls and one in a high street in Bangalore. DIL is also scouting for suitable locations at malls and high streets in other major south Indian towns and cities to bring the count to over eighty during the next five years. DIL is targeting revenues of Rs.500 million from the estimated Rs 13 billion and growing organizsd ice cream retail market in India.
DIL’s mass media plans for Swensen’s, once the number of outlets have been increased, include radio and outdoor media that it has already been using for its recently launched Costa Coffee brand.
The RJ group has Indian franchises for global foods and beverages brands such as Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Costa Coffee, Pepsi and Disney Artist.
Tags: Swensens,Devyani international, Pizza Hut, kentucky fried chicken, Costa Coffee, disney artist, Ice Cream Franchise,Food Franchise, Dessert Franchise, Gelato Franchise,Mantri Square Mall
Source:Indian Television Com, 10 June, 2010.
On the anvil over the next few months are a Swensen’s outlet at the international airport in New Delhi, three more outlets in malls and one in a high street in Bangalore. DIL is also scouting for suitable locations at malls and high streets in other major south Indian towns and cities to bring the count to over eighty during the next five years. DIL is targeting revenues of Rs.500 million from the estimated Rs 13 billion and growing organizsd ice cream retail market in India.
DIL’s mass media plans for Swensen’s, once the number of outlets have been increased, include radio and outdoor media that it has already been using for its recently launched Costa Coffee brand.
The RJ group has Indian franchises for global foods and beverages brands such as Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Costa Coffee, Pepsi and Disney Artist.
Tags: Swensens,Devyani international, Pizza Hut, kentucky fried chicken, Costa Coffee, disney artist, Ice Cream Franchise,Food Franchise, Dessert Franchise, Gelato Franchise,Mantri Square Mall
Source:Indian Television Com, 10 June, 2010.
Toshiba Looks at 80 Exclusive Franchises Across India
Toshiba India Private Ltd. is planning to embark on an aggressive marketing blitz to drive its laptop business and garner a bigger pie in the Indian market. The move comes even as Toshiba is celebrating the silver jubilee of its laptop invention.
In an interaction with The Hindu, N. Sivakumar, General Manager (PC Division), said Toshiba had lined up an investment of $10 million this year. The money would primarily go into brand building, dealership expansion and strengthening of product portfolio.
He said Toshiba had now a share of four per cent in the Indian laptop market. Efforts were on to scale this up to 12 per cent by the end of this year, he added. With this focus in mind, Toshiba, he said, had decided to expand its dealership network to 850 from the existing 600. This would comprise 80 exclusive franchises who would be hawking only Toshiba products. Also, the company would expand its product offering to 30 models from the current eight.
“We will be offering products in the price range of Rs. 23,000-75,000,” he said. Wu Tengguo, Director (PC Division), said the generation next in India and other emerging markets unfortunately was not aware of Toshiba brand when it came to laptop. Therefore, the challenge lay in spreading the awareness among this segment of the population about Toshiba laptop, he said. In India since mid-1990s, Toshiba laptops were viewed only as commercial products. In this context, Mr. Tengguo pointed out that Toshiba entered the Indian market on the back of a tie-up with HCL for B2B (business to business) sales. With the dynamics of marketing changing drastically, Toshiba had now decided to focus on B2C (business to consumers), he said. The company, he explained, would bring out products to capture new segments. It would also introduce new concept products, he added.
To a specific query, he said the Indian laptop needs were now serviced from Toshiba's plant in China.
Given the low penetration of personal computers in India and given also the size of the laptop market, Mr. Tengguo felt that Toshiba would, in the medium-term, drive its focus on expanding its market share in the Indian B2C space.
Source:The Hindu, Chennai, June 4.
Tags:Laptop Franchise, dealership Expansion,Toshiba Franchise, Exclusive Franchises,Electronic Franchise, Hardware Franchises, Computer Parts Franchise,new franchise, Start A Franchise, retail franchise.
In an interaction with The Hindu, N. Sivakumar, General Manager (PC Division), said Toshiba had lined up an investment of $10 million this year. The money would primarily go into brand building, dealership expansion and strengthening of product portfolio.
He said Toshiba had now a share of four per cent in the Indian laptop market. Efforts were on to scale this up to 12 per cent by the end of this year, he added. With this focus in mind, Toshiba, he said, had decided to expand its dealership network to 850 from the existing 600. This would comprise 80 exclusive franchises who would be hawking only Toshiba products. Also, the company would expand its product offering to 30 models from the current eight.
“We will be offering products in the price range of Rs. 23,000-75,000,” he said. Wu Tengguo, Director (PC Division), said the generation next in India and other emerging markets unfortunately was not aware of Toshiba brand when it came to laptop. Therefore, the challenge lay in spreading the awareness among this segment of the population about Toshiba laptop, he said. In India since mid-1990s, Toshiba laptops were viewed only as commercial products. In this context, Mr. Tengguo pointed out that Toshiba entered the Indian market on the back of a tie-up with HCL for B2B (business to business) sales. With the dynamics of marketing changing drastically, Toshiba had now decided to focus on B2C (business to consumers), he said. The company, he explained, would bring out products to capture new segments. It would also introduce new concept products, he added.
To a specific query, he said the Indian laptop needs were now serviced from Toshiba's plant in China.
Given the low penetration of personal computers in India and given also the size of the laptop market, Mr. Tengguo felt that Toshiba would, in the medium-term, drive its focus on expanding its market share in the Indian B2C space.
Source:The Hindu, Chennai, June 4.
Tags:Laptop Franchise, dealership Expansion,Toshiba Franchise, Exclusive Franchises,Electronic Franchise, Hardware Franchises, Computer Parts Franchise,new franchise, Start A Franchise, retail franchise.
Happilyunmarried.com Seeking Kiosk Franchise Expansion: An Interesting Entrepreneur Sojourn
Always thought you were different than the rest and wanted your lifestyle and gifts to reflect the same? Head over to www.happilyunmarried.com to find your match in a fun gift items and lifestyle products e-commerce website. The brainchild of Rajat Tuli and Rahul Anand, both post-graduates from the prestigious Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, the idea came about with the duo wanting to be in every category that was dull and boring and inject in it a does of irreverence and fun. Rajat Tuli was chosen Young Design Entrepreneur Award 2009 – for more details on Young Design Entrepreneur award click here
Be prepared to encounter a doormat that wants to live a life of respect and declares to not be treated like a doormat; a couple of beer glasses conversing with one telling the other ‘aaj mujhe mat roko, mujhe peene do’ amongst several other daily household products albeit with a twist of whacky fun.
Explain the founders “Happily Unmarried is in the business of selling fun, we design products and services which make people happy and have sold more than 1.5 lakh SKUs so that is the amount of happiness we have generated.”
Currently retailing online and stores in all the major cities of the country, Rajat and Rahul firmly believe that their product offering, the product and packaging design and the brand philosophy is what differentiates them from others in the same category if any at all.
With about 120 different product designs as offerings at the moment, they want to add products every month with the initial aim of having 500 pick-off-the-shelf products and then start providing franchising opportunities ‘to young people who hate what they do right now.’
Says Rajat “Established in 2003, the first few years of the business went in understanding how to run one, explaining to people our vision of Happily Unmarried and just managing to stay afloat.”
