2 • Indo-French

ForewordForeword

Indo-French• 3

“Luxury” – the very word conjures up images that immediately focus the mind to France and to Paris. No matter where in the world one travels, there is an immediate connection. Let me recall an anecdote from my first visit to Almaty, Kazakhstan in 1993. As I walked down the streets I saw a similarity that nagged my mind till I asked and discovered the connection with Paris. A city that had been devastated by an earthquake in 1887 had been rebuilt and then modelled its avenues and streets on those of the then very far away Paris. But, that is not the only connection I noticed. It became evident to me that the aspiration of the citizens, who were becoming upwardly mobile, was to acquire genuine luxury from the luxury capital of the world – Paris. The best known brands were immediately visible in the clothing and accessories one noticed. It was with pride that the young ladies and gentlemen of Almaty carried their luxury goods bought in visits to Paris and talked about them, as a sign of having arrived.

Many years later, as India has moved up the ladder of economic growth, the same has become noticeable here. A visible sign of good taste and a link with an eye to acquire the best in luxury began becoming visible in India. The aspiration I think is not only to acquire products that are immediately recognizable, but, products that have been crafted with deep care and the best in craftsmanship which makes the owners proud to have these in their possession. Not only that, but, as heirlooms, to be handed over from generation to generation. In India especially, given the traditions of the erstwhile princely states, this was especially true as is evident from the collections one can see in museums around the world and in India. I can see that the aspirations of the Indian youth are no different from those of their global counterparts and the arrival of French luxury brands in India has made it easier for them to acquire these from genuine sources. I am sure this will continue as India grows in economic strength.

There also seems to be a unifying link in French luxury. As I have enjoyed a unique privilege to travel around the world, this is something I have seen wherever I have been. The conversations that can commence around a brand and questions that are asked about the year of introduction, the unique number of pieces produced, the selection of the fabric, leather or accessories and then above all, the source, almost always – Paris, France. The recognition of the link between luxury, excellent craftsmanship, uniqueness, longevity of product and fulfilment on acquisition is almost universal.

Luxury doesn’t stop at products that involve fabrics, leather, watches, jewellery and fragrances as one well knows. It extends to all facets of life. Living, food and beverages come to mind. It is almost as if there is a virtuous competition for excellence. The quality of luxury in living in excellent hotels, eating in the best of restaurants, and indeed French wine and food and the extension of luxury in these areas is well known. These are going to be somewhat slower to arrive on India’s shores as these will need more than just good intentions. These will need changes in rules and laws and an acceptance in the mind-set that naturally will take a longer period of acceptance in a nation that is gradually moving from “developing” to “developed” status. Personally, I believe that a message needs to flow that “luxury” does not necessarily mean unaffordable and unacceptable by being unreachable. Perhaps, if the link were to be established between luxury being equal to quality with craftsmanship and a way of life that preserves tradition, it may be more acceptable. There are deep parallels in India in the manner in which it promotes its crafts and historical legacy in architecture and jewellery for example.

On a personal note, I work for one of the greatest companies of the world that excels in its products in the sectors of power generation, transmission and rail transport, both mainline and urban, with headquarters in France. We pay deep attention to quality and safety of our products. The pedigree of this quality, interestingly enough is from the same regions in France where the best of luxury products originate. It is, in my mind at least, entirely unsurprising that this be so. Quality and longevity both have a deep link. That link is France and its people who take pride in producing the greatest of products. I say this with conviction borne out of experience in dealing with my colleagues from shop floor to the Board room in France.

And, how can I close without mentioning that the same source, France, is the source of branding of luxury goods sans pareil. Need I mention this? As you turn the pages of this magazine, the brands shall all be visible.

Sunand SharmaCountry President - ALSTOM India & South Asia

Chairman – ALSTOM India Limited &President, Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Sunand Sharma

4 • Indo-French

With one of the largest concentration of High Net Individuals in the world, the luxury product segment in India has witnessed exponential growth in the last few years. The luxury market

has benefited from a plethora of wealth creation propelled by a slow and steady growth in the corporate sector of our country. As more entrepreneurs enter the party, higher disposable income has opened the avenues of the luxury segment for the corporate world to explore and bask in the glory of this enchanted world.

This boom has gone beyond the major metropolitan areas and is spreading each and every part of the country. Luxury is not just a delicacy for a few chosen ones anymore. Individuals have the taste for the finest wines, apparel, jewellery, cars, fine dining and much more. There is an abundance of demand today for a variety of unique products in the luxury market, carrying that ever-aspired tag of “exclusivity”. High-fliers are radiating towards such luxury rides for the rich and famous as yachts and helicopters.

In the recently concluded Farnborough airshow in July 2012 and EBACEseminar in May 2012,Eurocopter reinforced its strong presence in this business and private segment.

Eurocopter helicopters have been traditionally popular among many Industrialist and private helicopter owners in India. Having registered the sale of more than 500 helicopters in these two segments during the past five years, Eurocopter continues to be the unrivalled leader in the markets. With the most extensive range of helicopters dedicated to such applications, Eurocopter also is the only manufacturer that caters to a wide base of customers –including private owners, small- and medium-sized enterprises and multi-national corporations. Eurocopter offers 12 different models to meet the requirements of the most demanding private and corporate travellers, ranging from light single-engine, light & medium twin-engine helicopters to heavy twin-engine rotorcraft, with seating capacities of four to twelve passengers in VIP configurations.

“The takeoff and landing flexibility offered by helicopters provides the crucial missing link for end-to-end transport solutions,” said Patrice Royer, Eurocopter’s Director of Business and Private Aviation , “Our helicopters are recognized the world over for their state-of-the-art technology and luxurious interiors, and are ergonomically designed to provide the environment of well-equipped in-flight offices for the ultimate comfort of business travellers.”

Eurocopter’s commitment to the business and private aviation markets is demonstrated by the constant innovation and enhancement of its fleet. The company’s latest and most innovative models – including the EC130 T2, the EC145 T2 and the all-new 7-ton-class EC175 with seating for 16 passengers – are all available in VIP travelling to complement the existing Eurocopter Dauphin and Super Puma rotorcraft in the medium- and heavy-lift families.

In response to increasing demand for an even more unique travelling experience, Eurocopter also has worked with Hermès and Mercedes Benz, to create the EC135 Hermès (known as L'Hélicoptère par Hermès) and the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style. These two highly exclusive designer helicopters have been specially created for today’s world most discerning passengers.

In addition, Eurocopter also introduced the Stylence family of helicopters, for which aesthetics, ergonomics and advanced technology have been merged to provide the ultimate flying experience. Stylence – a combination of style and silence – incorporates extra-thick interior insulation and special flooring to further lower noise and vibration levels, along with in-flight office and telecommunications equipment, and a luxurious interior featuring high-quality leather upholstery, making the ride truly relaxing and enjoyable. The Stylence package currently is offered on five different Eurocopter models: the Single engine EC120, EC130, AS350 B2/B3, and the twin engine AS355 NP and EC145.

Focus on the new EC135 T2e/ P2e

With its advanced design and state-of-the-art technology, the EC135 is a business aviation market trendsetter thanks to its comfort, versatility and design.

