Gold's Gym International has announced it is opening its first franchise in Bombay, India this summer, as part of plans to develop 1,000 gyms worldwide by 2005.

The flagship site will be situated in an old jewellery shop, and will include dedicated cardiovascular, strength, free weights and group exercise areas as well as a separate women-only area. There will also be a steam room, and treatment rooms for massages.

Gold's Gym has plans to open a further 15 gyms in all the major cities throughout India over the next 10 years.

Senior vice president for franchising, Ben Amante, said: 'We will be the first organised fitness operator in India, and our expansion there means we now have clubs in so many different countries that it will always be daylight in a Gold's Gym somewhere in the world.'

The group has also just announced it has formed a master franchise development rights alliance with Power Sports Management Company to expand operations in Russia, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia and the Ukraine. Meanwhile, in the US, Gold's has recently acquired eight World Gyms in Austin Texas, which it has plans to expand and renovate.

In the last 18 months Gold's has expanded its franchise operations into more than 10 countries, including Egypt, Peru, Mexico and Japan, increasing its number of franchised gyms by more than 50. This year, the group plans to add another 75 to 100 facilities throughout the world. Gold's has 622 gyms with more than 2.5m members in 24 countries throughout the world. Details: goldsgym.com