The two admit that one of their mistakes was in believing that success would be easy and fast. “Its only in the last few years that we looked at business plans, growth paths and the future. We’ve realized that the road often gets lonely and leads you to curse the decision to start on your own, which is why it is really important to be passionate about your business”
They also claim that their biggest challenge has been funding; they raised personal loans, borrowed from friends and decided to sell a bit of equity to believers and not venture capitalists. “We were working for a dotcom company which went bust, which is when we pawned the company laptop and started Happily Unmarried with Rs. 50,000 as seed fund” explains Rahul matter-of-factly adding that at the time the sensible thing to do should have been to look for a job given that they were not given salaries for six months.
The decision however seems to have worked for them. They now have 12 employees, 13 designers who work with them on a project basis, a warehouse and a store in Delhi and one in Goa, although ‘we have no branches, issues or helicopters’ add the two in the same vein of humor as characterizes their products.
What has also worked for them is their event ‘Music in the hills’ which they hold twice a year calling all music lovers and anyone who just wants to take a breather. The four editions that they have already organized, all in the northern parts of the country have seen huge interest and has done much to promote their word around.
So what made them start-up?
“A lot of decisions that entrepreneurs take are purely out of intuition or gut feel. As soon as we thought of Happily Unmarried, we wanted to start it. If there is a business idea in your mind, it does not let you focus on anything else, it wakes you up in the middle of the night and makes you dream all day. In that sense you can’t choose to be an entrepreneur, it just happens.”
Strangely though their advice to other budding entrepreneurs is to not start up “Yes, unless one has the patience to give it 10 years, one shoudn’t think of being an entrepreneur. There are easier ways to make money. Giving up a business model is ok but not giving up on being an entrepreneur is the real challenge. It’s also the fastest way to get interviewed” say the duo.
And what keeps them going? “Love of what we do; there is no other incentive really. Our work gets routinely featured in design magazines; Business today ranked us as one of India’s coolest companies and we were even featured in the Limca book of records and we still don’t know why. Awards are for artists and sportsmen; running a business is its own reward.”
Admitting that they are happy with what they have achieved, Rajat and Rahul claim that acceptance of Happily Unmarried as a fun brand and fan mails - of which they receive one a day are a great motivating factor.
As for future plans “Taking our company public would mean the most to us. It will mean that there are enough people in the world who trust us with their money and would like to share our dream. For now, we are looking for people who would like to take up our kiosk franchise all over the country.”
Please share with us your growth story so far?
we started with nothing about 7 years ago, we are currently working with 23 designers,have over 120 products. we have 3 of our own stores and are selling in around 60 multi brand outlets all over the country. So not bad but we have a long way to go.
What is the future growth plan?
we want to increase our product range to atleast 250. We are also trying to broaden our product range so we are getting into categories which we are calling HU soft, these will be things like cushions, clothes, stationery. we are also looking at forays into hospitality and dining. since we see our selves as a fun company we want to be in all places involving fun.
With so many new e commerce sites coming up, do you see the Indian consumer moving towards online purchase? Or is it still mostly offline driven?
Online purchase will certainly increase we feel that the products which will do well are the ones which the customer is already familiar with . So products like low end digital cameras, phones on discounts, books, airlines tickets will continue to sell well online.
Your view on the Indian consumer and how it is evolving?
There is no one Indian consumer, having said that we are being exposed to a plethora of international brands so the consumer is getting more evolved. Baring a small category of high net worth individuals we still remain conservative buyers.Everything comes with a price barrier to the great Indian middle class. If it is a gift it has to be under one thousand, a mobile phone needs to be under 10k, a meal for 2 should not more 500 etc.To be in the desired price segment but still be extremely attractive is the challenge.
What differentiates your venture?
we are in the business of selling fun, so we have no issues of shifting categories or moving to services if we feel we can provide more joy to our customers. Our entire ethos and thought process is designed for the Indian customer. What we are trying is to create a fun Indian brand.and we don't take what we do too seriously
Any mistakes that shaped up the entrepreneurial journey?
Yes, i thought success would come fast and easy.
Personal motto in life and business?
life is short,don't waste it in on things you don't like doing. This is very relevant to your work because you spent most part of your adult life working.If you don't like what you do you are going to regret it everyday.
How was your experience with British Council ? (please specify if anything in particular helped etc)
It was a huge,that they decided to recognize entrepreneurs which no one really does deserves an applaud. While on tour we were made to meet some truly amazing people, the interaction with the winners of other countries were all priceless. There was no one particular learning but you pickup so many little things every day. That one trip made up for all the years of hard work. Totally worth it.If you want to people to start liking each other ask them to discuss Apple products. That was the biggest learning ha ha.
Word of advise to young entrepreneurs starting
Don't think too much
Source:Monday, 07 June 2010 09:53 YourStory Team
Tags:franchise business plans,start-up franchise, business idea, business model,fun brand, kiosk franchise , entrepreneurs, kiosk franchising,franchise mistakes,entrepreneur award,
Be prepared to encounter a doormat that wants to live a life of respect and declares to not be treated like a doormat; a couple of beer glasses conversing with one telling the other ‘aaj mujhe mat roko, mujhe peene do’ amongst several other daily household products albeit with a twist of whacky fun.
Explain the founders “Happily Unmarried is in the business of selling fun, we design products and services which make people happy and have sold more than 1.5 lakh SKUs so that is the amount of happiness we have generated.”
Currently retailing online and stores in all the major cities of the country, Rajat and Rahul firmly believe that their product offering, the product and packaging design and the brand philosophy is what differentiates them from others in the same category if any at all.
With about 120 different product designs as offerings at the moment, they want to add products every month with the initial aim of having 500 pick-off-the-shelf products and then start providing franchising opportunities ‘to young people who hate what they do right now.’
Says Rajat “Established in 2003, the first few years of the business went in understanding how to run one, explaining to people our vision of Happily Unmarried and just managing to stay afloat.”
The two admit that one of their mistakes was in believing that success would be easy and fast. “Its only in the last few years that we looked at business plans, growth paths and the future. We’ve realized that the road often gets lonely and leads you to curse the decision to start on your own, which is why it is really important to be passionate about your business”
They also claim that their biggest challenge has been funding; they raised personal loans, borrowed from friends and decided to sell a bit of equity to believers and not venture capitalists. “We were working for a dotcom company which went bust, which is when we pawned the company laptop and started Happily Unmarried with Rs. 50,000 as seed fund” explains Rahul matter-of-factly adding that at the time the sensible thing to do should have been to look for a job given that they were not given salaries for six months.
The decision however seems to have worked for them. They now have 12 employees, 13 designers who work with them on a project basis, a warehouse and a store in Delhi and one in Goa, although ‘we have no branches, issues or helicopters’ add the two in the same vein of humor as characterizes their products.
What has also worked for them is their event ‘Music in the hills’ which they hold twice a year calling all music lovers and anyone who just wants to take a breather. The four editions that they have already organized, all in the northern parts of the country have seen huge interest and has done much to promote their word around.
So what made them start-up?
“A lot of decisions that entrepreneurs take are purely out of intuition or gut feel. As soon as we thought of Happily Unmarried, we wanted to start it. If there is a business idea in your mind, it does not let you focus on anything else, it wakes you up in the middle of the night and makes you dream all day. In that sense you can’t choose to be an entrepreneur, it just happens.”
