Redefining the rules of game

Koochie Play Systems, one of the fastest emerging playground equipment manufacturers has redefined the rules of games by providing safe and secure playground systems. In an interview, Roben Dass, MD, Koochie Play Systems shares the future plans of his company.

Ramanjit Kaur (RK): Please brief us the inception of Koochie Play Systems?

Roben Dass (RD): Koochie Play Systems started its operations in India in 2004. We have started with our headquarters at Bengaluru and soon we had offices in Chennai, Mumbai, and Delhi. Koochie comes with a unique dream of making playground systems fun and secure, and offer a total solution of child safety, an aspect which has been ignored in Indian market to a large extent. Koochie right from the beginning redefined the rules of the game, and achieved a successful balance between safety, reliability, quality, and excellence.  

RK: When did the company start franchising? What inspired the company to take the franchise route?

RD: We have recently taken up the franchise route to expand our presence in India. We have opted for franchising as it is the easy way to expand the brand presence. Our concept is apt for India as we believe that the urban population in India will grow by 85 million over the next 10 years, the second highest in the world. This is bound to create demand for new cities and townships which in turn would create a demand for amenities such as play areas for children. This is because the playground equipment solutions market is directly related to the residential construction industry market.

RK: What are the eligibility criteria for selecting the franchisees?

RD: We prefer our franchisees to be financially sound and preferably residing in the same town. However, having enough money to acquire Koochie franchises does not gain you automatic approval as we also look for:

• An area of 2500 sq. ft to stock fast selling items
• Passion, drive, commitment and determination
• Good communication skills
• Good people skills and ability to motivate staff
• Good administrative skills
• Quality and brand consciousness
• Good taste of life and high level of aesthetics
• Entrepreneurial skills

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RK: What kind of support and training does a franchisee get when partnering with you?

RD: We are committed to provide excellent pre and post opening support to our franchisees, which include:

• Assistance in site selection
• Assistance in negotiation of suitable terms and organising of a lease
• Support in organising of all necessary regulatory approvals
• Initial start up training
• Business and operational training
• Special training on client servicing
• Detailed confidential set of sales manual
• Field support
• Co-coordinator to address all your issues
• Ongoing research and development – refreshed product range every year
• Advices on effective cash management
• Advices on logistics and supply chain
• Aggressive B2B advertising, PR and promotional campaign
• Ongoing training on operational and marketing aspects
• Frequent official visits, stock audit, advices on local promotions programmes
• Training your installation team on our products installation
• AutoCAD design support for your clients directly from the design office

RK: How many franchisees do you presently have?

RD: Presently, we support a single franchisee in Punjab. However, we have franchisees in Australia, Morocco, UAE and France. Now we are looking to have pan India expansion in the coming few years.

RK: What are the future plans of the company?

RD: We are targeting 32 locations in India, which include metros and state capitals to expand our brand presence.