Dr. Chackochen Mathai, a seasoned franchise expert with over 35 years of experience, is a well-known name in the Indian business ecosystem. As the Founder and CEO of Franchising Rightway, Dr. Chackochen has mentored over 1,700 entrepreneurs, leaving a lasting impact on the country’s franchising landscape.
An Impressive Journey in Franchising
Dr. Chackochen holds a doctorate in Franchise Management, coupled with multiple degrees in fields like Psychology, Marketing, and Advertising. His vast expertise spans across business development, sales training, operations, branding, and even family counseling. Over the years, Dr. Chackochen has consulted for prominent brands such as PhotoExpress, Dream Zone, and Blossom Kochhar. He is also recognized for his role in scaling Naturals, one of India’s top salon brands, both nationally and internationally.
Notable Achievements and Awards
His journey is marked by several prestigious accolades, including the 2022 Franchise Professional of the Year award by Franchise India and the Retail Mentor of the Year award by Dhanam Magazine. He has also been recognized by organizations like FICCI, RAI, and NFED for his outstanding contributions to entrepreneurship and franchising.
Thought Leadership and Industry Contribution
Beyond his practical achievements, Dr. Chackochen is a regular speaker at major franchising forums and institutions across India. His writings frequently appear in industry-leading magazines like Franchising India and SME Enterprises. He’s also contributed to shaping the curriculum as part of the syllabus framing committee for Anna University’s Management Sciences Faculty.
His ability to combine business acumen with psychological insight has not only led to successful franchises but also fostered a culture of mentorship and growth for entrepreneurs.
Read on as Dr. Chackochen opens up about his most memorable experiences, key trends shaping the franchise industry in India, and practical tips for those looking to venture into this space.
What inspired you to specialize in franchise management, and what were the biggest challenges you faced when you first started?
I started my career in the year 1990, it was the beginning of IT education in schools from DSRC India’s best IT school education company called Softlab. Later the IT major companies like NIIT, APTECH, SSI Limited started franchising and I got to be part of these companies. I worked for all the companies in Vizag. Latter had the opportunity to move back to Chennai, my home town and I worked with CADD Centre to develop their centers across India and was instrumental in developing 350 centers. This gave me an opportunity to learn franchising and I was very passionate to help every franchisee who signed up with CADD Centre to be successful. I had personal experience of helping first time entrepreneurs to be highly successful with my training, coaching, marketing idea and franchise management skills. Well franchising was not a great field in those days after IT education when IT education disappeared many left the field. I liked it so much that I continued to stay on and I pursued my PhD in Franchise Management from one of the top Universities in Chennai.
Well franchising was not a field to be in. I struggled to be recognised. But I was awarded the “The Best Franchise Manager” by Franchise India, later was awarded the “The Best Franchise Professional of the Year” by Franchise India and was listed in the TOP 100 Franchise Professionals of the year. It was not easy to stay on with less salary and work as a professional but my passion is to help entrepreneurs who invest in the brand to get back the money invested. I liked this because I didn’t have to lie or give or take bribes and I was able to sell honestly and hence I chose this field and many franchisors and franchisees benefited from my commitment to this industry.
Can you share a success story of a franchise you helped develop that stands out the most in your career?
I can talk about many but I was to share 2 incidents. I had a franchisee in Vellore and 1 in Tirupathi. The company that I worked for gave a franchisee and did not even visit to help them. They were bleeding and one of them wanted to commit suside e as both husband and wife but their money left their careers to run this business. This was the situation before I joined the company when i joined i visited this center and I was moved by the pathetic situation of this couple and decided to help them. I took a white chart paper, asked them to come to my hotel room and talk to them about a business and gave them ideas and strategies. They decided to continue this business and helped them move from red to orange and then to green. I made a commitment to them that I would visit every month to help them and review the business. I was so consistent that they were so profitable that they decided to take another outlet in Vijayawada. The Vellore guy was broke and was not keen to work as he was demotivated that he wanted to quit. But I gave him a commitment that I would continuously visit him monthly and help him to do help. People invest their hard earned money after working for some time or they borrow or take a loan to start a franchise business. It’s important for franchisors to hand hold, teach, train and help them excel in their work. It’s not just signing the franchise agreement and collecting the money from the franchisee and leaving them unattended cause a lot of pain in the relationship. It’s the responsibility of the franchisor to help the franchisee succeed. The reason for all this to happen in India is because India doesn’t have a strict franchising law hence all the franchisors are having a great time.
What common mistakes do aspiring franchise owners make, and how can they avoid them?
Franchise owners think that since they have taken a brand they will make a lot of money without working. It’s a myth. Even if you take MCDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut or any foreign brand or any Indian brand we need to work. The local expertise is with the local franchisee. Therefore all administration, local marketing and managing the business is the job of a franchisee. If they don’t do this they will not make money. The job of the franchisor is to set up the store, guide, train and constantly do ATL activities to bring in the customers to the brand.
How did you help scale brands like Naturals internationally? What are the key strategies for successful expansion?
It was not an easy job. Naturals is a southern wonder, we are a strong brand with presence in 800+ locations. To sell a southern wonder in an International market is not that easy. But then the brand has a great pull. Naturals is popular amongst South Indians and hence we decided to work with south indian partners and we succeeded in the same and I was instrumental in taking the brand to Dubai, Sharjah, Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. It was a great experience doing this and this adds up in my 35 years of experience in working with more than 1700+ entrepreneurs through the franchising route.
What trends do you see shaping the franchise industry in India over the next few years?
The industry is growing at a rapid pace at 35% – 40% growth rate. There are many segments that are growing especially the food industry, retail, electronics, Coffee Shops, after schools education, two wheelers, four wheelers, EV Vehicles, charging stations, appliances, restaurants, clothing, kids wear, beauty, wellness, gyms, medical field, medical labs, womens wear , lingerie wear and many other fields. Today if there is a business that is successful with few life cycles then that business can be franchised if the owner has a clear vision to build a legacy brand.
There are huge opportunities to create good brands, create jobs and also to make good money too, if with good intent if the job is done we will be able to scale up. India is one of the best markets for franchising with many new brands.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs looking to venture into the franchise business?
- Be clear about the passion that you have for an industry.
- Do a research on that industry and find the best 10 brands or companies that are working in that segment.
- Take the top 5 of them and see if that brand has come to your area and talk to them.
- Get the details, evaluate them and decide which brand to invest based on their commitment to help the franchisee.
- Talk to some franchisees who have taken the brand and also to some friends and well wishers may be a consultant who is qualified to suggest the right brands.
- Identify the right location and ensure you follow the advice of the franchisor and start the business well.
- Work hard for 3 years to build the brand locally and ensure that you serve your customers well and increase your reach to the local area and you can start investing in a few more of the same brand or other brands.
If you’re looking for expert advice on franchising, feel free to reach out to Dr. Chackochen at 9884051455 for guidance and insights.