Strangely though their advice to other budding entrepreneurs is to not start up “Yes, unless one has the patience to give it 10 years, one shoudn’t think of being an entrepreneur. There are easier ways to make money. Giving up a business model is ok but not giving up on being an entrepreneur is the real challenge. It’s also the fastest way to get interviewed” say the duo.
And what keeps them going? “Love of what we do; there is no other incentive really. Our work gets routinely featured in design magazines; Business today ranked us as one of India’s coolest companies and we were even featured in the Limca book of records and we still don’t know why. Awards are for artists and sportsmen; running a business is its own reward.”
Admitting that they are happy with what they have achieved, Rajat and Rahul claim that acceptance of Happily Unmarried as a fun brand and fan mails - of which they receive one a day are a great motivating factor.
As for future plans “Taking our company public would mean the most to us. It will mean that there are enough people in the world who trust us with their money and would like to share our dream. For now, we are looking for people who would like to take up our kiosk franchise all over the country.”
Please share with us your growth story so far?
we started with nothing about 7 years ago, we are currently working with 23 designers,have over 120 products. we have 3 of our own stores and are selling in around 60 multi brand outlets all over the country. So not bad but we have a long way to go.
What is the future growth plan?
we want to increase our product range to atleast 250. We are also trying to broaden our product range so we are getting into categories which we are calling HU soft, these will be things like cushions, clothes, stationery. we are also looking at forays into hospitality and dining. since we see our selves as a fun company we want to be in all places involving fun.
With so many new e commerce sites coming up, do you see the Indian consumer moving towards online purchase? Or is it still mostly offline driven?
Online purchase will certainly increase we feel that the products which will do well are the ones which the customer is already familiar with . So products like low end digital cameras, phones on discounts, books, airlines tickets will continue to sell well online.
Your view on the Indian consumer and how it is evolving?
There is no one Indian consumer, having said that we are being exposed to a plethora of international brands so the consumer is getting more evolved. Baring a small category of high net worth individuals we still remain conservative buyers.Everything comes with a price barrier to the great Indian middle class. If it is a gift it has to be under one thousand, a mobile phone needs to be under 10k, a meal for 2 should not more 500 etc.To be in the desired price segment but still be extremely attractive is the challenge.
What differentiates your venture?
we are in the business of selling fun, so we have no issues of shifting categories or moving to services if we feel we can provide more joy to our customers. Our entire ethos and thought process is designed for the Indian customer. What we are trying is to create a fun Indian brand.and we don't take what we do too seriously
Any mistakes that shaped up the entrepreneurial journey?
Yes, i thought success would come fast and easy.
Personal motto in life and business?
life is short,don't waste it in on things you don't like doing. This is very relevant to your work because you spent most part of your adult life working.If you don't like what you do you are going to regret it everyday.
How was your experience with British Council ? (please specify if anything in particular helped etc)
It was a huge,that they decided to recognize entrepreneurs which no one really does deserves an applaud. While on tour we were made to meet some truly amazing people, the interaction with the winners of other countries were all priceless. There was no one particular learning but you pickup so many little things every day. That one trip made up for all the years of hard work. Totally worth it.If you want to people to start liking each other ask them to discuss Apple products. That was the biggest learning ha ha.
Word of advise to young entrepreneurs starting
Don't think too much
Source:Monday, 07 June 2010 09:53 YourStory Team
Tags:franchise business plans,start-up franchise, business idea, business model,fun brand, kiosk franchise , entrepreneurs, kiosk franchising,franchise mistakes,entrepreneur award,
Mother Dairy Plans Franchised, "Gaurav Stores," Retail Outlets Across India
Mother Dairy, one of the country’s largest milk processors, plans to roll out a chain of exclusive retail outlets, named ‘Gaurav Stores’, to market the entire range of its products across India.
According to company sources, it has planned to launch 350 exclusive stores in New Delhi and 200 retail outlets in Mumbai in the first phase, to be expanded later in all major cities.
The company owns a network of booths in Delhi to market the dairy products. The new concept has been introduced to create a better brand and street visibility, to consolidate its position in the wake of growing competition.
According to Sanjay Sinha, Head (Milk and Dairy Products Business) of Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Ltd, the entire retail operation would be conducted through the franchise route.
He said the first phase should be implemented by the year-end and the final course of action for phase two would be decided after the completion of phase one. The products would be available at the multi-brand retail chains and standalone kirana stores, too, but the ‘Gaurav Stores’ would be a one-stop shop for all Mother Dairy products.
Purnendu Kumar of Technopak, a prominent retail consultancy firm, is of the view that the foray of large companies such as Reliance Retail and Birla Retail, and that of local progressive dairy farmers’ unions in various pockets who, with the assistance of nationalised banks are mulling to set up retail outlets, might be the cause of concern for players like Mother Dairy to take prior initiatives to strengthen presence in the growing market.
Mother Dairy registered year-on-year growth of 30 per cent on product business and 10 per cent growth of milk business last year. The new branding initiatives are a must to face the stiff competition, said Kumar.
He said it processed 3.2 million litres of milk every day and had sufficient capacities to meet the demand for the next few years.
Ice-cream of importance
Mother Dairy also has seven ice-cream plants and nine milk processing plants in Delhi and two milk processing units in Andhra Pradesh. They are associated with over 100,000 farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, whom they provide extension services to get the required quality of milk, he said.
“Ice-cream sales contribute substantially to our business, only followed by milk, so there is a major focus to experiment regularly to retain and increase the market share,” he added.
Source:Business Standard,Komal Amit Gera / Chandigarh June 10, 2010, 0:10 IST
Tags:Milk Franchise, Mother Dairy, Ice-Cream Franchise,Gaurav Stores, franchise route,retail consultancy firm, coffee retail outlets, increase market share franchise, milk stores franchise,
According to company sources, it has planned to launch 350 exclusive stores in New Delhi and 200 retail outlets in Mumbai in the first phase, to be expanded later in all major cities.
The company owns a network of booths in Delhi to market the dairy products. The new concept has been introduced to create a better brand and street visibility, to consolidate its position in the wake of growing competition.
According to Sanjay Sinha, Head (Milk and Dairy Products Business) of Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Ltd, the entire retail operation would be conducted through the franchise route.
He said the first phase should be implemented by the year-end and the final course of action for phase two would be decided after the completion of phase one. The products would be available at the multi-brand retail chains and standalone kirana stores, too, but the ‘Gaurav Stores’ would be a one-stop shop for all Mother Dairy products.
Purnendu Kumar of Technopak, a prominent retail consultancy firm, is of the view that the foray of large companies such as Reliance Retail and Birla Retail, and that of local progressive dairy farmers’ unions in various pockets who, with the assistance of nationalised banks are mulling to set up retail outlets, might be the cause of concern for players like Mother Dairy to take prior initiatives to strengthen presence in the growing market.
Mother Dairy registered year-on-year growth of 30 per cent on product business and 10 per cent growth of milk business last year. The new branding initiatives are a must to face the stiff competition, said Kumar.
He said it processed 3.2 million litres of milk every day and had sufficient capacities to meet the demand for the next few years.
Ice-cream of importance
Mother Dairy also has seven ice-cream plants and nine milk processing plants in Delhi and two milk processing units in Andhra Pradesh. They are associated with over 100,000 farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, whom they provide extension services to get the required quality of milk, he said.
“Ice-cream sales contribute substantially to our business, only followed by milk, so there is a major focus to experiment regularly to retain and increase the market share,” he added.
