( dpa ) - Major Cineplex Group - Thailand's largest cinema chain - has inked a joint venture with New Delhi-based PVR Limited to invest in bowling alleys in India, media reports said Wednesday.
The joint venture, announced Tuesday, is 49 per cent held by Major Cineplex and 51 held by PVR, with registered capital of 90 million rupees (2.3 million dollars).
"We expect to develop 150 to 200 bowling lanes in major cities throughout India," Major Cineplex Group chairman Vicha Poolvaraluck told The Nation newspaper.
Major Cineplex, a listed company of the Stock Exchange of Thailand, currently operates about 500 bowling lanes in Thailand. The multi-cinema operator has over the past decade introduced a successful entertainment formula at its outlets that includes cinemas, bowling, karaoke centres, ice-skating and fitness centres.
"We have seen great potential for bowling alleys and other entertainment formats in India, particularly in key cities such as Delhi, Bombay and Bangalore, due to their large populations and similar entertainment cultures to that of Thailand," said Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, managing director of the RVR joint venture.