Redefining Entertainment & Sports Engagement amongst the Youth

Shripal Morakhia doesn't need an introduction. Before starting a sports-centric interactive and entertainment centre "Smaaash", which is co-owned by cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, he founded brokerage firm Sharekhan and investment banking firm SSKI before selling these to CityVenture and IDFC (respectively) for approximately Rs. 1,000 crore.

He revamped and revived the Amar Chitra Katha series, got it back on our bookshelves and produced two memorable films of Indie cinema, Bend it Like Beckham and Monsoon Wedding. Smaaash, which is Shripal's gift to a latent sportsperson in everybody, was founded in 2012 with partnerships from Sachin Tendulkar and Bennett Coleman. The Star TV Group is the major sponsor of the centre. The brand recently expanded to DLF's Cyber Hub area, in Gurgaon. Brain child of the multi-faceted Morakhia, Smaaash boasts of an unmatched range of games that offer an otherworldly experience and combines the best of sports, music and dining into a highly immersive, interactive, innovative and involved entertainment experience.

Since the game of Cricket is the heartbeat of the nation, Shripal thought it was apt to create a 360-degree simulator around the game, along with a twilight bowling zone, football, motor racing, bike and F1 racing simulators, indoor paintball zone, and GoKarting track on the roof of the building, which are all build with proprietary technologies in the fully funded centres. Smaaash has upped the ante of the real and virtual gaming experience in the country.

In the last two years, Smaaash claims to have entertained more than 7 lakh visitors, and has grown from 20,000 sq. feet to 120,000 sq. feet. Currently, the virtual reality gaming experience is open for residents of Mumbai, Hyderabad and Gurgaon, with the expansion planned to another 11 cities by March of 2016. Not only that, deals in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and London are already being kicked off and as soon as the national expansion spree is structured, the later part of 2016 will keep Shripal busy on a strong footing in the International space.

 

Retailer media spoke to Shripal Morakhia on the unique concept Smaaash, its connect with the masses, expansion plans and everything in between.

 

What was the inspiration behind building a space like Smaaash and what is its USP?

Every brand today is investing in creating a spectator. No one is interested in creating a player. "Play" is a very important part of our faculty development and everyone today seems to be ignoring that, and we as a nation are somehow averse to playing sports. In India, partying is a new terminology that is in fashion, and especially with the youth, and with 'Smaaash' we are trying to culminate partying and playing. So we said why not club playing and partying and create a space that is aspirational, where people engage themselves in playing and at the same time, party at the end of it all. And that is how Smaaash was born.

 

What's the technology that you are putting behind the concept?

We are a company inspired by Apple. Apple makes everything so seamless that you think it is easy to do, while it is not. That's exactly what we do, and in our case, games at Smaaash are easy to play. You can play for fun, or play for practice or you can play for competition. It is up to you to decide what will be the route you want to choose while playing. We have integrated traditional games with technology and brought the virtual world and real world together, and thereby have created a unique space in the technological platform.

It would have been only possible with the technology that is available at our disposal. All the technology that you see at Smaaash is "Made in India". So we have coined the phrase 'Made in India' much before our Prime Minister Narendra Modi coined it. We use a number of virtual-world technologies and there is no single technology that we boast of.

 

What's the business model of Smaaash and how does it help converge the online and offline sporting activity?

Smaaash stores are helping in bringing out the latent sportsperson in you and helping you play. In fact, what we are doing is, we are bridging the gap between the offline and the online. When you are creating something for the online, you have to keep in mind that you have to take the challenges to the next level. Smaaash has done just that! It is our humble effort to bring the online and offline together on a platform which has a lot in common.

 

How has been the response so far?

Touchwood! It has been phenomenal. We could not have been in a better place than DLF Cyber Hub, and in Delhi/ Gurgaon where it is impossible to go anywhere to find a 25,000 sq ft space, DLF Cyber Hub helped us solve that hassle. Before starting, we just wished we had enough space and we have gotten just that.

 

Could you put some light on rental agreement?

We do not believe in the term 'rental' at all. Smaaash abhors this terminology! We do revenue sharing in such kinds of arrangements and call our landlord our partners. In our language, the word 'rental' does not appear.

 

What are your expansion and growth plans?

In March of 2016, we will be in 11 cities in India. We are developing a whole new platform on Soccer now which will take us through Saudi Arabia, Dubai and London in the next financial year. By March 2016, we will be in 11 cities and that plan has strengthened after seeing the response in Mumbai, Gurgaon and Hyderabad. Once we have expanded globally, we will be strengthening our global ambition.

 

What's your global ambition?

We have already signed our Dubai deal, and we are very close to signing deals in Saudi Arabia. In fact, we have already kicked off discussions at London. We will be doing Soccer in Dubai and Saudi Arabia as it is more prominent and popular there.

 

What has been the arrangement between you and the partners? Could you talk to us about the investment that has gone into the facility?

Believe me, I've spent a lot of money. We are very happy with the response we've got and the global attention we have got. And we believe that it's worth every penny we have spent. As for specifics, I don't want to give out numbers.