| 30th August, 2025 |
| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
Registration & Networking Breakfast
|
| 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
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 – 12:00 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.
Speakers:
Krishnan Padmanabhan, Lead – Retail, Mega Channel, Tanishq
Gyan Prakash Srivastava Brand Head – Devo- Siyaram Silk Mills Limited
Sandip Baksi, CEO, Nuvora Retail Ashish Srivastava, Raymond
|
| 12:00 PM – 12:20 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
|
| 12:20 PM – 12:45 PM |
Networking Tea Break
|
| 12:45 PM – 1:30 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
Speakers:
K.G. George, President Retail, Cello World Limited
|
| 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM |
Networking Lunch & Expo Visit
|
| 2:30 PM – 2:45 PM |
Keynote: Delivering Growth: The Logistics Backbone of India
Session Highlights:
- How logistics innovation, last-mile delivery, and a robust partner network fuel scalability for
franchise businesses in India and abroad.
Speakers:
Subhasish Chakraborty, Chairman & Managing Director, DTDC Express Limited
|
| 2:45 PM – 3:30 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.
Speakers:
CKK Kumaravel, Founder & CMD, Naturals Salon & Spa
Rahul Bhalchandra, Founder & CEO, YLG Salons
|
| 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM |
Panel 5: How Tech is Reshaping Franchise Operations in India
Session Highlights:
- Digitization of Operations: How cloud-based POS, ERP, and real-time dashboards are giving
franchisors
better control and visibility across outlets.
- Smart Franchisee Onboarding: Use of digital training tools, virtual SOP simulations, and LMS
platforms
to ensure faster, standardized onboarding.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Leveraging analytics for location planning, inventory forecasting, and
personalized customer engagement.
- Enhancing Customer Experience: Integrating CRM, loyalty apps, and AI-driven feedback tools for
seamless and consistent service.
- Supply Chain Efficiency: How tech is optimizing vendor management, cold chain logistics, and
inventory
flow for franchised networks.
|
| 4:15 PM – 5:00 PM |
Networking Session
Informal B2B meetups between franchisors, real estate heads, and franchise seekers
|
| 31st August, 2025 |
| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM |
Welcome Coffee & Expo Floor walk
|
| 10:00 PM – 10:45 PM |
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
Speakers:
Mahesh Reddy, CEO, GOPIZZA India
Madhu Kumar, Co-Founder & Director Biggies Burger
|
| 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM |
Panel 2: The Location Game: Choosing Between High Streets and Malls for Maximum ROI
Session Highlights:
- Choosing the Right Rental Model: Pros and Cons of Revenue-Share vs. Fixed Lease
- Footfall vs. Sales: Understanding conversion rates across mall and high street formats
- Evaluating rental models: revenue share vs. fixed lease structures
- Analyzing footfall-to-sales conversion across retail formats
- Strategic real estate partnerships and effective lease negotiations
|
| 11:30 PM – 12:15 PM |
Panel 3: 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.
|
| 12:15 PM – 12:35 PM |
Legal note: Protecting Your Brand: Navigating Legal IPs in Franchising
Session Highlights:
- This session will unpack how trademarks, copyrights, patents, and design rights form the backbone of
franchise success. From safeguarding brand identity to avoiding costly disputes, attendees will gain
practical insights into structuring airtight franchise agreements, ensuring compliance, and protecting
their intellectual property in both domestic and international markets
Speakers:
Seema Jhingan, Senior Partner, LexCounsel, Law Offices
|
| 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM |
Panel 4: 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.
|
| 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM |
Lunch & Deal-Making Tables
|
| 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
FREX Recognition Hour
Awards for:
- Emerging Retail Franchise of the Year
- Innovative Business Format
- Most Promising Franchise Leader
|
