)
With Indian yoga market slated to touch $1.18 billion by 2017, international yoga and fitness brands are eyeing the region as for their future expansion. US-based entertainment and fitness brand AntiGravity has now tied up with Pune based Biorhythm India to open studios in India through the franchise route.
Founded by Christopher Harrison, an acrobat, fitness trainer, and Broadway performer who has worked with the likes of US President Barack Obama, former US President Bill Gates and several Hollywood celebrities, is in India to train the first batch of trainers who would eventually set up franchisees across the country under his brand AntiGravity. Harrison explained that his techniques basically combine an aerial hammock to do yoga techniques. According to him this process makes it fairly easier for those who are overweight or with physical injuries etc to master comparatively difficult yoga techniques as the strain on the body parts is partially absorbed by the hammock.
Commenting on the joint venture Jignesh Raval, chairman of Biorhythm India said that while people would want to opt for yoga techniques as a more time-tested and holistic approach to fitness, many are wary of mastering the difficult aasanas.
Also Read
He added that there was huge potential for yoga in India; from a $0.17 billion market at the moment, it is expected to scale up to $1.18 billion by 2017. As for the Biorhythm and AntiGravity joint venture, Raval said that the target is to have around 100 franchises within the first year. About 13 franchises have signed up within two weeks of starting operations here.
Raval feels that while at the moment several yoga studios are signing up for the training, as an extension to their brand, there lies a huge opportunity for individual yoga enthusiasts as well as corporates. "We have kept the franchise costs low, so that one can break even with enrolling just 50 students," he added.