Making up more than 40% of the light twin engine deliveries on the last 5 years, the EC135 has been recognised as the preferred helicopter to carry 4 to 6 passengers. The EC135 is a powerful, lightweight, twin-engine multi- mission helicopter that showcases top-notch technology offering the highest level of reliability of the market. The EC135’s high endurance and extended range enables this helicopter to perform a full range of mission requirements, while carrying more payload over longer distance than any aircraft in its class. Incorporating a modern cockpit and avionics – as well as Eurocopter’sFenestron tail rotor and bearingless main rotor – the EC 135 is recognized for its lowest noise and vibration level of its class providing an unrivalled level of comfort. EC135 T2e/ T2e Unveiled in March 2011, the evolved version of the EC135 - the EC135 P2e/T2e - will arrive in India by the end of 2012. The new EC135 P2e/T2e will offer better performances, new inlet barrier filer, improved ventilation and air conditioning for more comfort. In addition, an evaluation was conducted by the independent organisation Conklin and De Decker, and the results of its analysis of helicopter direct operating cost (DOC) that was published in May 2012 showed that the EC135 P2e/T2e is the world’s cheapest light twin helicopter to operate. Last but not least, Eurocopter also opened a new EC135 Full Flight Simulator certified level B, which will enable operators to perform and reduce cost of initial and recurrent type training as well as specific training on emergency procedures, instrument flight rules (IFR), offshore, night flights, night vision goggles (NVG) and Cat A operations.

Answer to the Last leg business connectivity for the personages at the "Top of the Pyramid"

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Indo-French• 5

128 16 20

India Indulges

INDIA Demystifying the Luxury Mantra

The Brand Equity of French Luxury Brands

Removing Stress from the Business of Relaxation

C o n t e n t s

24 31 33 34 38

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Paris on a Luxurious Veggie Platter

A French Touch to Indian Homes

Pampering India with Luxury Hospitality

Perfecting the Art of Luxury

Dassault Systèmes Fostering innovations in 3D

8 • Indo-French

INDIA - Demystifying the Luxury Mantra

■ Abhay Gupta

The mysticism of India has always enchanted the west. Many could not resist succumbing to her hypnotic

culture and many westerners have made India their permanent abode.

Historically, Indo-French business relations go back a few hundred years with the French establishing territories in Pondicherry, Male and Chandernagore. Dr Francois Bernier was the personal physician to the mogul Emperor Aurangzeb. And more recently Francis Wacziarg. Who can forget his immense love for India and his huge contribution in restoring and creating Neemrana luxury hotel chain besides making India his home since 1969?

Luxury goods and brands across industry sectors too are found to feel the need to enchant Indians with their wares and are humming the “Luxury Mantra”. But, is India new to luxury? Not really!

A quick delve into history and one realizes the fact that luxury is not alien to India:

• Diamonds were first mined here over 3000 years ago

• Taj Mahal - the luxury epitaph of love exists since 1648

• In the last century the richest of all maharajas and rajas in India was the Nizam of Hyderabad; 5th on Forbes list of “All time wealthiest” and worth $210.8 billion.

• Forbes 2012 list confirms that today India has quite a few in the top fifty billionaire’s club.

• Its 250,000 HNI households are slated to more than double in the next three years, substantiating the projection that the luxury industry will easily hit the $15 billion mark by 2015.

India has caught the fancy of the best luxury brands in the world from fashion, lifestyle, automobiles, aviation, yachts, wines, homes and real estate. Considered as the fastest growing market for luxury goods, an average of over 20 percent growth has been maintained consistently over the last five years.

India is now being considered as the new Mecca of luxury. But is India ready to receive

Asian countries’ stages of Luxury Evolution

Source: The Cult of the Luxury Brand inside Asia’s love affair with luxury. Radha Chadha & Paul Husband

all the high end brands as yet? This has been a debatable issue for some time now. Especially, is it at the same level as the west or China, the leading BRIC country which accounts for 25 percent of world’s luxury buys? (HSBC report, Sept 6 2012). Ironically, the same report also suggests that India has been steadily growing and is becoming the main hub for the luxury brands. This is where they need to be – the time is “now”!

The world is well aware about the diversity of the Indian culture within its boundaries. From north to south and east to west, tastes and patterns may vary. But the aspirations of a strong and multifaceted society are fuelling the desire to own the very best. We see a new dynamism as it marches on to becoming a global economic power.

The Stages of Luxury Evolution

In order to understand further, let’s take a look at the journey of luxury with an emphasis on the SE Asian countries – the stages of the luxury evolution. (By Radha Chadha & Paul Husband)

Whereas in China luxury has already moved from the start of the money to the third stage – the show off stage, in Japan, luxury is already a way of life. They say that 95 percent of the women in Japan own a Louis Vuitton bag! On the other hand, India is just emerging and moving through the first stage into the second that is, the ‘Start of money’ phase and is galloping to catch up with China very fast.

Another report recently provided by AT Kearney shows us how fast this pace of growth in India is. Fifty luxury outlets were added during the current year. These were not just confined to the major cities but even covered the 2nd tier cities.

50% of the stores were added outside Mumbai and Delhi, including new cities on the luxury map such as Pune, Surat, Ludhiana

Increase in Luxury Outlets in 2012

The annual consumption of the emerging markets is expected to climb up to $30 trillion from $12 trillion by 2025, which

accounts for 70 percent of global economic growth. (McKinsey).The countries that one can recall as an emerging market are India,

Brazil and China to name a few

Indo-French• 9

The annual consumption of the emerging markets is expected to climb up to $30 trillion from $12 trillion by 2025, which accounts for 70 percent of global economic growth. (McKinsey).The countries that one can recall as an emerging market are India, Brazil and China to name a few. The High Net Worth Individuals in India rose 35 percent to 240,000 from 2008-12 and is expected to ascend by 80 percent to 450,000 by 2015 (Euromonitor). Given this fact of the rising HNWI numbers in India, the luxury market is predicted to grow 22 percent every year till 2015, whereas China will grow with only 15 percent per year. One of the toughest markets to do business, Brazil expects its luxury goods industry to grow more than $12 billion this year with the great number of ‘new money’ millionaires surfacing and chasing the luxury dream.

We also see a situation in India, where a portion of its HNWI population spends over $500 million every year shopping in overseas luxury markets (report by Altagama, Eu). This spending now needs to be directed here in India and could be the game accelerator if executed well.

Challenges to growth of luxury

The Challenges

Where we see growth, there are always challenges that hinder progress. In India, the major challenges are related to lack of luxury real estate; lack of trained talent; regulatory issues like high import duties and FDI. The FDI (foreign direct investment) norms have been now relaxed and the government is giving the green light to many of the brands who have been waiting to come. Although, no sizeable new luxury malls were added in 2012, there are many projects in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune. Newer properties to accommodate luxury brands are also being created in two tier cities and will be functional over the next three years.

One of the critical factors as pointed out by the above graph is the lack of talent (skilled manpower for the luxury segment).This is a serious issue and many brands are facing this problem. As per a national report, by 2022 the luxury sector is estimated to require approximately 1.76 million trained people across the board.

A survey carried out by Luxury Connect highlighted the fact that the current Indian luxury personnel lacked skills in ‘Luxury Brand Management’ as well as ‘Luxury Customer Experience Management’. In order to meet these challenges, Luxury Connect associated itself with SDA Bocconi for the brand management program and has been successfully conducting these programs in India.

