BNI India eyes Rs 200 cr referral biz from Hyderabad

Co allows only one person from each trade/profession to join a chapter; each chapter promotes business of other members

Business Network International (BNI), a Los Angeles-based word-of-mouth referral organisation, is targeting to achieve referral business to the tune of Rs 200 crore from Hyderabad in the next 12 months.

The 29-year-old organisation allows only one person from each trade or profession to join a chapter. And, each chapter promotes the business of other members.

BNI has eight chapters in Hyderabad that together registered a referral business worth Rs 137 crore in the last 18 months.

“Hyderabad is registering faster growth than many cities across the world. Hence, we are planning to add four more chapters in Hyderabad by the end of 2014 calendar,” Bharat Shah, executive director of BNI Hyderabad, told mediapersons on Tuesday.

BNI, which has 400 members in Hyderabad, is planning to double the member base next year.

“While we have recently opened a chapter in Visakhapatnam, we are in the process of launching the Vijayawada chapter in the next six months,” Shah said, adding 80 per cent of their members constituted entrepreneurs and the remaining professional.

Shah said BNI had 103 chapters in India with over 4,000 members. It registered a referral business of Rs 461.2 crore so far this year, and expects to cross Rs 800 crore next year, he said, adding that BNI saw a Rs 20, 000 -crore referral marketing opportunity in India.

BNI, with over 6, 000 chapters, has over 150,000 members in 54 countries. It has helped generate referral business of $3.3 billion globally so far this year and is aiming at reaching the $5-billion mark by 2015.