VLCC set to add flab

VLCC group, India's leading chain of health, beauty and slimming centres, is planning major expansion across 48 cities as well as in smaller towns in India, with investment close to Rs 200 crore, spread over the next two years.

"Funds were raised through internal accruals and foreign investments," informed Vandana Luthra, founder and mentor of VLCC group.

"We are a Rs 300 crore company as of now. We are targeting a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore by 2010 and 1 million sq ft of retail space," informed Luthra.

"It took VLCC 18 years to build a brand that consumers would trust. Also, it took us this long to have our resources and a strong management force in place," Luthra said.

"Now that we are achieving compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35 per cent over the last five years, have a 20 per cent market share in the Rs 410 crore organised slimming centres market in India, and a 116 per cent growth in revenues in the personal care products business, we are confident of our expansion plans in India and abroad," claimed Luthra.

For one, the company is planning a total of 300 wellness centres across India in the next 2 years. Of these, 200 would be company-owned and managed and 100 would be run on franchisee models.

"Mainly the wellness centres in smaller towns would be run on franchisee models. But as the professionals would all be trained by VLCC, there would be no compromise on services or efficiency," informed Luthra.The smaller towns comprise Gorakpur, Yamunanagar, Meerut, Patiala, Raipur, Kolhapur, etc. The company is also planning a chain of 100 restaurants across India, christened 'Alive', that would sell 'health food'.