Source:Business Standard,Komal Amit Gera / Chandigarh June 10, 2010, 0:10 IST
Tags:Milk Franchise, Mother Dairy, Ice-Cream Franchise,Gaurav Stores, franchise route,retail consultancy firm, coffee retail outlets, increase market share franchise, milk stores franchise,
Monday, June 7, 2010
Cafe Franchise Business, Coffee Franchising In India growing with an increase in franchise brands.
With Barista completing ten years and foreign chains coming in, coffee culture is booming in India
It was the British tax on tea that, by default, increased coffee consumption in India in the late 19th century. However, more than 100 years later, it is the strong branding of Indian coffee and the multiplying coffee chains that has made this beverage popular in this tea drinkers’ nation. This also explains the 10-year reign of Barista. After making its debut in Delhi’s Basant Lok in 2000, this coffee chain now has 225 outlets in India and neighbouring countries.
Bringing about a coffee revolution by altering firmly ingrained tea consumption patterns is by no means an easy task. But when Barista set out to do it 10 years ago, it dented the elitist perception that coffee held. For Barista, luring coffee drinkers with exotic blends and an option of something to munch—outside the trappings of a five-star and within the confines of a warm, informal ambience—worked like magic. It still continues to do so. “People have been drinking tea at home for ages. With coffee came the aspirational value, and most youngsters were willing to experiment. The term ‘coffee date’ came about when we opened our outlets,” says Sanjay Coutinho, COO, Barista Coffee Company Limited. After proliferating the Indian cafe market with franchises as well as company-owned stores, Barista aims to open a new outlet in every street corner and create a coffee culture reminiscent of old Italian coffee houses.
Although Barista was the first big player, it was Cafe Coffee Day that took the coffee-drinking culture to the grassroots level. It opened its first cafe in 1996 on Brigade Road, Bangalore, and today has the largest cafe retail chain in India—with 915 cafes in 135 cities, with a large number of them situated in small towns. With its roots in Chikmagalur, the home to some of the best Indian coffees, it was easy for CCD to get its act together. “With CCD came the option of spending less money on coffee as well as spending time at a cafe all by yourself or with a book, or simply with a bunch of friends,” says lawyer Kiran Kumar, who was a student in Bangalore when the first outlet opened. “Since CCD offered sandwiches and burgers, it is a sought after takeaway joint as well,” he says.
Thanks to the cafe boom, things are looking up for coffee estate owners too. “In the last few years, the price of coffee bean has increased. With blended and single origin coffees being served at most cafes, the turnover will only increase,” says Oliver Rebello, a coffee estate owner in Coorg.
Coffee houses and cafes also reflect the economic and social changes in Indian society. They not only offer a stimulating drink, but a place to meet friends and business partners, catch up on news and access the internet. With both Barista and CCD having found their place in the heart of India’s coffee drinkers, it was only a matter of time before foreign chains like Gloria Jeans, Costa Coffee and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf came to India.
“As India urbanises further, there is a high potential of increasing the consumer base as well,” says Manish Tondon, President Citymax, who brought Gloria Jeans Coffee to India in 2007. “Since coffee consumption is on a rise in India, it is nice to have cafes of all levels (different price ranges),” he adds. During the late 2000s the business of Barista and CCD was on the rise and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf entered the market to take the “sophistication factor” to another level. However, its CEO, Arun Chopra, still believes that India is largely a nation of tea drinkers, and hence they have a balanced menu. “We have 20 varieties of coffee and 22 varieties of tea,” he states.
The increase in the number of foreign chains in various metros, has forced the Indian ones to rethink their strategy. After establishing their presence in metros, Barista and CCD’s are now opening their outlets in non-metros. “We now have cafes in smaller cities like Kochi and Vadodara,” says Coutinho. He believes that there is a marked difference between the consumers in non-metros and metros. “In metros, they look forward to an F&B experience. This led us to launch our outlets Barista Crème.”
With cafes trying their best to revamp the menu every few months, it brings us to the question on how many will actually survive in the long run. “Competition is always fierce. CCD and we have been moving parallelly right from the time we set up our cafes. But then it is the fear of competition that keeps you in the league,” feels Coutinho. Chopra feels that demographically, India is a young nation and the numbers in the 20-25 age group is on the rise. And with higher disposable income and increase in malls and multiplexes the coffee consumption, he feels, is bound to increase.
Tags:Cafe Franchise, Coffee Franchise Business,Barista, Gloria Jeans, Costa Coffee, Coffee Bean, Tea Leaf, starbucks franchise,CCD's, coffee day franchise,coffee chain,cafe market,barista creme
It was the British tax on tea that, by default, increased coffee consumption in India in the late 19th century. However, more than 100 years later, it is the strong branding of Indian coffee and the multiplying coffee chains that has made this beverage popular in this tea drinkers’ nation. This also explains the 10-year reign of Barista. After making its debut in Delhi’s Basant Lok in 2000, this coffee chain now has 225 outlets in India and neighbouring countries.
Bringing about a coffee revolution by altering firmly ingrained tea consumption patterns is by no means an easy task. But when Barista set out to do it 10 years ago, it dented the elitist perception that coffee held. For Barista, luring coffee drinkers with exotic blends and an option of something to munch—outside the trappings of a five-star and within the confines of a warm, informal ambience—worked like magic. It still continues to do so. “People have been drinking tea at home for ages. With coffee came the aspirational value, and most youngsters were willing to experiment. The term ‘coffee date’ came about when we opened our outlets,” says Sanjay Coutinho, COO, Barista Coffee Company Limited. After proliferating the Indian cafe market with franchises as well as company-owned stores, Barista aims to open a new outlet in every street corner and create a coffee culture reminiscent of old Italian coffee houses.
Although Barista was the first big player, it was Cafe Coffee Day that took the coffee-drinking culture to the grassroots level. It opened its first cafe in 1996 on Brigade Road, Bangalore, and today has the largest cafe retail chain in India—with 915 cafes in 135 cities, with a large number of them situated in small towns. With its roots in Chikmagalur, the home to some of the best Indian coffees, it was easy for CCD to get its act together. “With CCD came the option of spending less money on coffee as well as spending time at a cafe all by yourself or with a book, or simply with a bunch of friends,” says lawyer Kiran Kumar, who was a student in Bangalore when the first outlet opened. “Since CCD offered sandwiches and burgers, it is a sought after takeaway joint as well,” he says.
Thanks to the cafe boom, things are looking up for coffee estate owners too. “In the last few years, the price of coffee bean has increased. With blended and single origin coffees being served at most cafes, the turnover will only increase,” says Oliver Rebello, a coffee estate owner in Coorg.
Coffee houses and cafes also reflect the economic and social changes in Indian society. They not only offer a stimulating drink, but a place to meet friends and business partners, catch up on news and access the internet. With both Barista and CCD having found their place in the heart of India’s coffee drinkers, it was only a matter of time before foreign chains like Gloria Jeans, Costa Coffee and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf came to India.
“As India urbanises further, there is a high potential of increasing the consumer base as well,” says Manish Tondon, President Citymax, who brought Gloria Jeans Coffee to India in 2007. “Since coffee consumption is on a rise in India, it is nice to have cafes of all levels (different price ranges),” he adds. During the late 2000s the business of Barista and CCD was on the rise and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf entered the market to take the “sophistication factor” to another level. However, its CEO, Arun Chopra, still believes that India is largely a nation of tea drinkers, and hence they have a balanced menu. “We have 20 varieties of coffee and 22 varieties of tea,” he states.
