What is WTF BLACK?

WTF BLACK in one line

You own it. WTF runs it. WTF BLACK is how WTF Gyms offers its gym franchise to investors. It is not a separate company, a new chain or a membership tier. Every gym opened under the franchise, from a 2,000 sq ft Studio to a 15,000 sq ft Flagship, is a WTF BLACK gym, built to one standard and operated by the same team that runs WTF's own gyms.

WTF Gyms was founded in 2021 in Noida by Vishal Nigam. Today WTF runs 60+ gyms with 50,000+ members and a team of 800+ people ^[1]. It was named Franchise Startup of the Year (Fitness) at Franchise India 2023, and its founder has been seen on Shark Tank India.

The idea behind WTF BLACK is simple. Most gym franchises in India sell you a brand name and a playbook, then leave you to hire trainers, sell memberships, fix machines and chase renewals, while taking a share of your revenue every month. WTF BLACK flips that. You bring the capital and approve the site. WTF does the work of building and running the gym, and charges one fixed monthly fee for it.

• You own the gym, its assets and its P&L: the profit after running costs and the Power Fee is yours, and so is the risk of a loss.
• WTF builds it: site checks, design, civil and interiors, and the Black Edition equipment.
• WTF runs it: hiring and training, membership sales, marketing, maintenance, software and daily operations.
• One fixed fee: a Power Fee of about ₹1 lakh a month. No royalty, no revenue share.

Four formats

WTF BLACK comes in four formats. They share the same brand, equipment standard, software and operating team; they differ in floor area, number of equipment stations and the extra zones a bigger floor can hold, such as group studios, recovery or a café. Pick by the site you have and the capital you want to commit, not by the biggest number.

Studio suits a dense residential catchment with a compact floor. Premium adds room for more strength stations and a group area. Express is a high-street gym with a full training floor and space for personal training to grow. Flagship is a destination gym for a large catchment, with every zone the format allows.

The investment covers fit-out, Black Edition equipment and opening costs within the band for your format; the exact scope, inclusions, working capital and taxes are set in a written proposal for your site. Use the format comparison and the illustrative calculator to test scenarios before you talk to the team.

The Black Edition equipment standard

Every WTF BLACK gym is fitted with the WTF Black Edition: 37 machines designed and made by WTF across five categories (cardio, selectorized strength, plate-loaded, benches and free weights, and functional). One equipment standard means every format looks and trains the same, spares are common across gyms, and WTF's own team can service the floor instead of waiting on a third-party supplier.

Below, pick a format to see an indicative floor layout, tap a zone to see which Black Edition machines go in it, and browse the full line-up of machines with their key specifications.

What it costs to own and run

WTF charges one fixed monthly Power Fee of about ₹1 lakh to run the gym. It escalates yearly like other operating costs. There is no royalty and no revenue share, so the fee does not grow when the gym's revenue grows.

Operating breakeven, the month revenue first covers running costs, is typically 10 to 18 months depending on format. That is not payback: recovering the capital you put in takes longer, typically about 5 years, and depends mostly on rent and how fast membership ramps.

Nobody can promise what a gym will earn. Returns depend on rent, catchment, pricing and how quickly members join and stay. What WTF BLACK changes is who carries the operating work: you are not buying yourself a job, and you are not paying a percentage of every rupee the gym takes. Ask for the full model for your site and read the indicative term sheet before you commit.

India and Dubai (launching)

In India, WTF runs gyms across Delhi NCR and in Bangalore today, and is opening WTF BLACK gyms in cities across the country. Share your city and the franchise team will tell you whether your catchment and site fit a format. City guides for Delhi, Bangalore and other cities explain local rents and catchments.

WTF BLACK is launching soon in Dubai, with founding partners only. It is not open there yet. The WTF BLACK Dubai launch page has the indicative AED investment range for founding partners and the application form.

How it differs from a WTF member gym

If you are looking for a gym to train at, you want a WTF membership, which you can buy at wtfgyms.com or at any WTF gym. WTF BLACK is for people who want to own a gym. Members of a WTF BLACK gym experience a WTF gym: the same trainers' playbook, app, equipment and service standard. What differs is the ownership behind it.

How a WTF BLACK gym gets built

1. 1Enquire. Verify your number and share your city and budget. The franchise team calls you.
2. 2Fit. WTF sizes a format to your capital and checks the catchment and the site you have in mind, or helps you find one.
3. 3Proposal. You receive a written proposal: scope, inclusions, working capital, the Power Fee and the term.
4. 4Build. WTF designs the gym, manages civil and interiors, and installs the Black Edition equipment.
5. 5Launch. WTF hires and trains the team and runs pre-launch membership sales and marketing.
6. 6Run. WTF operates the gym every day. You see the numbers and approve the big decisions.