SAN DIEGO – Harish Babla knows the franchising industry. He has owned a franchise, started and run a franchise development company and now he has become a franchisor. With his knowledge of the industry it is no surprise that his Grins2Go concept is starting to roll.
And roll is the operative word in Babla’s case because, despite the validity of the portrait photography business – an estimated $3 billion industry – it is his gamble on mobile photography units that has really given the concept wheels.
The San Diego-based Grins2Go is a photography service, with both retail and mobile studios, that specializes in portraits and event photography. The chain, which was started in 2005, has two retail locations and 12 mobile locations spread out across the United States from North Carolina to Kentucky to Idaho to California, and even in Hawaii.
With the retail studios focusing on the traditional photography services for family, baby and high school senior portraits, Babla hatched the mobile concept hoping to expand into other areas of photography, such as corporate events, anniversary parties, family reunions, proms, graduations and general social events.
BELLEVUE, Wash. – Expedia Inc., the world’s largest online travel agency with more than $17 billion in annual gross travel bookings, plans to grow even larger early next year when it establishes operations in India.
Sharat Dhall, managing director of Expedia’s yet-to-be launched India subsidiary, confirmed in mid-October that the company will launch a Web portal specifically for Indians.
WASHINGTON – India is widely regarded as a bottomless well of skilled engineers and IT workers, but the country lags far behind developing nations like Russia, China, Brazil, and even South Korea and Mexico when it comes to research and development activity at home, according to a report issued early last month by the World Bank.
SAN FRANCISCO – Premal Shah was drained when he walked into the small conference room at Kiva’s headquarters in San Francisco. He looked overworked, and when he sat down he had about as much energy as Superman, post-kryptonite. Then he started to speak about the nonprofit organization that he is the president of, Kiva.
Indian Americans laud win, some worry about Republican beliefs
BATON ROUGE, La. – With his recent election as governor of Louisiana, Republican Rep. Bobby Jindal continues his political aspirations, and remains a driving political force for the Indian American community.
The founders of Rave Wireless Inc., a New York-based mobile phone services provider, are behind a new technology that they argue will help save lives in emergency situations on college campuses. The company has captured the attention of college administrators and venture capitalists alike, and recently landed $18 million in its third round of venture funding.
Indian firm to spearhead luxury villas development
WESTPORT, Conn. – Westport Capital has announced that it is developing a $100 million residential real-estate complex in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. The project will be completed in a deal with an Indian real estate development company.
