Luxury children’s entertainment brand Boo Boo Laand, based in Dubai Mall, will open its first location in India by 2026. The debut venue will be at Jio World Plaza in Mumbai, one of the country’s most upscale shopping centers. Managing Director Salil Malik confirmed that the contract has been signed and that parent company Imperial One has allocated INR 110 crore (about USD 13 million) for a three-year expansion across Indian cities. For investors following Dubai real estate updates today, this move demonstrates how Dubai-based brands are leveraging local success to enter major Asian markets.
Boo Boo Laand specializes in interactive experiences for children aged 1–8, including play zones, creative workshops, and developmental activities. The concept targets affluent families willing to pay premium prices for quality leisure. In the UAE, admission costs AED 190 (around INR 4,500) for two hours of play. Prices for India have not yet been set. Still, Malik hinted that the Mumbai venue at Jio World Plaza will have an even more exclusive positioning than the planned Indian locations.
A market with significant supply gaps
The expansion decision followed a marketing study that revealed a significant shortage in the premium kids’ entertainment segment. The only notable competitor is KidZania, which caters to mass audiences. Boo Boo Laand aims for the upper-tier market, where competition is minimal and willingness to pay grows alongside the rising incomes of India’s middle class. The Indian children’s entertainment market is currently valued at USD 1.3 billion and is projectedto reach USD 2.1 billion by 2032.
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The Mumbai venue will cover 12,000 square feet, while other Indian locations are planned at 15,000–18,000 square feet. For comparison, the flagship space in Dubai Mall spans 25,000 square feet and attracted over half a million visitors in its first year. That performance convinced the management to expand beyond the Gulf region.
Planned rollout in India:
- Mumbai – first location at Jio World Plaza by 2026
- New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh – next in line
- Potential for at least three sites in both Mumbai and Delhi
- 20 venues nationwide within five years
Malik noted that school field trips will be a key revenue driver in India. Unlike the UAE, where population density and school structures differ, India’s 1.5 billion population and rapidly growing private education sector create massive potential for group bookings.
Global expansion accelerates
India is only part of Boo Boo Laand’s ambitious global growth plan. In Q1 2026, the brand will open a 12,000-square-foot facility in Abu Dhabi, followed by a 32,000-square-foot venue in Riyadh in Q2, which will become the company’s largest. Saudi Arabia’s entertainment industry is rapidly evolving under Vision 2030, and Boo Boo Laand aims to be among the early beneficiaries of this trend.
Further openings in Kuwait and Qatar are scheduled for Q4 2026, with negotiations already in advanced stages. In Asia, the company is exploring a joint venture in Singapore, where the premium edutainment segment remains underdeveloped.
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Boo Boo Laand’s strategy illustrates how Dubai-based companies use the city as a testing ground before scaling globally. The brand’s success in Dubai Mall, with its millions of annual visitors, provides a proven business model for attracting international investors and partners. Moreover, the inheritance law UAE, which allows foreign entrepreneurs to maintain ownership and control of their assets, strengthens the emirate’s reputation as a stable jurisdiction for structuring international business operations.
India appears particularly promising. The ongoing mall construction boom in tier-2 and tier-3 cities is driving demand for anchor tenants in the edutainment segment. Parents are eager to invest in their children’s development, and the lack of premium alternatives gives Boo Boo Laand a competitive edge. If Malik fulfills his plan to open 20 venues in 5 years, Boo Boo Laand could become the second-largest player after KidZania, with higher revenue per square foot thanks to its premium positioning.
