If you are an entrepreneur looking for entering into franchise business then Franchise India 2007, a two-day exhibition held in Delhi, was the perfect place to get a first-hand experience. The show, which concluded on December 12, turned out to be a major success as hordes of entrepreneurs thronged the venue getting information, guidance, counselling and on-the-spot business proposals.
Organised by Via, India's premier travel company, in association with Veta, Club City and other business houses, the show offered opportunities to cross-section of business sectors, from management consultancy and recruitment to food & drink, health & fitness, cleaning companies and automotive repairs.
With franchising gaining momentum and getting acceptance increasingly from various industry sectors, India seems to be on the threshold of major shift. In the US, the franchise industry is currently worth over $1.5 millions and employs more than 97, 00,000 people. It's no wonder if the same success story is replicated in India too.
Talking to Thomex.com, Niranjan Gupta, C.O.O of Via said that the show was a perfect platform for young entrepreneurs as it offered a good exposure to the functioning of the industry. "Via has Rs 700 cr. turnover and has offices across the country. We are going to open a branch office in Delhi shortly and are also looking new franchiser in the Capital & NCR region," Mr. Gupta said.
One of the main focuses of the exhibition was educational institution like IIMR (India Institute of Medical Representative Pvt. Ltd.) who invited ambitious entrepreneurs seeking opportunities in booming corporate training industry as franchise. There were other institutions like Management Institutes, IIFT (International Institute of fashion technology), British Academy for English Language, Jetking, etc.
The show also witnessed participation from other industries including Beauty Saloon, Business services, Clothing, Food & Beverages, Health Aids & Services, Retail, Schools, Travels, Properties, suppliers, and national and international business finance.
The show also proved to be a right platform for getting new franchisers, as for Gujarat Amusement Industries. "We were looking for some franchisers for Delhi and NCR area, the show brought us in contact with some of them," said BB Shah of Gujarat Amusement Industries.
Amitesh Tripathi, sales manager, HDFC Bank Ltd was equally impressed with the kind of response the exhibition had received both in terms of participation and visitors "We were looking for customers for Bank franchise loans, and we got some who were interested in availing the opportunity," Tripathi said.
