Chandigarh : Asia's largest Franchise and Retail Show along with Startup Entrepreneurship Summit opened here today at Hotel JW Marriott.
A Franchise India initiative, the show is being held in association with the Government of India's Ministry of MSME and Indian Franchise Association, showcasing 75 national and international brands, looking at expansion opportunities in north India.
The Startup Entrepreneurship Summit opened with the inaugural addresses by Vikram Hans, Chairman of CII Chandigarh Council, Paramjit Singh, Principal Consultant, Regional Centre of Entrepreneurship, and Manish Trehan, CEO of PTU's Gian Jyoti School of TQM and Entrepreneurship.
Speaking on the occasion Vikram Hans said that the services sector is contributing to 73% of national GDP and northern region is catching up with the trend, providing opportunity for many national and international brands to expand here.
Manish Trehan remarked that though currently there is growth only in the elementary and secondary schools franchising their businesses to other areas, and very soon higher education sector would follow the suit with the new changes in the education policy being made by the Government and the entry of many private universities.
Paramjit Singh, Principal Consultant to Regional Centre of Entrepreneurship shared various government schemes available for the budding entrepreneurs.
Frameboxx, CEO, Naveen Gupta showcased his company's expansion from 8 to over 52 franchise units in the country today primarily by matching the skill requirements of the industry with the academic curricula and through strong backward integration with the animation studios and the industry leaders.
Ritu Marya of Franchise India said that there had been a growth of 30 to 35 percent in franchise business in the country in last five years, and Punjab remains the best starting ground for any national brand while entering the Indian market. Health and Wellness, beauty, luxury and education sectors are the most popular business options that entrepreneurs are exploring today for Punjab, she added. She said that today in the country the three most important markets for setting up business are Pune, Hyderabad and Chandigarh.
Ashna Sharan, CEO, Franchise India Exhibition said that the participating companies are always excited to exhibit in Chandigarh because of the reach it provides to them to reach out to all the major markets of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
