Luxury cinemas to make up 20% of PVR INOX screens in 12-18 months: Renaud Palliere

PVR INOX is set to expand its luxury cinema segment significantly as premium viewing experiences continue to see strong demand in India. The company plans to increase its luxury screen inventory from the current 15% to 20% of total screens within the next 12-18 months. 

The luxury cinema portfolio includes premium and ultra-premium formats like Director’s Cut, Insignia and Luxe, currently operational in multiple cities. These premium offerings feature enhanced amenities such as ultra-comfortable seating, at-seat service, and extensive food and beverage menus that rival high-end restaurants. Formats like 4DX, ICE and IMAX are also a part of the list, offering immersive entertainment to audiences willing to shell out a few extra rupees for sensory-rich movie experiences beyond traditional screenings.

“There is a very strong interest in that premium basket. In that basket, you have different products, from speciality formats to very high-end luxury experiences combining hospitality with cinema,” says Renaud Palliere, CEO of The Luxury Collection and Innovation, PVR INOX Ltd, adding that the company is looking to expand this segment significantly in 2025.

Beyond metro cities, this demand extends to affluent tier-2 cities like Pune, where PVR INOX rolled out luxury cinema experiences, including a Director’s Cut theatre, last year. Udaipur is another key city, where the premium Insignia format in 2024. Last year, Ahmedabad also got its first IMAX and Luxe format theatres.

Palliere shares, “I think the demand is undeniable. The question is how quickly we can address that demand and how quickly we have projects and properties coming in the right catchment areas. It’s much linked with the real estate availability.”

Movie buffs are paying premium prices in the range of Rs 2,000 per seat in metro cities, especially for blockbuster weekend screenings. The appetite for premium experiences remains strong, with even re-released films commanding tickets between Rs 500-700. Some of these shows are ad-less experiences, optimising for time and elevating the premium experience. 

Palliere highlights ‘time’ as the main competitor for multiplex chains. “When people are willing to pay a high ticket price for a very rich experience, we cannot dilute that rich experience by having too many ads before the film or during the interval. So, we have come up with ad-less experiences wherein we show hardly any trailers,” he explains. 

These premium experiences include an extensive F&B portfolio of in-house brands and third-party partnerships. Taking a region-specific approach, the multiplex chain customises its menus to cater to local tastes and preferences across different markets. The strategy extends beyond menu items to include targeted marketing and promotional activities, helping the company better serve diverse customer preferences across its national footprint.

A big part of PVR INOX’s premium experiences is to give customers control over how and what they consume. This includes introducing platforms like ScreenIt and Promote & Earn. ScreenIt allows movie enthusiasts to create or join customised experiences at their preferred cinemas. Promote & Earn is an initiative that empowers users to promote ‘now showing’ movies with personalised links for earning cash incentives.

“A lot of people are programming their shows. Alongside the re-releases, which was the starting point of this whole initiative, the consumer now can take a lot more control over their entertainment experience, in terms of choosing what they want to watch, where they want to watch it, which cinema they want to watch it at, on what specific date in the future. And on top of that, get meaningfully rewarded in cash for promoting the events that they're programming for themselves and their friends to a wider audience,” shares Palliere.

Looking ahead, PVR INOX plans to leverage user data from these digital initiatives to further refine its content strategy. The company aims to expand beyond mainstream films, introducing more independent and regional content from both India and global markets. Early experiments with Japanese anime and Korean films have shown promising results in key markets. This data-driven approach, combined with its premium offerings and digital initiatives, positions PVR INOX to expand its customised and luxury offerings to engage customers.