UK's Madame Tussauds to debut in India in June

Mr. Anshul Jain (left) and Mr. Marcel Kloos (right) posing with wax figure of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan

You need not travel to London to visit Madame Tussauds from June this year. The iconic museum, known for its life-like wax figures of global celebrities from various walks of life, is set to make its debut in India in June 2017. The first museum will come up at Delhi’s Connaught Place at the heritage building Regal Cinema, which once housed the famous Standard Restaurant.

“We will launch as many as 50 wax figures of celebrities in India,” says Anshul Jain, general manager and director, Merlin Entertainments India Pvt Ltd, which runs The Tussauds Group, owner of the Madame Tussauds celebrity wax attractions. Some of the prominent personalities whose figures are likely to be showcased at the museum include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and American pop icon Lady Gaga. Each wax structure will involve a minimum investment of Rs 1.5 crore.

"Madame Tussauds has always had a significant appeal for the Indian consumers. This is ever since the wax structure of Amitabh Bachchan was launched in the London museum in 2000," says Marcel Kloos, director, new openings, Europe and emerging markets.

What will distinguish the India museum from the rest? It will focus mainly on local celebrities from areas such as sports, films and history. "All our museums are different. In India, we plan to showcase 60 percent Indian celebrities [of the total wax figures] to connect with the people," says Jain.
 
Once the museum opens in Delhi, Merlin Entertainments will look at other locations in the country where it can open more museums.  

The company plans to invest as much as 50 million pounds over the next decade in India. This is significant as it reflects how global companies are looking to tap into the growing Indian market. Madame Tussauds is currently present in 22 other countries, the most prominent being its headquarters in London.