Bollywood
PVR INOX Targets Small Towns with 300 Affordable Screens and ₹175 Ticket Pricing
BY CHRISTA LINCY
PVR INOX has announced a strategic shift in its expansion plans, focusing on the untapped potential of small-town India. The multiplex giant aims to launch 300 affordable cinema screens over the next three years under a new initiative designed for Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. By setting ticket prices at an average of ₹175, the company is looking to make the premium movie-going experience accessible to a much broader audience, often referred to as the Bharat market. The logic behind this move is a significant reduction in setup and operational costs. Traditional multiplex screens usually require a capital expenditure of ₹3.5 Crore to ₹4 Crore each. However, these new affordable screens are engineered to cost between ₹1.5 Crore and ₹2 Crore. This is achieved by optimizing the built-up area and simplifying the design of the foyers. Even with lower costs, the auditoriums will maintain high standards, featuring 2K laser projectors and advanced Dolby 7.1 sound systems to ensure the cinematic quality remains intact. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Operating these cinemas will also be more efficient. The company plans to deploy around six employees per screen, compared to the usual nine in metropolitan multiplexes. Additionally, the food and beverage menu will be calibrated for local tastes and priced roughly 25 percent lower than in major cities. This approach allows PVR INOX to enter smaller markets where high real estate costs previously made it difficult to sustain a profitable business model. A key part of this strategy is the shift toward a Franchise-Owned, Company-Operated model. This asset-light approach involves local partners investing in the infrastructure while PVR INOX manages the operations and programming. It allows for faster scaling across different regions without putting a heavy financial strain on the company's balance sheet. The first of these affordable properties has already been planned for Muzaffarpur in Bihar, with several other locations in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh to follow. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) For the industry, this is a major move toward addressing the screen-scarcity issue in India. Currently, the country has a very low screen density compared to international markets. By bringing organized exhibition to towns with populations between 1.5 and 5 lakh, the company is creating a new ecosystem for film consumption. If this model proves successful, it could fundamentally change how blockbusters are released and distributed across the country.