The research also brought forward an interesting observation that the huge French conglomerate LVMH is perceived to offer the best customer experience worldwide. Luxury Connect Business School, India has then dug deeper to tie up and partner with Jean-Claude Roustant, the ex training director of LVMH to bring the same service culture training to India. Jean-Claude has been the training director of LVMH for over 13 years and has not only designed the LVMH service culture contents, but also implemented them worldwide. This pioneering vision by Luxury Connect is the first and only initiative of this kind and has met with an outstanding acceptance and success from one and all. In addition, in its endeavour

10 • Indo-French

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Abhay Gupta, founder promoter & CEO of Luxury Connect, is also the recent recipient of the prestigious ‘Luxury Retail Icon of the year’ title by Asia Retail Congress. A pioneer and veteran of luxury in India, he helped not only bring in but establish luxury brands like Versace, Versace Home, Versace Collection, Corneliani, John Smedley, Tween Damat ADV and Arredo Classic in India. He has been widely recognized as Luxury Expert by Forbes magazine (March 2012 and November 2012), CNBC, CNN, NDTV Profit, Business India (April 2012), Economic Times, Hindustan Times, Retailers India and Black Book.

to partner with the best internationally famous luxury schools, Luxury Connect has tied up and is the official channel partner for Business School of Lausanne, Switzerland. Talks are also on with EIML Paris to bring their various programs into India. Luxury Connect is also talking and planning with European brands to have these students exposed to at least eight weeks of internship.

The Way Forward

Understanding the market psyche is very important. India has diverse tastes and many tiers of culture. International brands that have understood this are having resounding success. There have been failures too, but the prime reason for that has been, selecting the right partner. The pyramid below gives direction as to how the market needs to be approached.

With the oncoming boom in the Indian luxury market that we will witness soon, there are various opportunities, challenges as well as prospects. Essentially, the brands need to focus on the need to have a correct partner, besides just the correct location. This will help demystify the market and brands can communicate to an appreciative Indian audience which has opened its heart and wallet to luxury.

To succeed in the India luxury market, brands need to focus on four dimensions

Reaching the India luxury customer

The key to success is to be able to position the brand in correct strata of the pyramid – starting at the everyday or affordable luxury to the highest level of bespoke luxury. For this it becomes most essential – that you team up with the correct partner. The combination of this formula could guide you towards the winning mantra!

Also let’s look at some more factors that may ensure the success of the winning mantra. The following Kearney report sums it up well:

The brands need to focus on the need to have a correct

partner, besides just the correct location

12 • Indo-French

India Indulges■ Shaziya Khan

The madams who preen about owning must haves within the month of launch, the well-heeled gents who take immense social pride in flaunting something with a

reassuringly distancing price tag and the keen couple who ‘do’ vacations as opposed to merely going for them. The appetite for luxury among these, and others of their tribe, is epic.

That it is also somewhat contrived, makes it no less intense. She insists on the most expensive imported marble in the bath “because it is the IT item” - heaven only knows why, she candidly admits when pushed. He doesn’t know how to pronounce this “French something something yaar”, but swears this is the one watch to get.

All evidence of the incoming tide, that is India’s luxe state of mind. As high as it is hasty. This haste to ‘waste’ that typifies the luxury nascents makes their relationship with luxury unique - more about having and less about truly appreciating, correctly pronouncing or personally enjoying. For the moment at least, luxury is about thrills and statements.

Evolving to a more mature basking? That’s after the break.

Cultivating the Eye for Luxury

The new rich are busy cracking the code of luxury. Acutely conscious of the difference between having wealth and knowing how to spend it – to them the vital currency is not capital but cultural capital. Taste, distinction, style, that is, the code of what it means to be really wealthy (not just moneyed) consumes them. So, they make sure they are learning fast.

The market is full of “stuff” for them to dig into. Just look around and listen. International glamour magazines, local

High fashion & high living are synonymous!

French brand names in your home...yet another way to signal that you have arrived.

Indo-French• 13

and international editions, well travelled perspectives – summer shopping on Oxford street year on year, internet research, fortnightly browsing in five star hotel shopping arcades (read high streets) and a veritable army of “experts” – who’ve mushroomed out of the woodwork on make-up, hair, beauty, grooming, design, wine, art, what have you. They are all, on tap for the ladies who lunch, who are now more significantly ladies who browse, graze and cultivate. Catch their eye and you’ll see!

The new rich are busy cracking the code of luxury. Acutely conscious of the difference

between having wealth and knowing how to spend it – to them the vital currency is not capital but cultural capital. Taste, distinction, style, that is, the code of what it means to be really wealthy

(not just moneyed) consumes them. So, they make sure they are learning fast

Luxury yatches – yet another way of speeding up our lives on the fast lane.

The new royalty loves their plush homes.

Luxury sunglasses, a sip of the very best Champagne – nothing is too much for Indians determined to live the good life

Indo-French• 15

Pssssssst, Non Verbal Signalling

Bespoke here, on Getting Savvy Row, is about making a statement (that roars) without saying a word. Logo lines rule is the rule. This market has not evolved to the rarefied levels of consuming luxury for itself. It is about public and social signalling. Society’s notions of progress influence this phenomenon strongly. Unlike the west where progress is horizontal – seeking rich and varied experiences, luxury can and is satisfyingly consumed individually or privately.

In India, where progress is vertical – climbing the ladder of material gains – luxury is vital signalling of having ‘arrived’ at the next level and the next. When the newly rich enter the kitty party, club or indeed even their own driveway they want the world to watch and know. They are making an entrance into a new lifestyle. And luxury brands they possess do the job of announcing that well.

The Bird of Gold Factor

Watching quietly is a small but mighty elite of the old rich. First families in the republic of the rich – members of nobility, pioneering industrial houses and descendents of maharajas. For whom dinner table conversations and family photographs were about Cartier, Rolls Royce, elephant polo and so forth. Belonging to a not so long ago era when India was known as the bird of gold (with a quarter of the world’s wealth). Their mythic “maharaja brand of luxury” lives on in popular culture today – “royal” celebrity lifestyles, lavish coffee table books, award winning biographies, artifact museums, jewelry exhibitions, even popular movies.

Its influence lies in the inspiration it provides in present times – in staging spectacular “darbars” – modern day weddings for instance; in a stylistic sensibility which is colour filled and rich and last but not least

in a proud legacy of indigenous craft skills. If pink is India’s navy blue, maharaja luxury – opulent, spectacular, ethnic - is India’s take on the finer life.

The new age maharaja is what the newly rich aspire to be. And as luxury evolves, foreign luxury brands will do well to nurture this deep rooted ethnic sensibility. Louis Vuitton’s wedding service for one, a Birkin's bag for another are tapping into a veritable cultural gold mine. It is a point for all to ponder. Think about it, the new age equivalent of the Patiala necklace – what may it well be?

Space as Manifest Desire

In sum, rich Indians are demanding beautifully luxe environments, experiences and choices. The seduction of consuming luxury in the west especially in terms of its retail experience is unanimously cited as a wow. And alas, a significant absentee here at present. (A rare exception being luxury hospitality where Indian hotels are some of the world’s best).

