Conference Agenda

30th August, 2025
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM	Registration
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM	Opening Ceremony & Welcome Address Session Highlights: Welcome note by Organizers Lamp Lighting & Opening Remarks
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM	Inaugural Panel : The Future of Retail Franchising in India’s Consumer Economy Session Highlights: Rise of the Aspiring Middle Class & Rise of Tier 2 & 3 Cities as Franchise Growth Hubs Franchise Models Enable Faster, Asset-Light Expansion Brand-Conscious Millennials & Gen Z Fuel Demand Sectoral Boom in Fashion, QSR, and Value Retail Moderator: Anand Ramanathan Partner and Consumer Industry Leader, Deloitte India Speakers: Davashish Srivastava, Head of Development, Radisson Hotel Group for South Asia Kumar Nitesh, CEO, AJIO Business & TrendsFootwear Jeevan Shetty, Director - Franchise Management, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd.
11:15 AM - 11:30 AM	Honorary Awards Ceremony
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM	Panel 2: India’s Franchise Growth Map: Scaling Franchise Models in smaller cities & Unlocking the Next 1,000 Towns Session Highlights: What drives successful franchise expansion in tier 2, 3 & 4 markets Challenges and solutions in logistics, talent, and consumer readiness. How government –led policies and incentives are empowering local franchising in smaller towns. Manage the volatile dynamics of an investment negotiation and how to balance the varied expectations of all parties Role of real estate in site selection — malls vs high street in small-town India. Hyperlocalization: Customizing brand experiences for non-metro audiences. Moderator: Sachin Marya, MD, Franchise India Speakers: Krishnan Padmanabhan, Lead – Retail, Mega Channel, Tanishq Gyan Prakash Srivastava Brand Head – Devo- Siyaram Silk Mills Limited Sandip Baksi, CEO, Nuvora Retail
12:15 PM – 12:35 PM	Keynote: Designing for New India: Format Innovation & the Rise of the 10-Minute Store Session Highlights: Dark stores, Q-commerce & hybrid models New retail formats: kiosks, carts, mobile stores Adapting formats for low-rental micro markets Convenience-driven retail in Tier 2/3 India Speakers: Vinay Dhanani, President, Zepto
12:35 PM – 1:20 PM	Panel 3: Retail Redefined: Where India Shops in 2026 Session Highlights: Future of retail experiences Merging tech, trust, and touch in customer journeys Reimagining store roles in a digital-first economy Moderator: Beny Sachdeva, Assistant Editor, The Franchising World Speakers: K.G. George, President Retail, Cello World Limited Mayank Gupta, Chief Growth Officer, Stove Kraft Limited Ravi Teja Palla, CBO, Urban Ladder
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM	Networking Lunch & Expo Visit
2:30 PM – 3:15 PM	Panel 4: Beauty, Wellness & Fitness- Scaling the Feel-Good Economy with Franchising Session Highlights: The rise of salons, skincare chains, fitness studios, and wellness clinics as mainstream franchise categories. Franchise vs. licensing models: Choosing the right pathway for expansion in beauty and wellness services. How tier 2/3 markets are responding to premium self-care and preventive health formats. The power of product + service bundling in building customer loyalty and increasing AOV (average order value). Leveraging celebrity branding, influencer marketing, and tech platforms to scale visibility and bookings. Navigating training, SOPs, and standardization in people-led service businesses. The evolving role of wellness retail (nutraceuticals, ayurvedic products, fitness supplements) in franchise networks. Moderator: Sachin Marya, MD, Franchise india Speakers: CKK Kumaravel, Founder & CMD, Naturals Salon & Spa Rahul Bhalchandra, Founder & CEO, YLG Salons Vishal Kwatra, Director, Anytime Fitness
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM	Networking Informal B2B meetups between franchisors, real estate heads, and franchise seekers
31st August, 2025
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM	Panel 1: Franchising in Food: From Dine-In to Delivery-First Session Highlights: Scaling through multi-format kitchens (cloud, carts, kiosks, cafes) Regional food chains expanding across states Operational efficiency: Kitchen automation & delivery partnerships Menu engineering, profit margins & outlet-level P&L Franchisee profitability: Location planning & aggregator collaboration Moderator: Beny Sachdeva, Assistant Editor, The Franchising World Speakers: Mahesh Reddy, CEO, GOPIZZA India Madhu Kumar, Co-Founder & Director Biggies Burger Kulin Shah, Associate VP, Rebel Foods
11:15 AM – 12:00 AM	Panel 2: The Franchise Backbone: People, SOPs & Performance Session Highlights: Hiring the Right People: Tips on how to find and hire employees who are the right fit for franchise stores in different locations. Training for Consistency: How leading brands onboard and upskill franchise staff to deliver a uniform customer experience. SOPs That Scale: Creating and implementing standard operating procedures that are easy to replicate and enforce across franchise units. Performance Management: Aligning team KPIs with brand standards to ensure operational excellence at every outlet. People + Process Integration: How to ensure that your human capital and process systems work together for seamless franchise growth. Moderator: Beny Sachdeva, Assistant Editor, The Franchising World Speakers: Spoorthi Vishwas, Co- Founder & CEO - Junior Toes International Preschool Sahana Kulkarni, COO, Chess Klub Sandeep Mukherjee, COO and Co-Founder, Blives
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM	Panel 3: Multi-Unit Mastery: Driving Growth through Operational Scale Session Highlights: Master Franchisees & Area Developers: The true engines behind rapid brand growth. Models that Scale: Unit vs. territory-based expansion—what works best and why. Growth Stories: Regional players growing from 5 to 50 stores through strong backend systems. Moderator: Beny Sachdeva, Assistant Editor, The Franchising World Speakers: Manik Hans, Master Franchisee , Titan & Max Fashion Raghunandan Saraf, Founder & CEO, Saraf Furniture
12:45 PM – 1:00 PM	“From D2C to Omnichannel: Navigating India’s New-Age FMCG Growth Path.” Speakers: Vikas D Nahar, Founder , Happilo

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