The increase in the number of foreign chains in various metros, has forced the Indian ones to rethink their strategy. After establishing their presence in metros, Barista and CCD’s are now opening their outlets in non-metros. “We now have cafes in smaller cities like Kochi and Vadodara,” says Coutinho. He believes that there is a marked difference between the consumers in non-metros and metros. “In metros, they look forward to an F&B experience. This led us to launch our outlets Barista Crème.”
With cafes trying their best to revamp the menu every few months, it brings us to the question on how many will actually survive in the long run. “Competition is always fierce. CCD and we have been moving parallelly right from the time we set up our cafes. But then it is the fear of competition that keeps you in the league,” feels Coutinho. Chopra feels that demographically, India is a young nation and the numbers in the 20-25 age group is on the rise. And with higher disposable income and increase in malls and multiplexes the coffee consumption, he feels, is bound to increase.
Tags:Cafe Franchise, Coffee Franchise Business,Barista, Gloria Jeans, Costa Coffee, Coffee Bean, Tea Leaf, starbucks franchise,CCD's, coffee day franchise,coffee chain,cafe market,barista creme
Friday, June 4, 2010
Kewal Kiran Clothing Looks at Expanding Killer and K-Lounges Thru Franchising and Own Outlets.
Killer EBOs and K-Lounges to spread across India
Killer EBOs and K-Lounges to spread across India.Kewal Kiran Clothing makers of the brand Killer, one of India’s largest selling denim brands is on an expansion spree. By the end of this year they plan to push up their retail network to 200 stores. Currently, they have two retail concepts -- Killer exclusive outlets and K-Lounges. K-Lounges house all Kewal Kiran’s brands. Sandeep Varma, Vice President, Killer and Easies points out, “Our EBOs are around 700 to 2000 sq. ft. Most of these are franchisee owned. We have 120 K-Lounges and around 25 Killer EBOs. We want to take the number up to 50 Killer EBOs this year. We will also look at adding 30 K-lounges. So the total retail network would grow to 200 retail stores.” The K-Lounges are between 1,000 to 2,000 sq. ft. area. They have 20 company owned stores and the rest are franchisee outlets. The brand is also present in nearly 2,500 to 2,800 MBOs across India. They also have shop-in-shops with Pantaloons, Central, Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, and Westside.
Killer’s biggest strength is its distribution network. As a brand, they already have a strong presence in Tier II-III cities. Varma a vows, “Our EBOs, which were earlier only in Tier I cities will now be in the Tier II and III cities as well. The market is growing in these cities and it helps if a brand is present in those markets. We are already there in Mangalore, Patna and Dhanbad. We will open in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack soon. In some of these cities we are already present in the form of K-Lounges and we are looking at opening EBOs now.”Killer EBOs and K-Lounges to spread across India
The brand is also planning to introduce new products this autumn/winter. “We will add knits to our product portfolio this autumn/winter. These will be mainly cotton knits in the casual category. They will be a combination of heavy winter products and T-shirts. The collection would include sweat shirts, flat knits, jackets, etc,” explains Varma.
Kewal Kiran Clothing has another popular brand called Easies. The brand was launched to cater to the semi-formal, semi-casual concept of dressing. It is meant for a more mature customer. “Easies is trendy cotton trousers and semi-formal trousers. We have a whole range of shirts from casual to slightly formal shirts. We also have belts and are developing ties for the coming autumn/winter. Some 30-odd tie styles are planned,” says Varma. Easies is currently available in 700 to 800 MBOs.
As far as their production capacity goes, last year, they manufactured 1.4 million Killer pieces. “We do around 3 million pieces per year, which incorporates all the brands. Almost 80 per cent of the production is in-house. We are operating out of Mumbai, Daman and Vapi.
Tags:killer,k-lounge franchise, killer franchise, easies, denim franchise, Apparel Franchise, retail franchise, Store Franchise, top retail franchise, franchising apparel.
Killer EBOs and K-Lounges to spread across India.Kewal Kiran Clothing makers of the brand Killer, one of India’s largest selling denim brands is on an expansion spree. By the end of this year they plan to push up their retail network to 200 stores. Currently, they have two retail concepts -- Killer exclusive outlets and K-Lounges. K-Lounges house all Kewal Kiran’s brands. Sandeep Varma, Vice President, Killer and Easies points out, “Our EBOs are around 700 to 2000 sq. ft. Most of these are franchisee owned. We have 120 K-Lounges and around 25 Killer EBOs. We want to take the number up to 50 Killer EBOs this year. We will also look at adding 30 K-lounges. So the total retail network would grow to 200 retail stores.” The K-Lounges are between 1,000 to 2,000 sq. ft. area. They have 20 company owned stores and the rest are franchisee outlets. The brand is also present in nearly 2,500 to 2,800 MBOs across India. They also have shop-in-shops with Pantaloons, Central, Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, and Westside.
Killer’s biggest strength is its distribution network. As a brand, they already have a strong presence in Tier II-III cities. Varma a vows, “Our EBOs, which were earlier only in Tier I cities will now be in the Tier II and III cities as well. The market is growing in these cities and it helps if a brand is present in those markets. We are already there in Mangalore, Patna and Dhanbad. We will open in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack soon. In some of these cities we are already present in the form of K-Lounges and we are looking at opening EBOs now.”Killer EBOs and K-Lounges to spread across India
The brand is also planning to introduce new products this autumn/winter. “We will add knits to our product portfolio this autumn/winter. These will be mainly cotton knits in the casual category. They will be a combination of heavy winter products and T-shirts. The collection would include sweat shirts, flat knits, jackets, etc,” explains Varma.
Kewal Kiran Clothing has another popular brand called Easies. The brand was launched to cater to the semi-formal, semi-casual concept of dressing. It is meant for a more mature customer. “Easies is trendy cotton trousers and semi-formal trousers. We have a whole range of shirts from casual to slightly formal shirts. We also have belts and are developing ties for the coming autumn/winter. Some 30-odd tie styles are planned,” says Varma. Easies is currently available in 700 to 800 MBOs.
As far as their production capacity goes, last year, they manufactured 1.4 million Killer pieces. “We do around 3 million pieces per year, which incorporates all the brands. Almost 80 per cent of the production is in-house. We are operating out of Mumbai, Daman and Vapi.
Tags:killer,k-lounge franchise, killer franchise, easies, denim franchise, Apparel Franchise, retail franchise, Store Franchise, top retail franchise, franchising apparel.
Shrenuj ,The Gems and Jewellery Looks at Franchise Expansion Internationally.
Wealthy investors have been accumulating shares of Mumbai-based gems and jewellery firm Shrenuj & Company. The stock, which has risen 1% to Rs 50 on Monday, has gained close to 10% in a month on expectation of further rise the prices of polished diamonds. The buzz is that Shrenuj is planning to expand its branded retail jewellery business to over 100 outlets from about 30 outlets across the country in the next year or so.
The company plans to adopt a franchise model in Europe, while an own store model in India and China. The company has recently commenced operations in South Africa gaining access to high-quality rough diamonds from DTC Botswana, by acquiring a facility there. This is expected to result in direct access to high-quality rough diamonds from the mining source. When contacted, a senior company official said that the company has a large order book position, but declined to elaborate further.