The business world is creaking and groaning to cope with the challenge of building a truly luxury infrastructure. But build it must. Watch out for exclusive ‘spaces’ where only the thinnest stilettos will tread in soft but undeniable clicks. Well, what do you know; India is in a luxury state of mind, again. And the physical spaces, will, in all their dimensions – cultivated style, silent signalling, ethic sensibility and seductive locales - reflect the mind space.

Sooner than later, I gather, if nuanced right.

The new age maharaja is what the newly rich aspire to be. And as luxury evolves, foreign

luxury brands will do well to nurture this deep rooted ethnic sensibility. Louis Vuitton’s wedding

service for one, a Birkin's bag for another are tapping into a veritable cultural gold mine

Shaziya Khan is executive planning director and vice president, JWT. Her work is to look at spaces through the lens of communication strategy. Its work that has won several awards - the latest include IPA, Effie, Atticus.

The Brand Equity of French Luxury Brands

■ Soumya Jain

If France is the birthplace of the luxury sector, India has been consuming luxury for eons. At first sight, both these countries are perfectly suited to each other. But if it was that simple, Christian Louboutin wouldn’t be producing Bollywoody shoes and Chanel wouldn’t be content with only one store in India, right?

Which is the first ever luxury brand that started in this world? Honestly, it’s difficult to determine that. But where do the best luxury brands originate from? Without thinking too hard, pat comes the answer: France.

Véronique Polès, a luxury and fashion consultant based in India, says, “Since the 17th century, when the luxury sector started, France has cultivated an ‘art de vivre’ culture, taste, elegance, refinement, splendour, exclusivity, uniqueness and rarity. This legacy is very strong.”

Not only do the most celebrated luxury brands like Cartier, Remy Martin and Chanel arise from this land, but also the biggest luxury conglomerates like LVMH and PPR. And in this world of ‘mass’ luxury brands, the French have been most vocal about protecting the true essence of luxury. Take the recent campaign against fake luxury goods by Comite Colbert – an organization grouping more than 70 French luxury brands under one umbrella. And the Chambre Syndicale De La Couture, who truly decrees the status of ‘couturier’ to a brand in France.

So what does a French luxury brand stand for today? Polès gives a breathless list which defines a French product. “They [French luxury products] are known for their constant commitment to high quality, attention to detail, hours and hours of work behind each product, aesthetical features, performance and comfort, supreme craftsmanship passed down from generation to generation (sometimes for more than 100 years), passion for creativity and innovation, use of noble materials and making products timeless. To sum up, they appeal to all the senses.”

Vincent Clème, Brand Ambassador for Louis XIII, India, on the other hand, lists three broad aspects of a French brand. First, the French are inventive, and do not copy. Second, history and heritage matters immensely.

Third, in France, luxury is not about making money, but about creating, improving and even inspiring. “If you are creating a luxury product because there is a luxury boom worldwide, you are doing it for the wrong reasons, and I’d like to think that you won’t succeed in connecting to the customers in the long run. Luxury customers are now looking for authenticity and passion. They want to know the story of a brand, want to meet the people behind it and touch their passion…Many people I know recognized that their favourite wine is not always the most famous one but the one whose winemaker they met and had a good learning experience with,” Clème says.

16 • Indo-French

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18 • Indo-French

Concurring with all these elements is Devita Saraf, owner of Vu Technologies, and a luxury consumer since a young age. “I like French products because it’s a great mix of technology and art and it reflects in their workmanship. Whether it is my Chanel lipstick, Fauchon pastry or the brilliant design work of Philippe Starck, I really like the quality and attention to detail of French products without compromising on ingredients and innovation,” she says.

Bringing France to India

Like France, India is no stranger to true luxury. India values true craftsmanship and artisanal know-how as much as France does. Elite Indians have already experienced French brands. But in these quick money making times, the Indian consumer has multiplied and diversified beyond recognition. It’s difficult to define the Indian luxury consumer, because there is no one kind. In such a scenario, when a true-blue French luxury brand enters India, what do contemporary Indian luxury consumers think about it? Certainly each brand must have its own experience to share but that’s a story for another day,

Being French, nobody raises questions about the quality of the brand. Both Polès and Clème also agree that having the ‘Made in France’ tag leads to instant credibility in India. But of course, credibility does not mean purchase and French labels have to communicate and engage with customers in return for loyalty!

Although how India perceives French luxury brands is as diverse as the country, Polès, who has worked with brands like Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Givenchy, gives a few usually-observed Indian consumer behaviour attributes. Some French luxury products that are iconic and linked to iconic people, like the Hermès Birkin and Lady Dior, sell very well in India since there is no risk involved

in buying them. “Some of those products even become wardrobe essentials as a way of identification to customers from other parts of the world, where those iconic products sell well too,” she says.

Polès observes that shoes and bags are the most searched for among French luxury brands, but there is a substantial growth in couture and ready to wear too, in particular from young working women and businesswomen. And brands with easily identifiable logos have always found favour with particularly the north Indians. So LV, CD and CC can be quite happy about that!

But it’s not just the ‘soft’ categories of French luxury that find acceptance in India. Many intelligent Indian consumers are going beyond them. When asked which her favourite French brands are, Saraf said, “Among fashion brands, it would be Dior and Hermès. France is also known for innovation in the automobile space and aerospace technology, and my recent travel on the Airbus 380 was fabulous.”

Clème takes a bird eye view and gives a flip-side of the situation too. Being French may not lead you to a profitable balance sheet instantly. Many Indians have a misconception that French are haughty, which may colour their perception of brands coming from that land too. “French ‘art-de-vivre’ can also be perceived as an elegant but arrogant way of living with luxury brands, being seen sometimes as trying to force a new way of living at the cost of the Indian culture and way of life,” he explains.

Another concern mentioned by Clème, which can be taken both ways, is that Indians, at times, consider French brands as ‘trophies’, and hardly experience them, thus defeating the whole purpose of owning a luxury!

Making that Connection

Communication was cited as the most important method of increasing brand equity in India. The country has seen a lot of new consumers, who may have money, but not

India values true craftsmanship and

artisanal know-how as much as France does.

Elite Indians have already experienced French

brands. But in these quick money making times,

the Indian consumer has multiplied and diversified

beyond recognition

Indo-French• 19

Soumya Jain is the Chief Editor & CEO of LuxuryFacts (www.luxuryfacts.com), an online magazine which lets readers retreat into the glamorous and heritage world of luxury across all sectors. LuxuryFacts also encourages discourse on how luxury brands can grow and increase their presence in certain markets. She is also the Co-Editor of ‘The Luxury Market in India: Maharajas to Masses’ (published by Palgrave Macmillan). Soumya is also a visiting lecturer for luxury marketing and online journalism at leading educational institutes in India. She has been invited at conferences to address industry colleagues about the Indian luxury market and has also contributed articles on luxury in various magazines.

‘The Luxury Market in India: Maharajas to Masses’ is a window into the highly complex Indian luxury market. With contributions from Indian luxury industry insiders and brand experts, it provides strategies for brands entering this high-potential market. It is a collective guide based on consumer research, expert interviews, face-to-face conversations, and most importantly, experience. The book starts with history of luxury in India, understanding consumption patterns and codes of consumption, analysing strategies to enter the Indian market, communicating the philosophy of luxury brands, and finally understanding India's own luxury.

knowledge about various French luxury brands and their nuances. “Luxury, in general, can scare people – it sometimes seems too elegant, too exquisite, too exclusive, too perfect, and not accessible. Some may feel that they should know about a luxury product they have just heard about and are not supposed to ask what is so special about it. No one likes to feel ignorant,” says Clème.

