The global fitness app market is expected to reach $23.21 billion by 2030. It is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.88% from 2024. This growth is driven by consumers increasingly adopting digital and personalized wellness solutions.
In India, the health and fitness industry was valued at $1.15 billion in 2023. It is projected to grow to $2.78 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 14.7%. Rising urban incomes and greater smartphone penetration are key factors behind this growth. Membership-based models now contribute to over 30% of the industry’s revenue. These models offer flexible and value-led access to fitness services.
Amid this dynamic landscape, iStart Rajasthan and YourStory hosted a virtual webinar titled “Scaling Membership-Based Brands: Leveraging Technology for Personalized Fitness Experiences.” The webinar was part of the iStart Inspire Series and featured Akshay Verma, Co-founder of FITPASS.
FITPASS: Revolutionizing Fitness Access in India
FITPASS is India’s largest smart membership program for fitness and wellness. It aims to make fitness affordable, accessible, and convenient. The platform offers access to over 8,100 partner gyms and fitness centers across more than 75 cities in India. FITPASS provides a single membership that covers various fitness and wellness services. This model addresses the widespread gap in access to quality fitness solutions and promotes a healthier, more active population.
About iStart Rajasthan
iStart is one of India’s largest startup platforms, operating across every district in Rajasthan. It offers incubation, mentorship, and funding opportunities of up to Rs 25 lakh without traditional tendering requirements. With over 5,700 registered startups, including more than 2,000 women-led ventures, iStart supports entrepreneurial growth in the region. The iStart Inspire Series of webinars is part of its effort to nurture innovation and business scaling.
Akshay Verma’s Journey: From Sports Fields to Fitness Innovation
Akshay Verma’s passion for fitness began on the sports fields of Delhi and Oxford, where he played football and cricket. Upon returning to India, he noticed a surprising trend: despite growing awareness of health, gym usage remained low. This observation inspired him and his sister, Arushi Verma, to launch FITPASS in 2015.
Drawing from his experience at UBS Investment Bank in London, Verma aimed to fix inefficiencies in India’s fitness sector. Traditional gym memberships were often expensive, inflexible, and limited in options. FITPASS introduced an asset-light, subscription-based model that gave users access to multiple fitness studios under one affordable plan.
Initially priced at ₹999 per month, FITPASS offered access to over 1,000 fitness centers in Delhi NCR, covering diverse workouts like yoga, Zumba, kickboxing, and strength training. Verma often stresses, “Sitting is the new smoking,” underscoring the health risks of sedentary lifestyles. FITPASS’s mission is to make fitness a flexible, daily habit accessible to all.
Challenges and Resilience: FITPASS’s Growth Story
Within its first year, FITPASS faced competition from 19 copycat startups. The team had to educate users, build trust, and prove the model’s value. Verma noted, “The first one through the door usually gets shot.” When gyms were taxed at 28%, FITPASS successfully lobbied to reduce the tax to 18%, helping fitness become seen as a necessity rather than a luxury.
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a major challenge, shutting gyms overnight. FITPASS adapted by innovating and supporting users and partners through the crisis. Their strong financial model and stakeholder-focused approach helped them survive and grow.
Strategic partnerships with banks and insurers followed. FITPASS engaged with the Government of India for three years, advocating for policy changes to include fitness in healthcare. Their efforts helped get a landmark regulation passed by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), allowing fitness center access to be included in health and life insurance policies.
Today, FITPASS is the only fitness company approved by IRDAI to help transform health insurance from reactive care to preventive care.
Looking Ahead: AI, Personalization, and Fitness for Millions
FITPASS was ahead of its time when it launched ARIA in 2018, an AI-powered personal fitness coach. Verma said, “We built this AI program; she’s called ARIA.” FITPASS also offers online virtual classes with over 2,900 international trainers from more than 4,000 global studios via FITPASS-TV.
Currently, FITPASS serves over 1.1 million active users every month, showing the power of personalized fitness. It boasts a 78% retention rate, a stark contrast to traditional gyms, which typically see 75% churn. This success reflects FITPASS’s consumer-first approach, which empowers users to control how, where, and what fitness they engage in.
FITPASS prioritized data protection early and achieved GDPR compliance, building user trust before local regulations required it.
Looking to 2030, FITPASS aims to onboard 50 million daily fitness adopters in India. Verma compares preventive healthcare to financial planning: “Just as you invest to grow your wealth, invest in fitness to build health equity.”
FITPASS’s shared-economy model puts the consumer in charge, offering choice and flexibility. With strong technology, partnerships, and vision, FITPASS is paving the way for a fitter, healthier India. The journey is just beginning.