Source:1 Jun 2010, 0119 hrs IST,ET Bureau,Contributed by Apurv Gupta, Shailesh Menon & Nishanth Vasudevan.
Tags:shrenuj,branded retail jewellery business, franchise model, jewellery franchise, franchising jewellery business,franchise jewelry brands.
The company plans to adopt a franchise model in Europe, while an own store model in India and China. The company has recently commenced operations in South Africa gaining access to high-quality rough diamonds from DTC Botswana, by acquiring a facility there. This is expected to result in direct access to high-quality rough diamonds from the mining source. When contacted, a senior company official said that the company has a large order book position, but declined to elaborate further.
Source:1 Jun 2010, 0119 hrs IST,ET Bureau,Contributed by Apurv Gupta, Shailesh Menon & Nishanth Vasudevan.
Tags:shrenuj,branded retail jewellery business, franchise model, jewellery franchise, franchising jewellery business,franchise jewelry brands.
Financial Services & Brokerage Companies Looking at Franchise Expansions and Growth In Tier 2 & 3 Cities In India
Mumbai: An increased saturation in the larger metros and greater availability of disposable income coupled with changing attitudes towards equity markets in smaller towns have caused stock brokers to focus on the latter for their expansion plans.
There are significant opportunities in the northern regions as well as pockets in the south and the east, according to industry experts. Brokerages are expanding not just to Tier-II and Tier-III cities and beyond.
The biggest cities such as Mumbai and Delhi are known as Tier-I cities and others are classified in decreasing order depending on various parameters such as commercialisation and population.
“We are looking at expansion in B-group cities, which have a population of between 4-10 lakh, in the north and the Punjab. We are looking to add 24 additional centres in these areas,” said Mayank Shah, CEO Anagram Securities. The company was recently acquired by Edelweiss Capital and has a presence in 140 places, and the planned additions would increase its reach by 17%.
Angel Broking plans to add an additional 120 centres over the next two years with a focus on smaller cities. “We already have a major presence in major urban areas. In this current fiscal, we are looking at adding 69 offices. Next year, we plan to add 51 additional ones,” said Dinesh Thakkar, chairman & MD of Angel Broking.
The routes of expansion for brokerages in these areas are also two-fold, setting up their own branches or entering through the franchisee route. Way2Wealth Stock Broking plans to increase its points of presence to 405 by March 2011, adding well over 150 centres.
“We are looking to expand by acquiring master franchisees and most of it would be in non-metro areas. There is an enormous opportunity, which has come about as a result of the focus on agriculture and the various schemes of the government,” said Shashi Bhushan, CEO, Way2Wealth.
“Some people are more comfortable dealing with people they know, in which case the franchisee model works best. Others are looking to use the services of a familiar brokerage, in which case setting up a branch makes sense,” said Dinesh Thakkar.
The expansion process does not have an entirely smooth run since non-metro areas can have certain limitations. “There is a shortage of talent or manpower that is required to run brokerages,” says Mayank Shah, drawing attention to the eminent position of metros as the hub of stock exchange activity from the perspective of trained manpower as well turnover.
Mumbai accounts for the biggest chunk of turnover on the National Stock Exchange as well as the Bombay Stock Exchange, accounting for 72.82% on the BSE and 54.84% on the NSE. Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad were next in line, according to the latest data from the Securities and Exchange Board of India, which analyzed information for February.
source:Sachin P Mampatta / DNA/Tuesday, June 1, 2010 2:00 IST
Tags:financial services franchise,anagram securities, edelweiss capital,angel broking,franchisee route,way2wealth,master franchisees,franchise growth.
There are significant opportunities in the northern regions as well as pockets in the south and the east, according to industry experts. Brokerages are expanding not just to Tier-II and Tier-III cities and beyond.
The biggest cities such as Mumbai and Delhi are known as Tier-I cities and others are classified in decreasing order depending on various parameters such as commercialisation and population.
“We are looking at expansion in B-group cities, which have a population of between 4-10 lakh, in the north and the Punjab. We are looking to add 24 additional centres in these areas,” said Mayank Shah, CEO Anagram Securities. The company was recently acquired by Edelweiss Capital and has a presence in 140 places, and the planned additions would increase its reach by 17%.
Angel Broking plans to add an additional 120 centres over the next two years with a focus on smaller cities. “We already have a major presence in major urban areas. In this current fiscal, we are looking at adding 69 offices. Next year, we plan to add 51 additional ones,” said Dinesh Thakkar, chairman & MD of Angel Broking.
The routes of expansion for brokerages in these areas are also two-fold, setting up their own branches or entering through the franchisee route. Way2Wealth Stock Broking plans to increase its points of presence to 405 by March 2011, adding well over 150 centres.
“We are looking to expand by acquiring master franchisees and most of it would be in non-metro areas. There is an enormous opportunity, which has come about as a result of the focus on agriculture and the various schemes of the government,” said Shashi Bhushan, CEO, Way2Wealth.
“Some people are more comfortable dealing with people they know, in which case the franchisee model works best. Others are looking to use the services of a familiar brokerage, in which case setting up a branch makes sense,” said Dinesh Thakkar.
The expansion process does not have an entirely smooth run since non-metro areas can have certain limitations. “There is a shortage of talent or manpower that is required to run brokerages,” says Mayank Shah, drawing attention to the eminent position of metros as the hub of stock exchange activity from the perspective of trained manpower as well turnover.
Mumbai accounts for the biggest chunk of turnover on the National Stock Exchange as well as the Bombay Stock Exchange, accounting for 72.82% on the BSE and 54.84% on the NSE. Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad were next in line, according to the latest data from the Securities and Exchange Board of India, which analyzed information for February.
source:Sachin P Mampatta / DNA/Tuesday, June 1, 2010 2:00 IST
Tags:financial services franchise,anagram securities, edelweiss capital,angel broking,franchisee route,way2wealth,master franchisees,franchise growth.
Planet Hollywoods India Master Franchise Plans First Hotel In Mumbai.
Five years after making an announcement of its venture into India, Planet Hollywood, the American theme restaurant and hotel chain, is finally set to open here.
Arch Millennium Corp, a Florida-based company, which has acquired the master franchise rights for the Planet Hollywood brand across India, is opening a five-star Planet Hollywood Hotel on the site of the former Shelley’s Hotel in Colaba. Scheduled to open in 2012, this will be the company’s second hotel in the world.
The first Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino opened in Las Vegas in 2007. Arch Millennium also plans to open Planet Hollywood floating restaurant in Colaba, on a pleasure yacht, which has already been imported from the US. Named Oceanis, it is a four-level boat, anchored in Mumbai, containing a variety of multi-cuisine restaurants, bars, lounges and coffee shops, seating 400 patrons. The northern suburbs are being considered for Mumbai’s first Planet Hollywood-themed restaurant.
Numbering 14 worldwide, the restaurants are typically decorated with movie memorabilia, including props from films, and serve American cuisine. Planet Hollywood is a privately-held US company. Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore have stake in the brand.
While the Las Vegas gigantic resort has 2,600 rooms dedicated to specific movies, a three-acre casino, and a 7,000-seater theatre, the Mumbai hotel will be more of a five-star luxury business hotel, says Sunit Sharma, group executive chef, Planet Hollywood India. The rooms won’t have movie memorabilia. He promises, “Guests will be treated like celebrities.”
