Wedding Mall To Boost Marriage Tourism In India

Neeti Chopra - New Delhi

Omaxe Constructions, a real estate biggie, is setting up the first ever mega mall dedicated to the theme of marriage called the Wedding Mall on Gurgaon-Sohna road. Not surprisingly, Indian weddings have become a huge international tourist attraction. A first of its own kind in India, the fully air-conditioned Wedding Mall will provide its customers a complete shopping cum entertainment experience. Spreading over a staggering area of 1,70,000 square feet with an investment of Rs 70 crore, the four-storeyed mall will open its doors by end of 2006.

Says Kunal Banerji, senior vice president-sales & marketing, Omaxe Constructions, "Wedding has an entire industry built around itself. Marriage business in the country is pegged at Rs 50,000 crore per annum and is growing at 25 per cent for the last couple of years. Every year flocks of Indian would-be brides and grooms - with their parents - from different countries head for the colourful cities of India to indulge in wedding shopping sprees. We are targeting primarily two markets - the domestic wedding market in India and then the NRI market where you have people flying in from Middle East, US and UK who come to India for wedding shopping." The mall will be a judicious mix of leading international and Indian brands and wedding-related service providers. Wedding planner, a honeymoon tour operator, a marriage bureau, a trousseau designer, designer brands, exquisite jewellery, footwear, apparel, eight to ten food and beverage outlets, entertainment provisions, service providers for floral arrangement, card designers and parking space for up to 700 cars are some of the characteristic features of this theme mall. The mall will also feature two banquet halls, which can be doubled up for exhibition area. An area of 18,000 square feet has been earmarked for this purpose.

Omaxe Constructions has plans to open the next complex under the Wedding Mall brand name at Patiala. "We are looking at all potential cities to come up with these types of theme malls. Although accommodation facility will not be provided at the first complex, we have plans to provide the facility at Patiala," mentions Rajiv Dayal, general manager- retail marketing and business development, Omaxe Constructions.