Timezone steps up India expansion with ₹100 crore plan, eyes 100 centres by 2026

Mint

4 hours ago

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New Delhi: Timezone, one of the world's largest family entertainment centre (FEC) brands and owned by Australia-based TEEG (The Entertainment and Education Group), is scaling up its India operations. The company plans to continue investing over ₹ 100 crore annually as it targets 100 locations by 2026, up from 84 currently. It sees potential to expand across more than 80 cities in the country.
New Delhi: Timezone, one of the world's largest family entertainment centre (FEC) brands and owned by Australia-based TEEG (The Entertainment and Education Group), is scaling up its India operations. The company plans to continue investing over ₹ 100 crore annually as it targets 100 locations by 2026, up from 84 currently. It sees potential to expand across more than 80 cities in the country.
'We've consistently opened 10 to 12 venues every year, and we plan to continue at that pace," Abbas Jabalpurwala, CEO of Timezone India, told Mint in an interview. 'We should close this calendar year at 92 and cross the 100-venue mark next year. What gives us confidence is that this expansion is largely funded through internal accruals—we've remained profitable throughout."
Timezone has been in India for 14 years and, by its own estimates, has invested close to ₹ 800 crore in the country to date. The company typically spends ₹ 8-12 crore per centre, depending on the format. While Timezone does not disclose market-specific revenues, India is its second-largest market after Australia, in terms of both footfalls and revenue.
India has emerged as one of TEEG's most important growth markets. The group, which also operates the Play 'N' Learn brand across the Asia-Pacific region, sees rising demand for high-quality social entertainment among Indian consumers.
'The Indian consumer is incredibly aware, aspirational, and eager for world-class social entertainment experiences," said Caroline Leong, group chief customer officer at TEEG, said in the same interview. 'This is no longer a metro-only market. Families, friends—even grandparents—are coming in together."
TEEG is jointly owned by the LAI Group, led by the Steinberg family, and Quadrant Private Equity, which acquired a 50% stake in the Timezone business in 2017 to create the current structure. The group operates more than 300 centres across Asia-Pacific under brands such as Timezone, Zone Bowling, Kingpin and Play 'N' Learn. It has also attracted institutional debt funding, with Australian firm QIC acquiring a portion of its A$625 million debt facility. Beyond the metros
Having built its early presence in top-tier malls across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, Timezone is now expanding into smaller cities such as Anand, Rourkela, Siliguri, and Varanasi.
'We've identified 80 cities we want to be in. Currently, we're present in just 30. So, even if we only open one store per city, we have a solid five-year runway," said Jabalpurwala.
The company's newer locations in tier 2 and 3 cities are meeting—or even exceeding—expectations in terms of revenue. 'Tier 2 and tier 3 customers are willing to pay for quality—they know what's available in Mumbai or Delhi because of social media. As long as you don't cut corners on the experience, they respond," he said. Also Read | Can a Dubai-based league take kabaddi to the Olympics?
While the company does not share revenue figures, Jabalpurwala said the cost of building a centre typically ranges between ₹ 9,000 and ₹ 12,000 per sq. ft., with a targeted breakeven window of three years. 'ROI-wise, we aim for a three-year payback window, though most locations break even on cash flow within the first month," he noted. Bigger, better centres
Timezone recently relaunched its first-ever location at Inorbit Mall in Mumbai's Malad as a flagship venue, spread over 23,000 sq. ft. and packed with group-friendly features—bowling alleys, a laser tag arena for 18 players, bumper cars, cricket mini-games, and a full-service café.
While average store sizes range from 9,000 to 15,000 sq. ft., the brand is leaning into larger formats for key locations. This reflects a shift in consumer preferences toward immersive group experiences, particularly in the wake of the pandemic.
'Earlier, people came alone or in pairs. Now it's six, eight, even 10 people coming together. Games are designed for group play—bumper cars, laser tag, VR (virtual reality) experiences," said Leong.
Dwell times have grown as a result. On average, customers now spend 60 to 80 minutes per visit, with families flocking in during weekends and holidays. Weekday traffic, too, has picked up, driven by college students and corporate groups, Leong added. Owning the experience
Unlike some competitors, Timezone India is fully company-owned and operated, with no franchisees. 'Franchisees may not always uphold the brand spec or invest back in refreshing content, which is non-negotiable for us," said Jabalpurwala. Most leases are long-term—nine to 12 years—and several have already been renewed multiple times.
The brand typically accounts for 3-5% of a mall's monthly footfall, and average spending per family ranges from ₹ 2,000 to ₹ 3,000 on weekends. Per-customer spending has also been growing steadily at 8–10% year-on-year, according to Jabalpurwala. What's next?
TEEG is exploring the possibility of introducing Kingpin, its upscale bowling-bar format, to India. 'India is evolving fast, and we see space for all our formats eventually," Leong said, though she did not provide a timeline.
To deepen customer engagement, Timezone is leaning on data and loyalty tools. Its Powercard and mobile app track detailed user behaviour and enable hyper-personalized offers. 'We have more than 2 million contactable users in India alone, and over 8 million globally. We know what they play, when they come, and what they like to eat," said Leong.
While competition is intensifying from brands like Snow World, SMAAASH, and newer trampoline park chains, Timezone maintains a clear lead in the organized indoor FEC segment. It currently operates 84 centres in India, compared with fewer than 20 for SMAAASH and just two for Snow World. According to the company, it holds over 60% of the market share by venue count. Topics You May Be Interested In