The coffee wars in India have just got hotter. American coffee brand Gloria Jeans is setting up shop in India, in collaboration with the Dubai-based Landmark Group.But as CNBC-TV18’s Vivin Mathew reports, it is not just coffee that the Landmark Group wants to brew.

US-based coffee chain Gloria Jeans will be in India by February. The company has tied up with Citymax India, the Indian arm of Dubai-based retail company, Landmark. The plan is to invest about Rs 70 crore to setup 50-60 stores around India in the next three years.

"We will be the first coffee brand in India to actually start franchising. Franchising in coffee is very interesting because you can train the people, ad hone their skills and make sure they get consistent experience across every outlet they go to,” said Ravi Saxena, MD, Citymax India.

Citymax also plans to invest about Rs 500 crore in various verticals of the hospitality industry. It plans to start a chain of 4-star hotels called Citymax Hotels and Suites, the first of which is expected to come up this year, with three more in two years.

“Our vision is to become the first billion dollar company in the hospitality space in the next ten years or so,” said Ravi Saxena.

Citymax has also tied up with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor for a chain of restaurants.

Also in the works are food courts and entertainment centres for children, two of which will come up in Mumbai and Bangalore by April.