VLCC to open centres in Nepal, Pak

VLCC Healthcare Ltd, India's leading chain of beauty, health and fitness centres is planning to open an outlet in Nepal in May this year.

The location would be finalised by this month and it would be in synergy with a local partner, said Yogesh Sethi, chief operating officer of the company

VLCC also plans to expand into Bangladesh by September 2007 and Sri Lanka and Pakistan by the end of this year.

Sethi said there would be a company owned and operated centres in Bangla Desh and Sri Lanka, while they were scouting for a local partner to foray into Pakistant.

VLCC's first overseas outlet was opened in Dubai last week and the company plans to open 28 centres in the West Asian area.

"We envisage to open 28 beauty and wellness centres in the Middle East. The centre at Dubai was a company owned outlet we are open to collaborate with the local players".

He added that having consilidated its position in the Gulf region VLCC would expand on franchisee model.

Company's maiden Training Institute outside India would be rolled out in the Knowledge City of Dubai shortly.

"For the expansion in overseas market we would replicate the modus operandi adopted in India. According to climate and skin type we would provide the customized services in beauty and health in the new markets", informed Sethi.

The company has earmarked Rs 75 cr for expansion in Middle East and Rs 35 cr for expansion in Indian sub-continent that can exceed as per requirement.

He told that the company plans to open more than 300 outlets (wellness centres and training institutes) in the next two years.

According to Sethi, over the period the total market size has increased and the variants of demand have also changed. Earlier the demand was appearance driven but now most of our clients consult us for health benefits.

VLCC is also expanding its network of health restaurants 'Alive'. "For the time being our focus is NCR. We have two restaurants in Gurgaon. We shall open one each in Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad in this year".

Sethi apprised that supply-chain management played a crucial role for a concept like alive as we offered diet related receipes prepared by our nutritional experts.

As cooked food is offered at 'Alive' we cannot create infrastructure for that rapidly, he added.

He told that professionals from food industry were hired to prepare receipes through R&D at VLCC centre in Gurgaon.