KidZania celebrates 10 years in India, to add 7-8 new centres in next decade

As it completes 10 years in India, global indoor theme park KidZania has set sights on further expansion in the country by adding 7-8 new centres during the next decade, a top company official said on Wednesday. Some of these centres might be smaller, KidZania India Founder and Promoter Paras Chandaria said, adding that if smaller formats become successful, these can be replicated in Tier-II cities going forward.

"We see huge opportunities in India and expect to open 7-8 theme parks in the next 8-10 years," Chandaria told PTI.

"Now, we are looking at five cities -- Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad -- for the next phase of expansion with a capex of USD 50 million (about Rs 400 crore)," Chandaria said.


"In the next 8-10 years, India will become the largest market for KidZania in the world, surpassing Mexico which has four centres. Similarly, we will also explore Tier-II markets with high children population for further expansion," Chandaria added.

KidZania is headquartered in Cuajimalpa city of Mexico.

Currently, there are two KidZania centres in India -- one in Mumbai and another in New Delhi -- and the total footfall has crossed 7 million in the last 10 years.

About footfalls in India as compared to pre-Covid levels, Chandaria said the momentum is back and he hopes that the 2019 levels would be reached by the next calendar year.

KidZania President and CEO Xavier Lopez Ancona, who is in India to celebrate 10 years of the brand's presence here, said the country has great potential for growth and throughout its journey has maintained strong brand partnerships that have contributed to collaborative success.

Kidzania has a strong pipeline globally and is opening a centre in Hanoi this year and will open one each in Hong Kong and Johannesburg next year, he added.