Fun & fitness centre at Rs 8 cr in Phagwara

The idea of "fitness and entertainment zone" appears to be gaining currency in small towns of Punjab. The upcoming hot spot is the Planet Fitness Entertainment Zone in Phagwara, in the district of Kapurthala, on the Delhi-Amritsar national highway, coming up with an investment of Rs 8 crore.

Billed as a family entertainment park, the zone will provide entertainment and fitness courses for families, according to Kamal Sharma, the owner of the entertainment zone.

Set up on an area of 20,000 square feet, the design is a combination of fitness and entertainment activities. It has a swimming pool, gymnasiums for men and ladies, slimming sections, a billiards room, a kids' section, and a super video games corner for children. Also, a multi-cuisine restaurant and juice corner are part of the set-up.

"We have 10,000 square feet more on the roof, where in the second phase we may either start a go-karting track or a 3D theatre," Sharma said.

A management student from Russia, Sharma is keen to implement ideas of entertainment zones in Europe and the US. According to him, there was no entertainment zone in the town, which has a population of 300,000.

"Also, earlier at the same place, I was running a marriage centre, which was in business for about 60 days a year, depending on the length of the marriage season. But this venture will be functional all through the year," Sharma said.

The fitness centre will initially have facilities for 300 people, and later it will be able to serve 500. The membership fee will range from Rs 500 to Rs 20,000.

Sharma is expecting customers from adjoining townships of Banga, Goraya, Phillaur, and Hoshiarpur, which do not have any such zone, despite being in the rich NRI belt.