New Delhi, [India] March 01, 2025: A well-known gym chain with a reputation for providing high-quality, multi-amenity services, Crunch Fitness has signed a master franchise agreement to expand in India. In the upcoming years, this growth will bring at least 75 Crunch Fitness outlets nationwide. Although Crunch+, the company’s online fitness program, has long been accessible to Indian users, this will be their first physical location in South Asia. The first gym is expected to start in Delhi.
Dr. Umesh Kansal, M.D., a business leader with experience in fitness, financial services, and the international garment industry, and Nikhil Kakkar, a former COO of Gold’s Gym India, are spearheading the brand’s Indian development.
“This is an exciting time of expansion for Crunch, and with the Indian fitness market rapidly growing, we saw this as a natural next step in our international rollout,” said John Kersh, Managing Director of International Development for Crunch Fitness. Crunch Fitness had a historic year that included celebrating its 35th anniversary, launching Crunch 3.0, a revamped gym concept, surpassing three million members, and growing its global franchise network to 500 sites. Along with Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Portugal, and Spain, India is now a part of the global Crunch market.
“The Indian fitness industry is evolving rapidly, with more people prioritizing health and wellness than ever before,” said Nikhil Kakkar. “Crunch Fitness is known for its inclusive and high-energy approach to fitness, and we are excited to introduce this game-changing brand to the Indian market.”Dr. Umesh Kansal added, “Crunch’s unique blend of world-class amenities, innovative group classes, and an engaging community experience will set a new standard for gyms in India. We look forward to building a strong network of Crunch locations and making high-quality fitness accessible to more people.”
Jim Rowley, the CEO of Crunch Fitness, stated, “We are excited to introduce the Crunch experience to India, which will be a major milestone in our global expansion. With our special combination of top-notch facilities, cutting-edge programs, and welcoming community, we are thrilled to open our first physical site in India, a thriving and dynamic market with a growing interest in fitness. Our dedication to making fitness interesting, approachable, and enjoyable for everyone, wherever they may be in the world, is reflected in this expansion.”
Crunch Fitness President Chequan Lewis underlined the significance of this calculated action, saying, “Journeying into India is a daring step in our global franchising endeavors. India has a high demand for high-quality fitness solutions and is one of the fastest-growing fitness markets. We are thrilled to share our ‘No Judgments’ concept with the nation’s fitness aficionados.
Crunch Fitness intends to keep growing internationally until 2025, focusing on areas with robust economies and franchising prospects. Due to the company’s efforts, Entrepreneur’s annual Franchise 500® list—the most renowned franchise ranking in the industry—ranked it #32 overall and #1 in the fitness area for the second year in a row.
To learn more about Crunch Fitness’ international presence, please visit: www.crunch.com/franchise/international.
About Crunch:
Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of ‘No Judgments.’ Crunch serves a fitness community for all kinds of people with all types of goals, exercising all different ways, working it out at the same place together. Today, we are renowned for creating one-of-a-kind group fitness classes and unique programming for our wildly diverse members. Headquartered in New York City, Crunch serves three million members with over 500 gyms worldwide in 41 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Crunch is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe.
