Prompted by his quest to help obese people in India, Shruthesh Reddy of Ideal Weight Solutions, ditched his job in the US and returned to India to venture into the ketogenic weight-loss segment. With its unique concept, the company has aggressive expansion plans.
Intrestingly, entrepreneur Shruthesh Reddy’s weight-loss journey was quite similar to most of the obese individuals who eventually lose hope after trying diet protocols, gyms and exercise classes. But that was before he was introduced to the ‘Ideal Protein Protocol’. “The protocol transformed me in a short time as I lost 23 kg in just 10 weeks. Most amazing was the fact that by just following the protocol I was able to keep the weight off,” he shares.
Reddy saw excellent opportunity for the Ideal Protein Protocol in India which has recorded an alarming rate of obesity and lack of medically-developed ketogenic and safe weight-loss protocols. “After almost 10 months of due diligence and discussions, we partnered with the Ideal Protein and established Ideal Weight Solutions with our first centre in Hyderabad in June 2018,” Reddy informs.
Despite a limited footprint with centres in Hyderabad and Mumbai, the company has already transformed lives of over 250 clients. There have been enquiries from metro cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Tier II and III cities from states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and UP. “Majority of our customer acquisition has been through client referrals. With our unique concept, we are looking at high-growth future,” highlights Reddy.
UNIQUE CONCEPT
Started 18 years ago, Ideal Protein Protocol has changed lives of over 15 lakh overweight people across the world. “We are not a product sales company. Our core focus is on wellness with lifestyle changes. We offer a medically developed ketogenic four-phase protocol comprising two key components – weight loss and a healthier lifestyle education,” shares Reddy.
He further elaborates that the client engagement starts with profiling by a nutritionist, understanding the client’s current lifestyle, recording vitals, body mass index (BMI), body fat composition analysis and basal metabolic rate (BMR), setting weight-loss goal, and seeking basic blood test reports. The next stage is client counselling by a trained coach, who introduces them to the Ideal Protein Protocol.
In comparison to the competition, which offers limited protein product options, the company offers 21 varieties of Ideal Protein products that the customers can choose from – 20 of these options are vegetarian and one contains egg protein. All the products are manufactured and imported from Canada, US and France. “Clients can lose weight by eating a variety of delicious and healthy gourmet food. On an average, we see men losing around 6-8 kg per month and women 4-6 kg per month. Most importantly, we ensure only fat loss while maintaining the muscle mass,” reveals Reddy.
FRANCHISE FOCUS
With Ideal Weight continuing to make a mark across the country, it is aggressively looking for franchise partners throughout India. Talking about the kind of partners it would like onboard, Abhishek Chaturvedi, Director, Sales and Operations, Ideal Weight, says, “We are looking for enthusiastic people having connections with the medical fraternity or from a medical background. In fact, professionals like nutritionists, physiotherapists, gynaecologists, IVF and fertility specialists, orthopaedics, geriatricians, and specialists who treat lifestyle diseases as well as hospitals and nursing homes will fit the bill for ideal franchise.”
Practitioners can choose to either set up a standalone centre or add the franchise to their existing business set-up. Hiring a nutritionist to offer one-on-one coaching and counselling is a mandatory requirement. “We also empanel a senior physician to seek expert opinion on each client profile, to be sure that the Ideal Protein Protocol will provide beneficial results and not adversely impact a client’s health, particularly in clients with existing health conditions,” he adds. The company has customised packages starting from Rs 3,500-15,000 per week. “The average spending by the client depends on their weight-loss goals and body constitution. Ideally, franchise can expect margins of 25-30%,” states Reddy.
EXPANSION PLANS
The company has plans to establish franchised Ideal Weight centres across 10-12 cities by 2019-end. “We are soon opening centres in Chennai and Bengaluru, and will have franchise presence across all the metro cities and few of the Tier II and II cities over the next two years,” says Chaturvedi.
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