Borrowing from his experience, Clème says that the high price tag and unique terminology of liquor can make them seem unapproachable. But the product was made because the creator wanted to share his passion, not distance people away from it!

As for how to communicate, Polès suggests innovating, for which the French are known. She recommends investing in social and online media, and mobile applications. This will particularly help in targeting tier 2 and 3 cities, where many wealthy and aspirational consumers are willing to spend money, but where luxury brands are sometimes not known.

To connect to their audience, brands could organize special ‘French Rendezvous’ to showcase the impeccable savoir-faire of their high skilled masters through live or digital demonstrations. Tasting events could allow some French gastronomy products to be discovered and adopted. So could French cuisine workshops.

In terms of production too, Polès advises French fashion brands to either offer modified sizes to better match the needs of the Indian market or have made to measure services. “As India is a country of gifting, with various celebrations and festivals throughout the year, with Diwali and the wedding season being the most important, French brands should invest in developing seasonal and specific products, some of them being India-inspired products or

personalized,” she says. To give an example, the Hermès limited edition sari found favour with many. Even with Saraf who counts her Hermès sari as one of her most precious purchases.

Having said that, Clème believes that there are certain central characteristics of a French luxury brand which should not be compromised when communicating to India. First, luxury in France is more about the product rather than the branding around it. He cites the example of Chanel and Hermès, which are not superfluous, but about sensible and meaningful clothing which make you feel confident. Indeed, Coco Chanel dispelled the corset and introduced mannish, liberating fashion in the 1950s, which found much favour with women who were beginning to assert their independence. French luxury brand marketers, hence, should highlight attributes like quality, comfort, fit and performance rather than focusing on the tagline.

Second, French luxury brands are still very much associated with personal success rather than wealth. “If you let your 21 year old son drive a Rolls Royce when he has not achieved anything in life yet, what will he celebrate success with? How will he reward himself for his hard-work?” Clème says. Thus, French luxury brands need to be associated with humility, intelligence and hard-work, even in India, where wealth and luxury are growing rapidly.

Being from the land of France may eliminate half the battle. But how brands use that

advantage further to make permanent in roads into India is still a challenge. Brand equity there is, but India is not so easy about parting with its money. With the coming of new age media and technology, let us hope that the connection between France and India will lead to better opportunities and prospects, and thus bridge the gap between luxury and, of course, comfort!

Luxury in France is more about the

product rather than the branding around it. Clème cites the example of Chanel and Hermès, which are not superfluous,

but about sensible and meaningful clothing which make you feel

confident

Removing Stress from the Business of Relaxation Wellness in India

■ Darpan Sanghvi

20 • Indo-French

Indo-French• 21

The business of relaxation can be quite stressful in India. In a market where real estate costs are impractically high,

trained service personnel are difficult to find, steep import duties significantly increase one’s cost of goods, and the ability to scale up quickly in the luxury segment is fairly low, one might wonder, why would anyone get into the luxury spa and wellness business in India.

According to PWC, the wellness services market in India is approximately $4 billion in size. Within that sphere beauty services account for nearly $1.5 billion, fitness services account for $400 million and rejuvenation services account for $100 million. Beauty, fitness and rejuvenation services are all growing at an impressive CAGR of 26 percent. Strong macro-economic indicators, a young population that is getting more and more urbanized, an increase in discretionary spends with not just the growth of middle class but also increase in awareness of global trends and the desire to look and feel good are some of the reasons fuelling this rapid growth. To witness this amazing growth in action one just needs to drive down a street in Delhi; where one would see multiple establishments of different sizes and shapes touting themselves as a spa, salon or a combination of the two.

Whether it’s a hair salon that offers facials on a salon chair or a gym that offers massages in a physiotherapy room or a luxury getaway in the hills with true wellness therapies, everyone is calling themselves a spa and wellness destination. In an industry that is still nascent, the widespread use of the word shows that the perceived popularity of a spa and related wellness services is clearly across demographic segments and is not seen as something reserved as an indulgence just for the well heeled.

So what are the challenges an international wellness brand faces while it intends to enter India? The first of course is to address how its brand promise has to be communicated in the Indian context. It needs to understand and bridge the gap between the brand’s international promise and best practices in their home markets and the peculiarities of the Indian customer and market. Which is where it makes sense to go with a good Indian partner who relates with the brand’s sensitivities while understands the Indian context. Once it has defined its customer and proposition in the Indian context, it’s time for some innovative marketing to educate the customer about the same. Mass media and above-the-line is too diluted if one is targeting the luxury spa and wellness market. The audience is more niche and specific. Thus word of mouth, strategic alliances and good PR is what works.

Proposition is defined, customer educated about the same, now delivering that proposition, day in and day out consistently

Spas involve high capital expenditure and

thus after investing heavily in building a

beautiful spa facility, a lot of times Indian

partners have not budgeted or expected the

high cost required to build a strong back-

end operations team and infrastructure

22 • Indo-French

is the next challenge. This is an operations heavy business and one must invest in building an infrastructure for the same. Spas involve high capital expenditure and thus after investing heavily in building a beautiful spa facility, a lot of times Indian partners have not budgeted or expected the high cost required to build a strong back-end operations team and infrastructure. From revenue management to quality control to inventory management to the all important human resources and training, one needs to invest in strong people and systems and processes for all the different moving parts that are behind the scenes.

An in-house academy is a must for any spa and wellness chain to be successful in the long run. Along with the academy one needs to invest in a strong employee training, rotation and career growth program that helps attract and retain talent. This is also why it is important to have

scale in this business, so that these back-end costs can be spread out over several locations as it is difficult to build a good team and infrastructure with just one or two locations.

Spas, to deliver the wow experience, typically are large spaces. Thus high real estate cost is clearly one of the biggest commercial challenges for a spa and is the biggest drain on the P&L. Thus it is important that the brand coming in is exciting enough that could add value to a landlord’s overall development, which in turn helps get a reasonable deal on the real estate.

When we introduced L’Occitane Spas two years, it brought a fresh Mediterranean concept to a market that is dominated by Asian themed spas and the Indians have loved it. We started with our first L’Occitane Spa in the luxury resort of Devi Garh Palace

in Udaipur September 2010. To customize the experience for India we did several small tweaks to the proposition; we mixed fresh Indian herbs and ingredients grown in our spa garden with natural L’Occitane products, we introduced luxury Ayurveda in the menu among several other small nuances which led to the spa received exciting reviews and accolades within a month of its opening.

This then paved the way for our second spa; we opened up a 20,000 sqft Spa in the eclectic Devi Ratn resort in Jaipur followed by a luxury spa Cabana experience at the Rasa resort outside of Jaipur. In September 2012, we opened an 8,000 sqft stand alone spa in Mumbai, which

is also Mumbai’s largest day spa. And we should end fiscal 2012 with a spa in Delhi and another in Gurgaon, making L’Occitane the #1 international spa chain in India.

While we have seen rapid growth in these last two years, it wouldn’t have been possible unless we made some interesting learnings on the way. One of them was to give equal attention to the male audience in a market that is typically dominated by women.