Arch Millennium has already submitted plans to the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) to raze down Shelley’s Hotel, which remains closed and rebuild the Planet Hollywood Hotel on the plot, which falls in a heritage precinct. “It is not possible to renovate such a small hotel in the way we want,” Sharma says. “It won’t have a casino, but will be a five-star hotel, drawing from the celebrity status of Planet Hollywood.”
As for the five-year delay, he explains that plans to enter India were postponed due to the recession, the terror attacks and other factors, but are on the roll again. Sharma says, “We are bringing Hollywood stars down to all the launches. Everyone in India likes VIP treatment.”
Dinesh Afzalpurkar, chairman of the MHCC, says, “We have received their plans and the matter will be placed before the committee next week.” Shelley’s Hotel was a place where foreign scholars used to stay,” reminisces conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah. “I’ve got nothing against Planet Hollywood coming in, just as long as they don’t put any ghastly signage on the front.”
Source:Naomi Canton, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, June 04, 2010
First Published: 11:53 IST(4/6/2010)
Tags:Planet Hollywood, Theme Restaurant, Hotel Chain, Arch Millenium Corp, Master Franchise, floating restaurant, pleasure yacht, oceanis, multicuisine restaurants,international franchises,
Arch Millennium Corp, a Florida-based company, which has acquired the master franchise rights for the Planet Hollywood brand across India, is opening a five-star Planet Hollywood Hotel on the site of the former Shelley’s Hotel in Colaba. Scheduled to open in 2012, this will be the company’s second hotel in the world.
The first Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino opened in Las Vegas in 2007. Arch Millennium also plans to open Planet Hollywood floating restaurant in Colaba, on a pleasure yacht, which has already been imported from the US. Named Oceanis, it is a four-level boat, anchored in Mumbai, containing a variety of multi-cuisine restaurants, bars, lounges and coffee shops, seating 400 patrons. The northern suburbs are being considered for Mumbai’s first Planet Hollywood-themed restaurant.
Numbering 14 worldwide, the restaurants are typically decorated with movie memorabilia, including props from films, and serve American cuisine. Planet Hollywood is a privately-held US company. Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore have stake in the brand.
While the Las Vegas gigantic resort has 2,600 rooms dedicated to specific movies, a three-acre casino, and a 7,000-seater theatre, the Mumbai hotel will be more of a five-star luxury business hotel, says Sunit Sharma, group executive chef, Planet Hollywood India. The rooms won’t have movie memorabilia. He promises, “Guests will be treated like celebrities.”
Arch Millennium has already submitted plans to the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) to raze down Shelley’s Hotel, which remains closed and rebuild the Planet Hollywood Hotel on the plot, which falls in a heritage precinct. “It is not possible to renovate such a small hotel in the way we want,” Sharma says. “It won’t have a casino, but will be a five-star hotel, drawing from the celebrity status of Planet Hollywood.”
As for the five-year delay, he explains that plans to enter India were postponed due to the recession, the terror attacks and other factors, but are on the roll again. Sharma says, “We are bringing Hollywood stars down to all the launches. Everyone in India likes VIP treatment.”
Dinesh Afzalpurkar, chairman of the MHCC, says, “We have received their plans and the matter will be placed before the committee next week.” Shelley’s Hotel was a place where foreign scholars used to stay,” reminisces conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah. “I’ve got nothing against Planet Hollywood coming in, just as long as they don’t put any ghastly signage on the front.”
Source:Naomi Canton, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, June 04, 2010
First Published: 11:53 IST(4/6/2010)
Tags:Planet Hollywood, Theme Restaurant, Hotel Chain, Arch Millenium Corp, Master Franchise, floating restaurant, pleasure yacht, oceanis, multicuisine restaurants,international franchises,
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Spanish Franchisor and Clothing Retailer Zara Opens Up Its First Store In India, Delhi.
The Inditex Group has opened its first Zara store in Delhi, India. The Indian market shows great growth potential and will make a considerable contribution to total sales in the long term. However, several challenges remain in the form of a 51% limit on FDI and significant cultural differences. Nevertheless, Inditex's unique distribution strategy should allow it to gradually adapt to the market.
Inditex opened its first Zara store in India on May 29, 2010 in the Saket region of Delhi, having announced its plan to do so in September 2007. In accordance with Indian regulations on foreign direct investment (FDI), the Spanish fast-fashion retailer partnered with the Tata Group, India, to form a joint venture in February 2009. Inditex owns 51% of this partnership while Tata's subsidiary Trent Limited holds 49%. Due to various challenges the company faces, store expansion will remain slow, with only one further store opening planned for 2010.
Inditex has relied heavily on global expansion to maintain its sales momentum due to the heavy impact of the downturn in its domestic market. Indeed in 2009, 98% of new stores opened outside of Spain. Asian markets are a particularly strong source of growth for Inditex. It already operates stores in South Korea, China and Japan, where it opened a combined 63 stores in 2009. Similarly to China, India presents lucrative potential in the form of a rapidly growing middle class. Moreover, its clothing retail expenditure is forecast to grow at a faster rate than neighboring China with a CAGR of 6.7% in the period 2009-13, compared to China's 5.3%, according to Verdict's Global Retail Database.
However, the company faces several hurdles. Current regulations on FDI in India stipulate that foreign single-brand retailers must pass a 49% stake to a local partner. This involves the retailer sharing company details and data it would not normally divulge. Furthermore, franchising stores means that the retailer loses some control over how these are operated, which many companies fear may damage their brand. Consequently, single-brand retailers are often wary of entering the Indian market. For a clothing retailer like Zara, additional concerns include the relative lack of seasonal variation and the distinct, consolidated style of dress among Indian women which differs greatly to Zara's existing ranges.
Despite these challenges, Inditex has been the first of its main rivals, H&M and Gap, to take the leap. Zara has the advantage of having a much shorter range turnover cycle, at two weeks, and is able to respond quickly when specific categories and designs fail to sell. As such, Zara is well equipped to deal with a new and unexplored market and will benefit from capitalizing on growing demand within the retail sector.
Tags:Zara Store, Inditex, Spanish Franchisor, Franchising Stores,Clothing Retailer,GAP, HandM,international retail stores, International Franchise
Inditex opened its first Zara store in India on May 29, 2010 in the Saket region of Delhi, having announced its plan to do so in September 2007. In accordance with Indian regulations on foreign direct investment (FDI), the Spanish fast-fashion retailer partnered with the Tata Group, India, to form a joint venture in February 2009. Inditex owns 51% of this partnership while Tata's subsidiary Trent Limited holds 49%. Due to various challenges the company faces, store expansion will remain slow, with only one further store opening planned for 2010.
Inditex has relied heavily on global expansion to maintain its sales momentum due to the heavy impact of the downturn in its domestic market. Indeed in 2009, 98% of new stores opened outside of Spain. Asian markets are a particularly strong source of growth for Inditex. It already operates stores in South Korea, China and Japan, where it opened a combined 63 stores in 2009. Similarly to China, India presents lucrative potential in the form of a rapidly growing middle class. Moreover, its clothing retail expenditure is forecast to grow at a faster rate than neighboring China with a CAGR of 6.7% in the period 2009-13, compared to China's 5.3%, according to Verdict's Global Retail Database.
