Sachin Tendulkar’s Smaaash to launch in US

Smaaash Entertainment, a sport based entertainment company will be launching its first international property in the US on December 14th. The company has launched six facilities in India.

After launching six facilities in India, Smaaash Entertainment, the sports-based entertainment company co-owned by Shripal Morakhia and Sachin Tendulkar, is now launching its first international property in the US on December 14.

The company co-owned by Shripal Morakhia and Sachin Tendulkar has decided to launch at an 80,000 square feet space at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.

"This is the largest mall in America (7 million square feet) and owners are focused on entertainment. They have a 3-acre indoor theme park. This is among the very few malls in the world where people come to be entertained and incidentally also do shopping," Morakhia, chief imagination officer at Smaaash Entertainment, told ET.


He added that with approximately 48 million visitors per year, of which 45% are from a radius of 150 miles, this mall is geared towards entertainment and a large floating population, which makes it ideal.

The company is hoping a turnover of $12 million in first financial year and is also looking forward to making the most of the peak holiday season of December.

"Our investment, including pre-operative expenses and marketing, will be about $12 million. We are confident that we will make a turnover of $12 million in first financial year," Morakhia told ET.

Smaaash will be featuring over 30 gaming experiences, including a multi-level go karting track, virtual-reality based roller coaster and skywalk, sports simulators -basketball, ice hockey, football and a soccer game called 'Super Keeper'.

"We believe in bonding family and friends over entertainment. While in the US we will have different products, the goal remains the same," Morakhia told ET.

Meanwhile, on international expansion part, Morakhia said he has signed with a mega mall in New Jersey, which will come up in 2017.

"We are also looking at the West Coast - San Francisco and Bay Area. In Dubai mall, we are opening a 40,000 sq ft between April and June, while we will also be launching in Saudi Arabia in April," he told ET.
(image: IndiaTimes)