We discovered the Indian man is probably the most metrosexual man in the world – where else in the world do you see men from every strata of society getting a shave from a barber in every street corner of the country. We are already seeing this metro sexual Indian male transcending the grooming ritual and becoming more and more spa aware. They also prove to be great customers; while

Indo-French• 23

Darpan Sanghvi is the founder of Sanghvi Brands which has created India’s first integrated portfolio of Wellness Brands. Focussed on the luxury segment, Sanghvi Brands portfolio includes L’OCCITANE Spas, Warren Tricomi Salons and Holyfield Gyms. Sanghvi Brands currently has 20 spa/salon/gym projects across 11 cities in India of which 12 locations will be operational by the end of 2012.

Photos Courtesy: Spa la Vie by L'OCCITANE

their frequency of visits is lower, when they do visit, they have higher ticket sizes than women, purchase more retail product and while they have high product and service expectations, they are in most cases are less demanding customers as they prefer simple and efficient procedures.

Men also tend to be more loyal customers, once they like your brand, they support it more than women do. Men also love to gift spa treatments to their partners after they have taken a treatment. So we introduced several men specific treatments; whether it’s a mouth watering facial for men that features fresh spring water, organic sea-buckhorn,

of the same customer’s wallet. And this led to us introducing salons and gyms in India. This substantially increases the scale that we operate on and allows us to make large back-end investments which can now get shared across three verticals instead of just one.

Despite having 16 percent of the world’s population, the Indian wellness services market is only 2 percent of the global market. There is clearly an opportunity here. We also believe the integrated wellness proposition that provides the customer fitness, beauty and rejuvenation will be a trend that will define the future of the wellness business. We started first by launching L’Occitane Spas two years ago

and have since then added Warren Tricomi Salons and Holyfield Gyms to our portfolio; between the three brands we now have 20 projects across 11 cities in India. The business of relaxation, despite its stressful economics, if persevered with the right focus and strategy promises to be an exciting journey with a rewarding future.

peppermint and Génépi or a unique exfoliation with a signature scrub on a heated stone Hammam bed, men specific treatments and packages have been a great hit. Men today form over 35 percent of our customer base and continue to grow.

Another extremely important aspect is to have scale in this business, whether it is to negotiate with vendors or to be able to build the right team and infrastructure on the back-end to deliver the right experience on the front end. But given that the market is nascent it is difficult to build scale in the spa business alone, especially in the luxury segment. One solution is to grow from the spa business into a complete portfolio of wellness concepts in the same luxury segment, instead of just one, it gives you the ability to build scale in the luxury segment and also gives you an opportunity to get a larger share

24 • Indo-French

■ Rashmi Uday Singh

It happens again and again. I am warned that Paris may be the City of Light, but when it comes to vegan or vegetarian living,

it’s certainly not the City of Enlightenment.

But I am fuelled by triple passions. Paris is my most favourite city in the whole world. I also believe that vegetarianism is the future (gourmet vegetarian too). But most of all, it’s the thrill of going into uncharted territories; the excitement of discovery that kick starts my adrenalin. And when France’s leading food critic, Francois Simon of Figaro advises “Hurry up and complete it, since it is going to be the world’s first guide” then like a love struck lover, I flew to my beloved city every month for over a year. Hiring a chauffeur and car, unearthing and eating at (and photographing) all the great 350 vegetarian-friendly eateries, food shops, cooking classes and getting recipes from great chefs.

Here’s the surprise. From the cheap and cheerful to the French gastronomique, it’s ‘vegolution’ at its best. From the world famous, fantastic falafel at a pure vegetarian falafel chain, vegan Chinese, vegan bed and breakfast, sublime Greek, classic French, Indian (surely) – the choices are plenty. But here’s the biggest surprise. The rarefied stratospheres of the greatest Michelin starred restaurants (€ 300 per head) also serve amazing vegetarian fare.

Stop press. The holy of holies, the sanctum sanctorum, the temples to non-vegetarian haute cuisine are beginning to pay homage to the vegetarian Gods.

Let’s begin by raising a toast to the French Revolution for gifting us the modern restaurant in the form we know it today. It was during the French Revolution that the aristocracy was

beheaded, thereby letting loose their gourmet chefs, who went on to set up their own restaurants. Since then, through centuries, the great starred chefs of France have resolutely created luxuriously carnivorous creations.

Naturally, I entered their hallowed portals with trepidation and hesitation. The only exception was the three Michelin starred chef Alain Passard who has always been renowned for his magnificent vegetarian repertoire. I ate in each and every sacred temple to gastronomy and many a surprise leapt out. For example, Chef Guy Savoy (the youngest of the French legends credited with pioneering Nouvelle Cuisine) loves vegetables.

I storm into kitchens and watch the flamboyant Chef Pierre Gagnaire transform vegetables into sublime creations as does Chef Yannick Alleno. ‘Though vegetarianism is not in our

French vegetarian – is that an oxymoron? Not really, says well known food writer Rashmi Uday Singh after a year-long project of digging into and relishing some ravishing vegetarian treats in Paris’ famed luxury restaurants!

Paris on a Luxurious Veggie Platter

Indo-French• 25

culture in France,’ he says, ‘we are trying to go forward to find new directions.’’

France’s most famous and globally celebrated chef Alain Ducasse celebrates his luxurious hushed, elegant restaurant’s 10th anniversary by “going back to the basics” and understands and delivers simplicity and vegetables at their pristine best.

I eat amazing vegetarian meals in the historically powered, oldest restaurants - Grand Vefour and Ledoyen. In the world’s 50 best restaurants list reigns Pascal Barbot’s L'Astrance while Thierry Marx’s techno emotion cuisine enthralls. The Michelin starred chefs of the palace hotels, Le Crillon, Meurice, The Ritz and Chef Eric Briffard of the king of all hotels and hotel of Kings, George V also weave magic.

Just say the words “Michelin starred French gastronomique restaurants” and you can see the bubbles in a Champagne glass, hear the tinkling of piano music. You’ll wear a jacket, even if the restaurant does not require it. Tradition and history do. Grand promises, elegance, timelessness and a waltz with legend await you.

Extravagance thrives. There’s a constant whirl of ever-changing super-elegant cutlery,

crockery (the nightly dishwashing bill could rival the budget of a Shah Rukh Khan movie) seamless service (sometimes more staff than guests) and over all a feeling of tan tarraaaa…But do remember that to get a taste of heaven requires not just a lifetime of determination, advance planning (booking months ahead) but also a wallet blessed with plenty. Which infidel said getting into heaven was easy?

Here’s the latest on the greatest, from the sublime to the divine…

France’s most famous and globally celebrated chef Alain

Ducasse celebrates his luxurious hushed, elegant restaurant’s 10th

anniversary by “going back to the basics” and understands and

delivers simplicity and vegetables at their pristine best

L'ARPEGE, ParisLocation 7th Arrondissement Eiffel Tower/ Musée d’OrsayPrices Main courses 48€-250€

Fixed-price lunch 160€Fixed-price dinner 420€

It sounds strange but it’s true. Over the years I have had two of my best vegetarian meals in this 15-year old Michelin starred simple, small haute cuisine restaurant which is as prized for its vegetarian offerings as its seafood.

