franchising

In 1999, I established Italbaby India Private Limited in New Delhi on behalf of foreign investors, at a time when India had not yet joined the global free market (WTO). This posed significant challenges for international trade, particularly in the importation of finished consumer goods. At that time, importing large quantities of ready-to-sell baby care products—such as strollers, car seats, pacifiers, and feeding bottles—was virtually impossible without incurring exorbitant tariffs, which reached up to 98%. To overcome this restriction, I developed an original and highly adaptive business model that allowed the company to operate efficiently under these constraints. Instead of importing fully assembled products, we imported key components and carried out local assembly, significantly reducing the applicable duties, though they still remained high, averaging around 80%. Given the elevated costs of these products due to import duties, I also pioneered an innovative retail distribution strategy, one that closely resembled modern franchising. This approach enabled Italbaby India to rapidly scale within just two years, establishing a nationwide distribution network, marking the first large-scale introduction of premium Italian baby products in India. The company successfully secured a presence in several key Indian states, bringing high-quality European childcare products to a market that had previously lacked such offerings. This strategic adaptation and rapid success led to significant media recognition, with Italbaby India and my work being featured in two of India’s most influential newspapers, the Hindustan Times and the Times of India, underscoring the impact of this pioneering venture in the Indian retail sector. Projects Italbaby India: first importer of Childhood items ALTROFOOD: Advisor for th OOH Sublime: Advisor and Board Member Poland: Food chain development advisor That’s Vapore: Advisor & strategic partner Gruppo Ethos Ristoranti: New business advisor Sciallami: Founder I love poke: Advisor Taglio Milano: Business advisor Else Corp: Advisor for Retail Development Stadion Mall Belgrade: Food Court redesign PAN BOLLA: format redesign and construction Poseidon Group: food court consultant Unilever: Format adaptation & Construction for Algida Gelaterie Algida: Design & Construction of Kiosks for entertainment parks Disney: Designer of Set Structure for Disney Channel’s ‘Quelli dell’Intervallo Water Kiosks: Invention and International Development Cremonini Group: Street Food Format with Montana Coca Cola: Design & development format for sport arena USCE MALL: Landlord Representation for Italy Oscartielle spa: Production Offshoring Development