SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - Convenience store chain Emart24 will open its first store in India this August, marking the brand’s debut in one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets.
The company has signed a brand licensing agreement with Jung Brothers Hospitality and the Indian real estate developer Solitaire Group. The flagship store will be located in Pune, Maharashtra, a major urban center and educational hub.
The agreement was formalized at Emart24’s headquarters in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong, with CEO Choi Jin-il, Jung Brothers founder Peter Jung, and Rakesh Jaipathak, leasing director at Solitaire Group, in attendance.
Spread across two floors in the Solitaire Business Hub, the Pune store will offer Emart24’s signature No Brand line, along with curated Korean products including prepared meals, cosmetics, and lifestyle goods. The upper floor will house a beauty section and a Korean-style self-service photo booth aimed at younger consumers seeking cultural experiences.
The ground floor will feature a dining area with 68 seats — 36 indoors and 32 outdoors — and a counter-food zone serving popular Korean street foods such as tteokbokki, gimbap, and Korean-style hot dogs.
Emart24 noted that these offerings reflect growing enthusiasm for Korean cuisine and pop culture among India’s Gen Z and millennial demographics.
“This is the first time a Korean convenience store is entering the Indian market,” the company said in a statement. “We believe Emart24’s differentiated offerings and curated design will resonate with young Indian consumers.”
Unlike a master franchise, the brand licensing model gives Jung Brothers and its partners the right to operate Emart24-branded stores without the authority to sub-franchise. The company said the model allows for greater operational focus and control in the early phase of market entry.
While India’s retail sector is still dominated by small, family-run kirana stores — estimated to account for 75 percent of the market — Emart24 believes there is untapped demand for convenience-focused, youth-oriented retail concepts. According to the company, 47 percent of India’s population is under the age of 25, making it the youngest consumer market in the world.
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