He is always there. The devastatingly charming owner-chef, musician, sculptor and artist who learnt cooking from his granny. Alain Passard is internationally renowned for growing his own vegetables and then transforming them into sublime creations. He deals not in wide-angle splendour and broad-canvas fireworks but in tight close-ups and miniaturist flares. The meal dazzles. And so despite its chosen peculiarities and pitiless expense (420 euro per head at dinner), L'Arpege is worth a visit once at least. It engineers discrete moments of pure elation that few restaurants can match.

His classics of onion gratinee with the sweet tart notes of pear, the amazingly simple yet sublime egg with maple syrup cream are stuff that dreams are made of. The translucent ravioli's silken pockets are lovingly plumped and swim in consommé, the turnip tart tartin and pumpkin sparkled with saffron lodge in my tastebud’s memory. As do the tiny potatoes smoked in oat straw, their taste amplified by the horseradish mousseline.

The desserts are elegant and edgy. Like the signature dessert of candied tomato stuffed with 12 kinds of dried and fresh fruit, served with anise-flavoured ice cream or a brilliant avocado soufflé. The absolute must try? Internationally famous and patented too, the quintessentially French apple tarte is brilliantly created into a Tarte bouquet de rose with tiny roses which one devours with one’s eyes too.

Chef Passard …and his famous rose bouquet dessert

26 • Indo-French

Indo-French• 27

Les Ambassadeurs Le CrillonHôtel De CrillonLocation 10 Place de la ConcordePrice €200 Dinner Only

€70 Lunch Menu

Time stands still in the erstwhile Duke of Crillons’ palatial residence. Ornate, gilded and marbled, this high ceilinged jewel box of a restaurant is as elegant and coiffed as the food itself. There is a frosty elegance in the immaculate room.

I remember filming here for my TV show, outside meal hours, when there were no guests and my cameraman was not allowed in without a jacket, but the staff is warm and welcoming and choreographed to perfection.

It’s all here…from the experienced sommelier who guides through a staggering array of wines to the brilliant young Chef Christopher Hache’s vegetarian repertoire.

He presents perfect plates and uses foams and flowers to enliven dishes that are a feast for the eyes… be it the plumpest of green asparagus rendered delightfully or the slender courgettes, airy and crunchy, that preen with equally dreamy flowers. The fruit dessert, sunshine orange under a transparent sugar sheet crunches with taste and flavour. There are many a pre-dessert delight before the arrival of the dessert and right through there is a feeling of airiness. I am sure the Duke of Crillon was never a vegetarian but even he would have given his royal nod to this meal, fit for a queen.

Chef Hache with the author

28 • Indo-French

Le CinqLocation 31 Avenue George VPrice €170

Lunch €75

“Come here for the meal of your life” swoon foodwriters and delighted diners. This Michelin starred temple is voted tops in décor and service and has been hailed as “perfect in every way”. That the legendary George V’s hallowed mecca of haute cuisine serves vegetarian and vegetalien menus has its international who’s who and crème de la crème clientele delighted.

Two Art Deco iron work doors lead into the spacious soft gold and grey toned room which is reminiscent of a dining room in a private chateau. Louis XIV cupboards, golden Louis XVI “medallion” chairs and mahogany tables gleam.

It is here that Eric Briffard, executive chef with his team of 70 cooks serves up culinary wizardry and seasonal menus. Regular faces include Zarine Sanjay Khan, (award winning international interior designer) Ritu Beri (well known fashion designer knighted Chevalier des arts et des letters by the French Government) and Komal Chhabria Wazir, director of multi-million dollar companies in Mumbai and Dubai.

The latest vegetalien menu (170 euros) serves up fleshy mushrooms which stage a riveting tart-sweet drama with marinated raisins. Freshly kneaded semolina pasta is made most wickedly indulgent with parmesan cream. Sweet sensations pass off as desserts.

Well known Indian fashion designer Ritu Beri with the chef

Indo-French• 29

8 Pierre GagnaireLocation 6 Rue de BalzacPrice €194

Plaza AthénéeLocation 25 Avenue MontaignePrice €250

Hold your breath: here comes the global “conjurer” “wizard” and “master of suspense” and, well! humor. I have been applauding Pierre Gagnaire’s high-wire act in his restaurants across the globe. Watching this flamboyant iconoclast Michelin starred chef cook vegetarian in his usually playful and unpredictable style is an unmatched experience.

Yes! He loves cooking vegetarian and he feels it’s all about emotions and love. In the kitchen this alchemist chops, dices, stirs with a flick of his wrist (he is left handed) and creates amazing layers of flavour and texture combinations. Watercress puree with shallots that give it zing. Crunchy apple and juicy orange marry fleshy round discs of mushrooms. Whispers of fruity sweetness copulate with the earthy crunchiness of vegetables. Simple stuff, yet so flamboyant.

When France’s most famous and globally celebrated chef Alain Ducasse celebrates his luxurious hushed, elegant restaurant’s 10th anniversary by going back to the basics, the heartbeat of the gastromique solar system skips a beat. Luxury drips in 10,000 Swarovski pendant like chandeliers in his stylish Hotel Plaza Athénée’s restaurant. Immaculate service and brilliant attention to detail (few pieces of Art de la Table, four great screens with Patrick Jouin unique embroideries) contribute to the restaurant’s revival.

Creative and inventive cooking with juices of vegetables distils their natural flavours. Be it the finest of handpicked green vegetables or the vegetable stew (wok style) enhanced with the crunch of pine nuts and almonds - Ducasse understands and delivers simplicity at its pristine best.

30 • Indo-French

“It’s all about the sensitivity of a beautiful setting, the pleasures of lavish attention, the spark of an unexpected flavour” says debonair and soft spoken owner Chef Guy Savoy. And here’s the best part for vegetarians. He not only loves vegetables (his father was a gardener and his mother was a cook) but even way back in 1977 Savoy had a course on the menu called Veg Gardener.

In fact over the years, (be it in this restaurant, or the sister restaurants in Las Vegas and Singapore) my favourite Savoy signature dishes are pure vegetarian; be it the artichoke truffle soup (black truffle is not only sliced thin and made to float like dark lily pads on the surface of an artichoke soup but also mixed into a butter for toasted brioche beside the soup) or the seductively simple fresh dish of peas with pea puree topped with quail egg.

In this dramatically understated handsome ambiance (studded with his personal art and sculptures), I trip out on a sensational veg-tasting menu. It’s not about wholly new culinary adventures as it is in fresh treatments for familiar (and beloved) ingredients.

It’s the best way to get a taste of my beloved city. Come soar up the Eiffel Tower’s slanted structure in a private glass lift, as the city swoons in delight below. Any restaurant stuck half way up the world's greatest tourist symbol must be tacky, right? Wrong.

Superstar chef Alain Ducasse cooks up an experience to remember. And Ducasse and Pascal Ferraud’s French menu with its contemporary focus, delivers generous, accessible cuisine that is flavourful but light, the tastes are clear and precise and plate presentation is sleek and pure. Be it the steamed white asparagus, mimosa garnish, fine mousse sauce with citrus fruit or the famous cookpot of slowly cooked vegetables.

I raise a toast (with the Champagne Alain Ducasse) to this amazing meal with its impression of floating in space, much like in the fantastic vessels invented by Jules Verne.

