Franchising in India

Franchising in most parts of the world is well established and part of everyday life. In the U.S. over $1 trillion is spent per year in franchised outlets, 1 out of every 12 retail locations is a franchised operation. Now franchising is moving into other parts of the world, most notably India.
India now presents and enormous opportunity for franchise organizations. The country has over 12 million retailers which surpasses even China. This makes India the country with the highest retail outlet density in the world.
Indians have taken to franchising like the U.S. Already in this young and undeveloped franchise environment there are over 600 franchisors franchising in the Indian marketplace today. Along with that comes over 40,000 franchisees spread out across the country and across different sectors, over 300,000 Indian employees are employed directly by Indian franchise companies there. The market is enormous with almost unlimited potential. Currently the education sector of franchised businesses is the leading franchise model, but retail is catching up. The size of the consuming class means big opportunities for more franchise development.
The potential downsides of the new Indian market are what comes along with any developing market. For one the lack of regulation can still be an issue, real estate can be tricky and skewed in some cases and financing can be difficult. But if you can deal with those, this market has loads of potential.
There are a lot of companies in the services sector that are actively looking at India to set up their franchise operations today and will continue to be in the future. The growing popularity of the franchise model among Indian business men is evident in and around the country of India. The same issues that are taking place in the U.S. are also happening in India today. More people are losing their jobs, the big companies are downsizing with the slowing the economy in many sectors. This puts more people in the franchise market who would otherwise be working in a management position at a salary.
A franchise is a way for someone to earn a living without the risk of starting their own business. The other side of the equation is that as is the case in the U.S., investors are becoming more and more wary of putting their money into the stock market today. Earning the kinds of returns that were possible 2-5 years ago are extremely difficult today. This prompts more and more Indian business people to invest in themselves through a franchise model. Overall, the Indian franchise market represents one of the largest franchise opportunities in the world today.
Franchise organizations with applicable concepts and good planning will absolutely take India into account when planning their franchise system expansion for the coming years.
Christopher J. Conner
Vice President
Francorp, Inc.
708-481-2900
http://www.francorp.com