FTV's debut into salon segment in India

Lifestyle and fashion television channel Fashion TV has now premiered into salon segment in India after lending its names to bars and residential projects in the country. The first two F Salons have been opened in New Delhi and plans are afoot to roll them out to other cities. Commenting on the launch, Rajan Madhu, President, Fashion TV India, said, “For us, these two salons in Delhi will be crucial as we are trying to understand the market in India compared to the model that is followed in the Western world. We believe it will be prudent to first establish these two salons. We will take three-six months to study consumer reaction before we take them to other locations.” Madhu said the company believes there is potential to open 40-60 F Salons in India in the next three-four years. “We believe that the Indian consumers are exposed to the latest in beauty and wellness but are looking for quality. We are positioned in the affordable luxury segment and we will bring in the expertise of international and Indian beauty experts,” he added. Each of these salons could see investments in the range of Rs 70 lakh- Rs 2 crore. The company will initially be looking at expanding F Salons in North India and tap into other markets such as Chandigarh, Lucknow and Jaipur. It will gradually roll it out to other key metros such as Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. “Right now, we are following the franchise-owned-company-operated model for the first two salons, as we want to maintain the quality levels. But we are in talks to pick up equity, besides managing these salons,” Madhu added. Madhu heads Trinity Fashions, which currently holds the master licensing rights for Fashion TV and the brand ‘F’ for India. It currently runs four F Bars in the country. “We are opening F Bar in Indore and Jaipur, besides looking to take them to Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata this year. We hope to have 8-10 F Bar outlets by the end of this year,” he added. The company is also working on launching F Accessories, which will include categories such as semi-precious jewellery, handbags and shoes. The company hopes to launch them in 2017.