Article · 3 min read

Surat man duped of Rs 31 lakh in fake Tata Zudio franchise scam

DeshGujarat · deshgujarat.com Free Beginner India

A July 2025 news report of a shop owner who found a fake Zudio helpline email, was sent official-looking letters and paid Rs 31 lakh in registration, NOC and agreement fees before police arrested two people. It shows exactly how franchise fraud works in India.

  • The fraud began with a fake brand email found while searching online.
  • The scammers charged registration, NOC and agreement fees in instalments.
  • Verify every franchise offer on the brand's own website before paying anything.

The question it answers

  1. How do I start a franchise business in India, and which franchises are worth it?

Read with it

  1. Amul's own page for prospective franchisees, the cleanest example of a low-investment franchise in India: setup costs excluding... amul.com Article · Official page Amul franchise formats GCMMF (Amul)
  2. Zudio's own page for anyone who wants to run a Zudio store: a Retail Business Associate form, after which the company's... zudio.com Tool · Official form Zudio Retail Business Associate form Trent Ltd (Zudio)
  3. Zepto's own page for its Growth Partner programme, under which a partner runs a dark store with Zepto helping on location,... zepto.co.in Tool · Official page Zepto Growth Partner programme (dark stores) Zepto
  4. An independent 2026 walk-through of Amul's two main formats, the Preferred Outlet at about Rs 2 lakh and the Scooping Parlour... calcguru.in Article · 10 min read Amul franchise in India 2026: real cost and margins CalcGuru
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →