It was probably a matter of time before Dalip Singh Rana, better known by his ring name The Great Khali, entered the fitness business.
The professional wrestler is planning to set up several gyms in India (and then probably look abroad.)
To be christened as the The Great Khali Gym & Fitness Club, these gyms will feature a lounge, kids area, the Khali gallery, marathon track and usual ones like two spas, two Jacuzzis, sweat room.
And because he’s a wrestler, his gyms will offer fitness as well as wrestling.
“The gyms will have a theme and would look like a wrestling ring. As members enter the gym, Khali will greet them with an automated voice message. There will be a Khali gallery, which will display and sell merchandise like clothes and boots,” says a source close to Khali.
Khali is doing this project under Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE), his company which has set up a wrestling academy in Jalandhar in Punjab. After India, Khali wants to open gyms in markets like the US, Canada and Dubai, where he enjoys good following.
Khali’s franchisees will have to invest Rs 3.5 crore in gym infrastructure, including approximately Rs 35 lakh sign-up fees to be paid to Khali. A franchisee will also incur variable costs of Rs 50-60 lakh a year, but can hope to make revenues of Rs 3.5 crore a year.
“Assuming a gym can get 700 members, it can make Rs 2 crore per annum purely from gym revenues. Plus, it could hope to make Rs 1.5 crore in revenues from the lounge, the Khali gallery, self-defence training for kids, zumba, aerobics, power yoga.”
The lounge will sell food supplements like protein bars that sell for Rs 2,000/kg while the gallery will sell merchandise for wrestling. These are likely to be the two key non-gym revenues.
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