Turner India partners with Rajgreen Group as part of its theme park

The Rs 450 crore project will open commercially in Q1: 2019.

Turner India has announced a partnership with Gujarat-based real estate player Rajgreen Group, to expand its presence to their theme park. Titled Amaazia, the park will host 33 theme-based attractions as well as 20 water-slides spread across a 61,000 sq. mt area in the heart of Surat. After Dubai and Pattaya, Thailand, Surat is the third city in Asia where Cartoon Network has partnered up with a theme park. The park will open commercially in Q1: 2019.

Anand Singh

Siddharth Jain

Sanjay Movaliya

"Surat is set to be a metro city by 2018 and is a great location for a 'daycation'. People from Mumbai, Vapi and around can arrive within hours, hence we decided to go ahead with this park in Surat," informs, Anand Singh, senior director, CNE, South Asia.

Siddharth Jain, managing director, South Asia, Turner India refused to reveal commercial agreements between the two stakeholders. "It's not a date but a marriage, on paper the deal is for 10 years, but we see this extending in the future," he says. As a part of the partnership, Turner will have a branded area within the park where the 'kidcaster' will put up Cartoon Network characters for fans to touch and feel. The broadcaster will also have its stores to sell various merchandise.

"For us, this association is more of a marketing tool, where our fans get to spend a day with our characters. We are looking for more of such opportunities across the country," adds Jain.

Sanjay Movaliya, chairman, Rajgreen Group, said, "We are excited to collaborate with Turner India in our development of Amaazia. Our audience today is well-travelled and exposed to global entertainment venues. Our aim is to create a similar experience closer home via our association with a hugely popular global brand like Cartoon Network. We are certain our brand partnership with Turner India and Cartoon Network will enable us to successfully reach out to a large fan base of kids, young adults and those young-at-heart."

The Rajgreen Group is investing Rs 450 crores in building the entire project, "It's all our own money; we do not have any stakeholders. We have partnered with the Sanderson Group, an Australian multinational firm known for the development of integrated destinations including Theme Parks, Water Parks, Hotels, and Malls. The water park is already running and the remaining rides will get installed in 2018. This is an indoor park which will have two shifts - morning and evening - and will run throughout the year," adds Movaliya.