Amusement park and resort chain Wonderla Holidays is actively pursuing its expansion plans and is currently engaged in advanced discussions with Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. The company is confident in the scalability of its existing model and aims to announce new developments pertaining to its expansion in the near future, according to a top company executive.

Chandigarh holds significant importance for Wonderla as a substantial market, especially within the tri-city region encompassing Mohali, Chandigarh, and Panchkula, said Arun K. Chittilappilly, MD, to businessline. “This unique combination presents great market potential due to the absence of offerings similar to ours in terms of scale and nature. In Madhya Pradesh, we are currently assessing Indore and Bhopal as potential new locations for expansion,” he added.

Investments

Speaking about its investment strategy, Chittilappilly said they usually allocate approximately ₹400-450 crore for a larger park, whereas a smaller park would require an investment of around ₹100-150 crore. With the company’s existing cash flows around the range of ₹300–350 crore and its debt-free standing, financing is not a concern, he noted.

Currently, it is in the process of constructing two parks—one in Bhubaneshwar, which is expected to be completed in under 18 months. The Chennai one is projected to be ready by June-July 2025.

For the next 12 months, Wonderla has outlined a CapEx of ₹70 crore for ongoing projects, along with approximately ₹450 crore for the development of the two new parks.

“Of the ₹400 crore worth of investment lined up for our Chennai project, around ₹120 crore has been spent already. In the case of the Bhubaneshwar Park, a total outlay of ₹150 crore is anticipated, with ₹20 crore having already been allocated,” the MD said.

The amusement park chain directly employs about 1000 people, and this year it plans to add another 300 in Chennai and Odisha. Furthermore, Chittilappilly stated a desire to establish an institution to meet the rigorous demands of the industry, which calls for a great deal of training in terms of maintaining the rides.

“We don’t have any training institutions or schools for this industry, which is one of the main reasons we want to establish a training academy in the next two-three years. Attrition will occur as we expand and add parks, so we need to hire more qualified individuals.”

Additionally, over the upcoming three years, the company is also strategising to extend its presence to international markets such as Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.

Regarding this prospect, Chittilappilly noted that while there is definite interest, the company is exercising caution. “The intention is to avoid entering markets that might not yet be mature or viable, and we plan to review this over the course of three years.”

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