A host of national and international brands including Zudio, Westside, Pantaloons, Starbucks and Domino’s Pizza are scouting for real estate in Ayodhya to open stores to capitalise on the city’s potential as a thriving tourist and pilgrim centre
New Delhi: In November, apparel retailer Cantabill rolled out its 500th store in the city of Ayodhya. Earlier this week, Kalyan Jewellers picked the holy city to open its milestone 250th outlet there. Now a host of food services chains and fashion stores are making a beeline towards Ayodhya as the city is expected to become a major tourism and pilgrimage centre after the consecration of Ram Janmabhoomi Temple to be held on the 22nd of January by Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other celebrities like athletes, film stars, industrialists and spiritual leaders.
Nikhil Aggarwal, the founder of CRA Realtors, said his company is scouting for real estate in Ayodhya for a host of national and international brands including Zudio, Westside, Pantaloons, Starbucks and Domino’s Pizza among others.
“I have store requirement request for those brands,” Aggarwal said.
CRA Realtors works with dozens of brands including Marks & Spencer, American Eagle, Allen Solly, Puma, Being Human, Skechers, Biba, and Rare Rabbit.
Aggarwal said small-time mall developers are “scouting” for land to build malls in Ayodhya, which is expected to be transformed into a major religious and tourism destination in the coming years.
The Mall of Avadh is the first mall of the city which was opened around six months ago. “It is the biggest and largest development in Ayodhya in terms of retail,” said Devang Parekh, founder of the Mumbai-based real estate consultancy firm Genesis Realty Services, which is currently facilitating lease for multiple brands at the mall.
Parekh informed that outlets of brands like Pizza Hut, Pantaloons, Meena Bazaar, Fun Unlimited, House of Candy, and Titan are already operational at the mall. Delhi-based retail chain Market99 will open its store on 13 January there.
“The food court will be operational in some days,” Parekh said.
Anticipating a substantial surge in consumer demand, quick-service restaurant chain Burger Singh opened a new outlet in Ayodhya nine months ago with a first-mover advantage. “The Ayodhya outlet is one of the top 10%-12% of the outlets in the Burger Singh ecosystem even before the consecration of Ram temple,” said Kabir Jeet Singh, chief executive officer and founder, Burger Singh.
Singh expects the outlet to perform better after the consecration of the Ram Temple which will put the city on the global tourism map and bring millions of pilgrims and tourists to the city in the coming years. “Leveraging our first-mover advantage in Ayodhya, Burger Singh is strategically positioned to capitalize on the city’s burgeoning tourism circuit,” he added. “Burger Singh aims to open three new dine-in outlets and launch six 100 sq. ft. Express kiosks’ in Ayodhya.”
With a population of around 35,000, Ayodhya has already undergone a major facelift and the Ayodhya Development Authority is expecting a footfall of three lakh tourists every day during the initial months.
Reportedly, the floating or visiting population of the city is estimated to go up 8 to 10 times, leading to high demand for various products, including food, beverages, clothes, and groceries.
Fashion brands like Kalyan Jewellers have also tapped into the market. “We continue to be encouraged by the underlying momentum in footfalls across all our major markets,” the company said.
Dhishoom Cinemas also opened Ayodhya’s first two-screen multiplex on September 21, 2023. Located at the Mall of Avadh, the first auditorium of the multiplex has 154 seats while the second has 158 seats. “We have opened Ayodhya’s first multiplex in September,” said Tushar Dhingra, co-founder and chief executive officer of Dhishoom Cinemas.
The consecration of Ram Mandir has also led to the development of infrastructure in the city, including a new airport of 6,500 sq. km., a redeveloped railway station, and multiple hotel projects with Indian Hotels Company Ltd., Marriott International, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts, and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts already signing deal for hotels.
