PANJIM: The deep thump of house music is audible as one approaches the entrance of the club located at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC)-Novotel. The dark interior lights discreetly placed in the various corners. The bar is located on one side of the floor and a couple of tables and chairs dot the dance floor. Not a bunny in sight. No, this is not Playboy club American style but rather its Indian avatar.
For a brand that generated much heat and some dust when it tried to set up operations in Goa , the inauguration of the club in Hyderabad was perhaps a vindication for Parag Sanghvi, managing director at PB Lifestyle the company that is the master and exclusive license holder for the Playboy brand in the country.
This agreement for 30 years will witness the launch of Playboy branded clubs, lounges and cafes across the country. The company will also retail Playboy merchandise including clothing, perfumes, accessories etc.
Parag said the licence does not include the magazines which had angered several people in Goa. He said “This was a perception which was incorrect. We do not wish to break the rules of the country.”
He expressed his frustration at the manner in which the issue snowballed in Goa when he claims he had not even applied for a license for the club.
Asked about his plans he revealed that the brand would enter the Mumbai market later this year with the inauguration of a club in Lower Parel.
With regards to Goa he said that he wanted to be here because it was a market which had people from all over the world holidaying.
Asked if he had any location in mind he said “I would like to open in Morjim in North Goa I love that place. My club which will be a all day cafe which will compete with major coffee chains in ambience but will serve alcohol as well. The kind of music we will play along with the atmosphere will give our patrons is a surreal experience”.
Parag plans to open around 6-8 clubs in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore, over the next five years.
Given the state government’s ambition to attract high end tourists another American major, Planet Hollywood announced that it would be opening an outlet in Goa by Dec 2014. The popular casino hotel will be coming up at the Uttorda Beach and is being brought in by the JMJ Group which has taken the Goa franchisee through the Wyndham Hotel Group. It will be the first Planet Hollywood resort outside the US. It is expected to have 115 rooms and 15 luxury tents.
The average spend of Indians on entertainment has seen a steady increase over the last decade as salaries have increased and a younger generation has entered the workforce. The country has one of the youngest populations in the world.
