Malaysia's Impulse Studios is getting 'fast fitness' to India with a new technology

The Indian fitness industry is worth over Rs 4,500 crore and growing at a CAGR of 16 to 18 per cent year on year. In fact, it is expected to cross Rs 7,000 crore by 2017. The numbers point at the huge market that the Indian fitness sector has become. As the market becomes bigger, there are more international brands that are looking to enter India with newer concepts and techniques for fitness.

One such brand is Malaysia’s Impulse Studio. The brand is entering the Indian fitness sector in December this year, with the concept of Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS). Besides that, it is also looking at rapid expansion in India, taking the franchising route. Wellness India spoke to Manohar Iyer, Founder, Impulse Studios India and Dirk Schmellenkamp, co-founder, Impulse Studios, to know more about the brand’s global presence as well as India plans. Here are excerpts from the interview:

How many studios do you have at present? Where are they located and how many of these are franchised?

We have 7 existing studios and 7 studios under construction at the moment, and many more to come. We have studios in Malaysia, Singapore and China (Shanghai). So far, our business model was more about partnerships. We help our partners in other countries to set up their own studios through apt guidance. We have adopted the franchise model for expansion to cater to the growing market demands across the Asian market. We have our partner studios in Shanghai, Malaysia and Singapore with further expansion plans for Indonesia and Thailand. We are very happy to open our first studio in Bangalore this December and more planned in the pipeline across India.

What is new about Impulse Studio that makes it stand out? Elaborate.

Impulse Training offers something that is different in the current fitness market because we are using Electric Muscle Stimulation Technology which saves a lot of time and helps you get fitter faster. At Impulse Studio, our workout is only 20 minutes that is equivalent to 2-3 hours of strength workout at the conventional gym. We also have developed four unique fitness programs that cover majority of what the people’s goals are. We offer specific solutions such as weight loss, slim shape and tone, body sculpting and sports performance training program, all leading to fast and lasting results.

Our target markets are working adults, busy mothers and retired people who are looking for alternative methods to get fitter and healthier but simply do not have the time or have body limitations like old injuries or just ageing. Impulse training does not use weights in training and, thus, it is safe for everyone and yet very effective.

Impulse Studio believes in FASTER Concept which is: F stands for Friendly and Relaxed environment to cater to our mature and professional target market. Our studio is designed like a lounge to give a non-gym feeling. A stands for achievable workout and results for all age groups. S stands for systematic and simple to follow business so that we can grow and expand rapidly yet maintain the quality. T stands for Time saving workout and Transparency in business. E stands for Equal and Excellent services, and Effective and Efficient Training. R stands for Responsible and Reliable team members and partners.

What have been your remarkable achievements so far? Elaborate.

Impulse Studio has won several awards locally in Malaysia, we are the WINNER of TERAJU Superbiz, pitch for start up and young entrepreneurs with innovative and creative ideas in 2014. Impulse Studio was awarded as the best EMS studio worldwide powered XBody in 2014. And recently, Impulse Studio was awarded as ‘Outstanding Rising Star 2016’ by MRCA (Malaysian Retail Chain Association).

What are your plans for India?

We are planning to be present in all metros and Tier I cities as part of our Phase 1 expansion and there are a lot of people who have shown keen interest to own our brand and help us expand. We are exploring options to expand to Tier II cities once we have the studios up and running in Metros and Tier I cities.

What makes you take the franchising route for expansion?

We are all aware that obesity is a world epidemic problem. A majority of people in Asian countries are suffering from many cardiovascular diseases due to their weight problem. This happens because of our lifestyle changes. Technology and rising cost of living has made most of us lazy and we also spend majority of our time at work. Impulse Studio acknowledges this fact, and we are here with a mission to promote people to preserve their health by simply exercising in a short and yet effective training. Only by franchising, many people can benefit from our training and still enjoy the quality. That is why we would like to expand rapidly. Our motto is impulsing, get fitter faster. It’s minimum hassle and maximum convenience.

What support do you provide to your franchisees?

We offer marketing and technical support. To ensure quality and effective training, we offer Impulse Academy to all our franchisees. We also offer Impulse technology (mobile and software applications) for business owners / partners for easy monitoring.

How many studios are you looking at by 2020?

We’re looking at 100 studios.