Gautam Dutta: The idea for setting up bluO was to provide one stop entertainment destination to all and also promote the sport of bowling in India. Initially bowling was not as much popular sport in India as it is now. We wanted to promote bowling not just as an indoor sport but also as leisure and entertainment activity and we feel we have accomplished our goal as the patrons for BluO are on a constant rise.

Gautam Dutta: Response to bluO has been overwhelming. Though it caters to everyone but still youngsters are really fond of the destination. It is quite a hit amongst the corporate sector as well. We have an array of events happening at bluO all round the year like corporate tournaments, birthday parties, kitty parties etc. Even celebrity spotting has become a regular affair at the centre. Almost every month we have someone from bollywood visiting it. Just to name a few - Amitabh Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Shreyas Talpade and many more have been to the place.

Gautam Dutta: The fad of gaming has exploded in India as the new generation and their parents see it as entertainment than a waste of time. The virtual world of gaming has evolved into a serious business especially in metro cities.

Gautam Dutta: Bowling is definitely a better interest that other gaming cafes, since apart from entertainment there are a lot of health benefits involved with the sport as it involves a lot of physical movement. About 95% of bowlers consider bowling as a sport that can be exploited as a recreation, a form of relaxation, a societal factor, and a competitive nature as far as sportsmanship is compared. The simplicity of the game contributes to its adaptability. And since its rules are easier to understand, more and more people are engaging in this sport, not because of competition but to enjoy and have good time with family and friends.

Gautam Dutta: Being the leading cinema player (PVR Cinemas) and one of the leading entertainment destinations in the country, we are choosy about the brands with whom we enter into alliances. All our current partners are leaders in their domain areas and we are in various stages of talks and negotiations with various prospective partners for some new age concepts. The concepts are targeted towards our primary target groups namely youth and urban and upwardly mobile working professionals. All our specialized programmes and promotions are devised with a focus to provide increased visibility and mileage to our partners whether be it bowling competitions for amateurs, first timers and professionals, birthday and party packages or customized bowling and food combo. Our aggressive marketing efforts help them contribute to increased revenues and brand awareness.

Gautam Dutta: Bowling in India is at a very nascent stage as compared to the western countries. People are still not much aware about the bowling and hesitant to take up bowling as a professional sport. Since BluO is a unique concept, it is not a stand-alone bowling centre and neither a fine dining restaurant. BluO is a one of its kind entertainment concept in India. Hence, the biggest challenge for us was how to position BluO. Through creating a stronger vitality across all TGs and age groups and a stronger stature by leveraging the strength of being a PVR group company, we have been able to carve out a distinct identity for BluO contributing immensely in increasing our base of loyal customers. Simply speaking what T-20 has done to the sport of cricket in India, BluO has done the same to the sport of bowling. In other words, BluO is a concoction of fun bowling, world cuisine, music, adventure coming together.

Gautam Dutta: The gaming industry in India is also growing at a rapid speed. As per the study by Market Xcel, the size of the Indian gaming industry was estimated at around Rs 790 crore in 2009, compared to Rs 650 crore in 2008, implying a growth of 22 per cent during the period. In coming we will see an influx in gaming tier I and II cities.

Gautam Dutta: We plan to invest Rs 70-75 crores in the business towards opening of BluO across cities like Pune, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Noida in the coming three years. We will soon be launching the biggest bowling alley of India in Bangalore’s Orion Mall.