Multiplexes in India are consolidating their stronghold in the 70-80 top cities. They intend to make their way into the hinterlands of the country. However, that is proving to be difficult for the multiplexes due to lack of infrastructure and catchment areas.
New startups have encashed that opportunity and are working towards filling that gap with innovative solutions.
About the startup
One such startup is Jadooz, an entertainment startup which is founded by Rahul Nehra.
Nehra recently made a successful exit from his startup ‘Moving Talkies‘. Jadooz aims at taking the world of films, virtual reality and edutainment to nearly 500 semi-urban and semi-rural destinations in the near future, reports Economic Times.
Currently, the company plans to invest $20 million to set up 250 entertainment centers across semi-urban and semi-rural destinations in the next 18 months.
“Coming from a small town like Modinagar, I used to see that while the generations were growing, there was no destination for them to go to. This set the need matrix for me,”
Nehra explained.
Next, Nehra worked on finding out the best size and most cost-effective solution to this problem. He came up with Jadooz centers so that it was sustainable and brought a world of experience ‘cinema and more’ to the people of small towns. A journey through UP, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh validated the need and brought forth probably the biggest need-opportunity combination.
About the centers
Each Jadooz center will be of a total of 1,750 sq feet and have an AC theatre showing films in Hindi and regional languages, apart from 3D and VR films. There will be a café serving local snacks and beverages. It shall have a 70-seater mini theatre.
The centers will have three fully immersive VR pods which will have a total of 50 experiences ranging from roller coaster to spacewalk and more. Nehra opined that the theatres can also be used for certified education in the morning.
Kicking off with six states, it plans centers in 100 towns and villages in 2018.
Shifting trends in the media and entertainment industry
It is noteworthy that the average consumer’s affinity to digital platforms has been on the rise. It is forcing the industry to rethink older paradigms of entertainment consumption and revenue generation across various verticals like that of music, films, television, and live entertainment.
The target audience has now shifted from the urban, English-speaking India to the multilingual and extremely diverse hinterlands of India.
With this backdrop of the entertainment industry in mind, we eagerly wait to see the future of startup like that of Jadooz that aims to bring the experiences of multiplexes to the small towns.
Also Read: This Startup From Bengaluru Is Making 3D Bioprinting Popular In India
