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Online travel services provider, MakeMyTrip on Wednesday said it plans to grow its franchise base by over 50 per cent this year to expand its reach in smaller cities and towns across India. The company is seeking to tap into the opportunities provided by the government's initiative to increase the number of airports in India by adding 80 airports over the next three years, taking the number to 220 by 2025, MakeMyTrip (MMT) said in a statement. MMT said it started 2023 with 146 active franchisees and the aim is to grow by more than 50 per cent to reach 220 by the end of the calendar year. "The franchise network expansion is part of our broader strategy to serve customers in the top 100 plus cities of India. The franchise network will help serve those customers who may be more comfortable talking to someone they trust," MakeMyTrip Co-Founder and Group CEO Rajesh Magow said. On the opportunities in the country, he said India has emerged as one of the world's fastest-growing aviation .
The start-up funding 'winter' is a reality but it is going to be short and sharp, and it has been exacerbated by the banking crisis in the US and Europe, travel services provider MakeMyTrip Chairman Deep Kalra said on Tuesday. With domestic players in travel in India reporting more than 100 per cent recovery from pre-COVID period, the industry will witness steady secular growth, he said while speaking at the Times Network India Digital Fest here. "I think the startup winter, which we're talking about or the funding winter that we're talking about is a reality, but it's going to be short, but sharp," Kalra said. He further said, "And today, it's not only because of the overheated part of it, but now we have the banks crisis, not just in the US but also in Europe, which really exacerbates most of this but I've seen cycles now being shorter, sharper and it will come back. Kalra was responding to a query on the churn witnessed by the start-up ecosystem where valuations have dropped and