At 19, She's Running a Gym Chain with 30 Centres and Rs. 26 Crore Turnover

At just 19 years old, Mayara Neeraj Sharma is doing what many people only dream of. She is already managing a nationwide gym brand and getting real experience in running a business. At the same time, she continues to follow her passion for golf.

Mayara comes from a business family. Her parents and sisters are involved in various businesses under the Lexicon Group. These include the Lexicon International School, a preschool chain, a management institute, a baby care brand called Citta, and more.

At 19, Mayara Neeraj Sharma is leading the Rs. 26 crore Multifit gym chain, balancing business, fitness, and golf (Photos: Special Arrangement)

Her initiation into the business world began with a tough challenge: helping revive a struggling gym chain, Multifit, that the family took over around the time of the Covid pandemic.

“We took over Multifit around the time of Covid, and the biggest challenge was bringing people back to the gym. It took time to break the stigma to come to public spaces,” recalls Mayara.


“Since the company was debt-ridden, repaying the loans was no less than an uphill task. Another hurdle was getting the staff to accept the change in management. It took time for them to understand that this isn’t a setup-oriented business, it's a goal-oriented one.”

Multifit was originally founded by Samir Kapoor in 2015 from the UK. When the company ran into financial trouble, Kapoor approached the Lexicon Group with a proposal to acquire it.

Neeraj Sharma and Deepti Sharma, Mayara’s parents, decided to invest in the venture, putting in Rs. 25 crore to acquire and revive the brand. The investment was recovered within the first four years of operations.

The business, which runs under the registered name MultiFit Wellness Pvt. Ltd., has grown steadily and closed the last financial year with a turnover of Rs. 26 crore.

Mayara starts her day with 4 hours of golf and 1.5 hours of strength training

Today, Multifit operates 30 centres - with one each in the UK and UAE, and the rest spread across India. Two of these, located in Mumbai and Pune, are company-owned; the others run under a franchise model.

The company is headquartered in Kalyani Nagar Annexe, Pune, from an 8,000 sq. ft. facility that houses both the corporate office and one of the company-owned gyms.

Beyond just a gym and fitness chain, Multifit has launched the Multifit Community, which organises events connecting members from their UK, US, and Indian centers. Activities include cricket and football matches, staycations, talks, and various competitions among clubs from all three countries.

As Director of the company, Mayara manages operations while also building the Multifit Community, an initiative that connects members from India, the UK, and the US through events such as cricket and football matches, staycations, motivational talks, and inter-club competitions.

“I come from a very close-knit and humble family,” she says. “I have seen my parents and other family members work really hard. They gave me Multifit as a platform to explore and grow my skills.”

The company started with 25 on-roll employees and has since grown to 91 employees in its company-owned centers. Of these, six are in top management, 30 in sales and marketing, 15 in community management, and the rest are trainers.

Multifit charges a franchise fee of Rs. 1.3 crore and supports franchisees with training, location scouting, marketing, and pre-sales assistance. They charge a flat royalty fee ranging from Rs. 10 to 35 lakhs, depending on the city tier.

When she’s not managing a fitness brand, Mayara unwinds with her pet dogs or explores cafés with friends

Multifit offers monthly memberships ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 18,000, depending on the services chosen. The gym provides a wide variety of training options, such as functional training, strength conditioning, calisthenics, boxing, yoga, dance, and weekend master classes.

The company earns the highest revenue through its personal training programmes. Over the past decade, it claims to have served 2.3 lakh users.

Now five years into the journey, Mayara proudly shares that Multifit’s retention rate is 33% higher than that of its competitors.

Her advice to young entrepreneurs is simple but powerful: “Nobody will give you a suggestion. You have to carve your own path and be your own support system. Believing in yourself is the biggest asset you can have.”

Mayara completed her Class 12 in 2022 from The Lexicon International School, Pune, and is currently pursuing her BBA from DY Patil University. A professional golfer for the past ten years, she continues to pursue the sport actively.

Mayura, with parents Neeraj and Deepti Sharma, the force behind Lexicon Group

Her daily routine starts at 6.30 am with four hours of golf practice, followed by 1.5 hours of strength training at Multifit. In her free time, she enjoys relaxing with her two pet dogs, visiting cafes with friends, and following a disciplined fitness regime.

Her elder sister, Shreya Neeraj Sharma, is a lawyer who runs her own legal firm, Rest The Case. The family continues to live together in a joint household with grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins - a support system that seems to inspire and strengthen each new generation of achievers.- ©TWL