Reaction from The Four Fountains Spa to the Union Budget 2013-14
- Disappointed that there has been no reduction in Service Tax on spa services
We would have liked to see Service Tax on spa services reduced from 12% to 6% in order to make spa therapies more affordable. High prices of spa services are a disincentive for people to invest in their health and well-being. Spas have an important role to play in reducing stress levels and improving the productivity of the country’s new age workforce and it’s important to keep spa services affordable so that more and more people can try them. Since the time-frame for introduction of GST seems indefinite, a reduction in service tax levels would have helped in keeping spa services affordable.
- Happy to see increased investment in Medical Education & Department of AYUSH
The allocation of Rs. 4,727 crore for medical education and research and Rs 1,069 crore to the Department of Ayush for the development of alternative medicines are long-term positive initiatives for the wellness industry. We hope this will have a trickle-down effect on the spa industry.
Anurag Kedia is the Director for New Projects. He is a Chemical Engineer from IIT Bombay (2001) and a PGDM from IIM Ahmedabad (2004).
Anurag Kedia has worked as a manager with Tata Administrative Services. He was involved with development of marketing plan for Push to Talk service in Tata Indicom, strategy review & formulation of Fastrack Eyegear in Titan Industries, business & strategy planning of bio-technology products in Tata Chemicals. Anurag has also worked as a consultant in KPMG Consulting (Chennai) where he developed the enterprise risk management strategy for a large general insurance company, conducted business plan validation for a leading retail chain in South India and supported a change management & IT solution development project for a leading timeshare resort company.
The Four Fountains Spa: Creating a Stress-free India
The Four Fountains Spa is India’s largest chain of professionally managed, affordable health spas. The company’s vision is to keep India stress-free and healthy through affordable spa therapies.
Founded in 2007 by 3 management graduates from IIM Ahmedabad and S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, the spa chain aims to bring the health benefits of spa therapies within everyone’s reach by setting up 300 affordable spas in the top 20 cities of India by 2016. The spas are currently present in 19 locations across the following 10 cities in India – Mumbai (3), Delhi (1), Gurgaon (1), Bengaluru (3), Kolkata (2), Pune (5), Goa (1), Manali (1), Aurangabad (1) and Bhopal (1).
The Four Fountains Spa offers therapies for de-stressing, de-toxification, immunity and beauty for men as well as women. These include more than 20 massages, facials, body polishes, body wraps and packages. International massages like Aromatherapy, Thai, Swedish and Foot Reflexology are available alongside Indian massages like Ayurvedic and Head-Neck-Shoulder massage. A unique benefit-based menu helps guests choose the spa therapy that best meets their needs in a few simple steps.
All therapies are provided in a scientific and holistic manner based on a guest’s needs. Every therapist undergoes rigorous training at the spa’s dedicated training academy. A doctor conducts a stress test for each guest and recommends a spa therapy based on the results of the test. The doctor also suggests a suitable diet and exercise plan apart from any lifestyle changes that the guest might need to make.
The spa itself is tastefully designed to to melt away the stress of deadlines, schedules and power meetings. Beautiful candles and artefacts placed in lit niches create a zen-like ambience. A whiff of lemongrass aroma carries guests into the spa as they enter and strains of relaxing, meditative music help them settle into its tranquil environs.
The spa’s policy is to offer only same-gender therapists to guests i.e. a lady therapist for ladies and a gentleman therapist for gentlemen. Shower enclosures in each therapy room and extensive use of disposable linen ensure that guests enjoy only the high standards of hygiene and privacy.
Prices of spa therapies at The Four Fountains Spa start at as low as Rs. 599 in select cities. Weekday discounts (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm) and pre-paid membership discounts bring prices down further by 20% – 50%.
Since October 2007, The Four Fountains Spa has served over 1,20,000 guests and is a highly rated attraction in most of the cities it operates in as per Tripadvisor.com.