However, the company faces several hurdles. Current regulations on FDI in India stipulate that foreign single-brand retailers must pass a 49% stake to a local partner. This involves the retailer sharing company details and data it would not normally divulge. Furthermore, franchising stores means that the retailer loses some control over how these are operated, which many companies fear may damage their brand. Consequently, single-brand retailers are often wary of entering the Indian market. For a clothing retailer like Zara, additional concerns include the relative lack of seasonal variation and the distinct, consolidated style of dress among Indian women which differs greatly to Zara's existing ranges.
Despite these challenges, Inditex has been the first of its main rivals, H&M and Gap, to take the leap. Zara has the advantage of having a much shorter range turnover cycle, at two weeks, and is able to respond quickly when specific categories and designs fail to sell. As such, Zara is well equipped to deal with a new and unexplored market and will benefit from capitalizing on growing demand within the retail sector.
Tags:Zara Store, Inditex, Spanish Franchisor, Franchising Stores,Clothing Retailer,GAP, HandM,international retail stores, International Franchise
Titan aims to add 35 franchise outlets and Fast Track 75 franchise stores by Mar 2011
Sonata, Titan, fast Track, Xylys, Raga...Titan Watches straddles almost every price point in the mass and premium segments of the Indian watch market. But the world’s fifth-largest watch manufacturer and marketer is not content with merely playing it safe and wants to be more!
Its future plans include establishing a solid foothold in the premium category and focusing more on its international markets to emerge as the world’s third- largest watch company by 2015, thanks to its plan of pumping in Rs 1,000 crore over five years. Titan Industries, the parent company of Titan Watches, crossed the $1billion turnover mark in 2009-10, with Titan Watches contributing about 25% to it. In an interview with ET, Harish Bhat, COO- Watches, Titan Industries, discusses company’s strategy and how it plans to implement its plans to become the third-largest watchmaker and retailer within the next five years.
Excerpts:
The Titan brand has clicked with Indian masses. But you have expanded its brand portfolio to include in-house and international brands such as Hugo Boss and Tommy Hilfiger. What works better? Acquiring brands or creating new ones?
Our success is due to a combination of factors. Not only do we have strong brands such as Sonata, Fastrack and Xylys, but we also have more than 290 showrooms across the country, and we plan to take this count to 325 by March 2011. We will also increase the number of exclusive fast track stores from 24 to 100 by March 2011. The key is to establish better retail presence.
Personal accessory brands have to target a certain mindset and lifestyle. Every brand stands for an idea. While Raga represents sensuality, Fastrack has the idea of college youth having fun. One idea can only cater to one mindset. Therefore, in the lifestyle and accessories space, it pays rich dividends to have a house of brands. It is a sounder decision than trying to straddle the market with a single brand.
Market segmentation has become immensely important over the years. How has Titan Watches gone about this?
Yes, we have also tried to segment the market as thinly as possible. And this has worked very well for us because our access points—World of Titan showrooms are common, the watch dealers are common, the departmental stores such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle and West Side are common. But when a consumer enters an access point, he should be able to find the exact product that appeals to his lifestyle.
So you want brand Titan to be everything for everyone.
That is not our intention. Brand Titan’s philosophy has always been—be more. Be More reflects itself in different ways through our different brands. Whatever we are in life, we always nurse ambitions to be more than that. So it’s a fantasy that we have. Our aim is to help consumers realise that fantasy in a certain way. For example, an executive may secretly wish to be a pilot. Wearing the Aviator series of Titan watches takes him closer to that innate desire. This is what brand Titan wishes to help achieve for consumers. Our larger aim is to build a house of brands.
Your company has a crowded portfolio in the mass premium space. Don’t you see a cannibalization of sales in this space?
We have ensured that each of our brand in this space appeals to a certain mindset. Nebula watches are made of pure 18 carat gold and appeal to a certain kind of consumer who likes wearing solid gold watches. Tommy Hilfiger is an American fashion brand and appeals to those who want to have a piece of that. Xylys watches work on consumers’ perception of having Swiss precision. Hugo Boss is about European high fashion. Then we have Titan Automatics brand of watches meant for consumers who trust Indian watches. So each of these five watch brands are positioned differently.
Source:3 Jun 2010, 0105 hrs IST, Amit Sharma, ET Bureau.
Tags:Titan Franchise, Titan Franchising, Watch Franchise, Watch Store, Watches Business, Accessory Business, Watch Store, Harish Bhat, Xylys, Raga, Fast Track, Sonata, Nebula, Watch Brands.
Its future plans include establishing a solid foothold in the premium category and focusing more on its international markets to emerge as the world’s third- largest watch company by 2015, thanks to its plan of pumping in Rs 1,000 crore over five years. Titan Industries, the parent company of Titan Watches, crossed the $1billion turnover mark in 2009-10, with Titan Watches contributing about 25% to it. In an interview with ET, Harish Bhat, COO- Watches, Titan Industries, discusses company’s strategy and how it plans to implement its plans to become the third-largest watchmaker and retailer within the next five years.
Excerpts:
The Titan brand has clicked with Indian masses. But you have expanded its brand portfolio to include in-house and international brands such as Hugo Boss and Tommy Hilfiger. What works better? Acquiring brands or creating new ones?
Our success is due to a combination of factors. Not only do we have strong brands such as Sonata, Fastrack and Xylys, but we also have more than 290 showrooms across the country, and we plan to take this count to 325 by March 2011. We will also increase the number of exclusive fast track stores from 24 to 100 by March 2011. The key is to establish better retail presence.
Personal accessory brands have to target a certain mindset and lifestyle. Every brand stands for an idea. While Raga represents sensuality, Fastrack has the idea of college youth having fun. One idea can only cater to one mindset. Therefore, in the lifestyle and accessories space, it pays rich dividends to have a house of brands. It is a sounder decision than trying to straddle the market with a single brand.
Market segmentation has become immensely important over the years. How has Titan Watches gone about this?
Yes, we have also tried to segment the market as thinly as possible. And this has worked very well for us because our access points—World of Titan showrooms are common, the watch dealers are common, the departmental stores such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle and West Side are common. But when a consumer enters an access point, he should be able to find the exact product that appeals to his lifestyle.
So you want brand Titan to be everything for everyone.
That is not our intention. Brand Titan’s philosophy has always been—be more. Be More reflects itself in different ways through our different brands. Whatever we are in life, we always nurse ambitions to be more than that. So it’s a fantasy that we have. Our aim is to help consumers realise that fantasy in a certain way. For example, an executive may secretly wish to be a pilot. Wearing the Aviator series of Titan watches takes him closer to that innate desire. This is what brand Titan wishes to help achieve for consumers. Our larger aim is to build a house of brands.
Your company has a crowded portfolio in the mass premium space. Don’t you see a cannibalization of sales in this space?
We have ensured that each of our brand in this space appeals to a certain mindset. Nebula watches are made of pure 18 carat gold and appeal to a certain kind of consumer who likes wearing solid gold watches. Tommy Hilfiger is an American fashion brand and appeals to those who want to have a piece of that. Xylys watches work on consumers’ perception of having Swiss precision. Hugo Boss is about European high fashion. Then we have Titan Automatics brand of watches meant for consumers who trust Indian watches. So each of these five watch brands are positioned differently.
Source:3 Jun 2010, 0105 hrs IST, Amit Sharma, ET Bureau.
Tags:Titan Franchise, Titan Franchising, Watch Franchise, Watch Store, Watches Business, Accessory Business, Watch Store, Harish Bhat, Xylys, Raga, Fast Track, Sonata, Nebula, Watch Brands.
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