Chandra Gopalan speaks about the boom in the fitness industry and franchising opportunities for women

Chandra Gopalan has been a travel professional for over 15 years. An avid fitness enthusiast, she is a marathon runner with 7 successfully run marathons under her belt. She firmly believes that a lot of education is needed in our approach to fitness. Through this venture, she hopes to help women across India, achieve their health & fitness goals.

IR: Tell us about Contours Express. How many gyms do you have in all India network and in your region?

Chandra: We have 3 gyms in our region- 2 in Bangalore & 1 in Mumbai. A 4th gym will be opening in Bangalore on 1st February 2008. We are expecting a Contours Express to open in Delhi by the end of this year. Chennai is also in the pipeline with a gym opening in March.

IR: What is different about the fitness programs you offer for women (compared to other gyms)?

Chandra: We offer a unique program called CardioFit circuit training. This is the first of its kind in India. Besides the USP of our product is that it is designed specially for women, our machines are contoured for women & all it takes is 29 minutes per day to achieve Fitness & Weight loss.

IR: Who are your main competitors?

Chandra: We do not have a competitor for our product in India. Internationally there are similar “women only” chains, the most popular one being “Curves”.

IR: What are the annual membership charges? Is it same across cities/ regions?
Chandra: Our pricing is maintained within a certain range. For eg., in a city like Mumbai, it will be a little higher to cover the steep rental costs. Our average annual charge is 12500 which includes enrollment fee & service tax.

IR: Are your fitness instructors trained and experienced?
Chandra: All our trainers are either physiotherapists or they are appointed with a minimum of 1 year experience in other gyms.

IR: How do you ensure quality of service?
Chandra: Since most of our trainers are physiotherapists, they are very good with members. Their experience with patients makes them pleasant with people. Besides, they assist our members with soreness, discomfort etc, which is huge plus in the service we provide.

IR: What is the age and professional profile of members of your gyms?

Chandra: Being a women only gym, we attract a lot of first timers to the gym. Women feel very comfortable in an environment with no men, when they are working out. We also attract a large number of working women as our 29 minute concept is very time effective. Students form the balance of our members. Statistically it would be 35% - Middle aged women , 30% - Working professionals, 20% - students & 5% - seniors (above 60).

IR: What are the expansion plans for the chain?

Chandra: We plan to open 10 gyms in South & West India every year , for the next 5 years.

IR: Which cities are top on priority in your region- south and west India? and Why ?

Chandra: We would like to cover every area of Bangalore (a minimum of 8 gyms) as we are headquartered here. Cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad & Cochin are top on our priority.

On franchising:

IR: How many years have you been in the fitness business? & how old is this venture?

Chandra: I have been in the fitness business in the last 15 months. This is the same as the start of Contours Express in India.

IR: Why did you decide to take on the master franchise for Contours Express?

Chandra: I chanced upon Contours Express on the internet & thought that they had a brilliant product which shows people that it is not the number of hours you put into a gym but the intensity of your workout that gives benefits & results. Contours is a very well researched product & this is the reason that I opted to take the rights for India.

IR: What were the risks at that point in time?

Chandra: Risk is in the fact that Franchising is a nascent concept in India. People still opt for the age old concept of small start self owned start ups. Added to this is the spiraling cost of space rentals in most of our big cities.

IR: How is the franchising model working in India?

Chandra: Franchising is a very new concept in India (under 4%). There is very little awareness about how a franchise module works. Compared to countries like America where more than 50% of business are franchised, India has a long way to go.

IR: Do you encourage women to take franchises? What is the percentage of women owning Contours Express franchises?

Chandra: Franchising is the best way to reduce risk, when starting a business. When you have the backing of a tested & proven model, the only risk you run is in the running of the business. The product is taken care of by your franchisor. Besides the constant support from franchisor & other franchisees is a huge bonus, especially for a first timer.

IR: What are tips and suggestions you have for women entrepreneurs in India as far as franchising is concerned?

Chandra: I strongly urge women entrepreneurs to take the support of a franchise. From my own experience, I can strongly state that you risk is halved & your success rate doubles.

On the fitness market:

IR: How has the fitness market changed over the years?

Chandra: The fitness market is evolving at a rapid pace, especially in India. With statistics showing just 0.1% of our population going to gyms, with huge disposable incomes available & with growing awareness about health & fitness, the fitness industry in India is waiting to explode!

IR: What is the scale and potential of the women’s fitness market in India?

Chandra: As I said earlier, there is huge potential. Women’s fitness is particularly growing at a very rapid pace, primarily because 90% women prefer a women-only gym & women are the decision makers in most households today.

Chandra Gopalan