Rashmi Uday Singh is a Gourmand World Cookbook Award winner. She is the author of 33 books and is a regular columnist for The Times of India. She is most celebrated for her extraordinarily popular Good Food Guide (India’s first ever city restaurant guide). She also runs the highly esteemed “Rashmi Uday Singh's Good Food Academy" and used to run "Rashmi Uday Singh's Good Food Galleries". She has hosted several TV food shows and is also the chairperson of the Central Asia region of the London based "Worlds 50 best restaurant Academy". Her most recent, first of its kind, book “A vegetarian in Paris...the Ultimate Vegetarian Guide to Paris”, has been in great demand and is already in its second print.

Jules VerneLocation Eiffel Tower Southern Pillar Floor 2Price €170

€128 prix fixeLunch menu €57 (Mon-Fri)

17, GUY SAVOYLocation 17th Arrondissement (Parc Monceau)Price Main courses 75€-160€

Menu dégustation 265€-320€

Indo-French• 31

A French Touch to Indian Homes

■ Lipika Sud

The world over, French products have traditionally been considered classy, luxurious and elitist. The Indian

market has mirrored this trend. Till a few years back, French products and designs have always been graded expensive, with only the rich indulging themselves.

However, French designers like Philippe Starck have broken that belief. They are high on style but Philippe Starck and his compatriots have succeeded in breaking the class barrier. The prices may be astronomical as compared to the local brands, but Indians are now becoming increasingly house-proud. Walk into an Indian home and you may be welcomed with Gautier furniture, Le Creuset kitchens, and Hèrmes soft furnishings. Indians are going global while decorating their homes and French brands still hold sway as being true luxury products.

Perhaps this is not surprising as there has always been a historical link between French and Indian design. They have influenced each other in a broad sense over the years. New age interior designers are now renewing these old connections.

French design’s uniqueness and ethnicity is remarkable and this is now proving to be

an inspiration for Indian designers. French style rooms are now very popular for their luxurious, elegant charm. Even rustic French is catching on fast! For example, curved like scroll backed daybeds and chairs can be seen in homes. Marble and tortoiseshell are being used for decoration and ornamentation. Wallpapers and matching upholstery are de rigueur.

French decoration is closely attuned to the Indian palette. Heavy classical designs and geometric forms are in vogue even as an air of fineness is retained with the help of soft draped fabrics and highly polished veneers. Most of them are inspired by the art form which has been popular for centuries. The style emits warmth and comfort and it will continue to be a visual delight for the years to come.

High on style, French home décor is becoming popular in India.

French designs are inspiring Indian interior decorators

32 • Indo-French

The Link between Indian and French Design

Both the art forms - Art Deco and Art Nouveau - have influenced the diverse field of design worldwide and we see exquisite master pieces that have been inspired by these art forms.

Art Deco, based on geometric shapes, an eclectic artistic and design style which began in Paris has influenced all the areas of design including architecture and interiors, fashion, visual arts, and painting. It symbolizes elegance, glamour and modernity.

Similarly, Art Nouveau is a decorative style of art in architecture and interiors. Use of floral patterns and flowing curvilinear is popular in this form of art. Art Nouveau has always looked to nature for inspiration.

There is yet another common link between Indian and French design. Like the French, the Indians have diverse cultures and also have been influenced by the heritage of other cultures, like the Moguls, the Turk, the Mongolian and the Persian apart from the traditional arts and crafts from its own distinct regions.

Thus, both India and France have an age-old lineage of heritage art and creativity which defines them, gives them their identity, a unique art de vivre. More than being just an economic heritage, it represents above all excellence and beauty.

Influence of French Design and Architecture in Puducherry

The richness of the French architecture and interiors can be experienced in Puducherry in India. Puducherry was designed based on the French (originally Dutch) grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular streets. Some of the unique features of the buildings were their ville blanche look with ornate gateways, portico on either side of the

main door supported by column and a raised platform. The homes also featured an open courtyard in the middle of the house with natural light streaming inside. The ceilings are high and marked by heavy wooden beams. The arched windows and doors have wooden louvers shutters.

Opportunities in the Indian Market

India is the second most populous and the third largest economy in the world by purchasing power. Today, India is one of the world's fastest growing economies with a very strong domestic consumption driving growth. It has become a focus for investors all around the globe

With rising incomes, global exposure and new lifestyles, the Indian market is re-inventing itself at a dynamic pace. There is growth in realty, infrastructure and hospitality in India. Naturally global companies are all set to woo the Indians. As far as architecture and interiors is concerned, manufactures consider India to be an ‘aspirational market’.

The rise in disposable income has also spurred the demand for custom-designed up market and luxury products of decor and furnishings. Related and ancillary industries are also booming. With the increase in growth, demand for allied services like architecture, interior design and landscape architecture is already increasing. Customisation has been the key for global players to understand the potential of the Indian market. Companies like LLADRO-the porcelain company - have even customized Ganesha and Radha-Krishna idols to cater to the Indian market.

The question arises, would other French companies do similar customisation to contemporary Indian design sensibilities to ensure better business feasibility? Today’s consumer is well-travelled, educated, aware and articulate. They are ready to explore and learn about new trends and fashions.

Add to this, the other countries like Italy, Germany, Spain and even China and Malaysia are looking at the Indian market very keenly. With tough competition, will French products be able to make a real mark in hearts of the Indian consumer and find a place that it truly deserves in the Indian market? It should be possible. This is because French designs have the ability to evolve even as they have the ability to create an impact. Thus competitiveness and innovation will be the key to success in the Indian design market.

With the increase in growth, demand for allied services like architecture,

interior design and landscape architecture is already increasing.

Customisation has been the key for global players to understand

the potential of the Indian market

Puducherry’s French style homes

Companies like LLADRO-the porcelain company - have even customized for the Indian market.

Lipika Sud is one of India’s leading interior designers and founder director / principal designer of Lipika Sud Interiors Pvt Ltd and Dimension Designers Pvt Ltd. She also runs Art n Aura - an art services company. She is currently president of the Guild of Designers & Artists and immediate past chairperson of the Institute of Indian Interior Designers (Delhi regional chapter). She is also an all India governing body member of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FLO) and co-chairperson – Young Business Leaders forum – PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Pampering India with

Luxury hospitality is not new to Asia. Guests are deeply honoured as part of the culture and it is not surprising that the most well known of Indian luxury brands are in the hospitality segment.

The interest of international luxury hospitality brands in the Asian markets, particularly India and China has also however dramatically increased, as regardless of the unpredictable economy, demand for luxury has continued to grow and diversify, with the ultra-rich representing an exclusive clientele for luxury tourism. Several global hotel majors are readying plans to enter the India market over the next couple of years.

A survey done by the Accor group on Asia Pacific business travel reveals that not only is India one of the top travel destinations for business, but Indian business travellers are also emerging as among the highest spenders on hotel stays even as they rate competitive prices as the key factor that influences their choice of hotel. Indian travellers were estimated to make an average spend of $399 per trip on hotel stays, second only to Singaporeans (estimated spends $468). The Chinese market is also considered the key driver of global luxury, with an estimated 250 million Chinese now able to afford luxury travel.

With experience becoming a key defining element of the luxury experience, luxury hospitality is increasingly focussing on providing that melange of elements that ensure guests feel their needs are anticipated, the attention is personal and exclusive. From detailed concierge services that may create custom built tours specific to art, history and shopping as key themes that drive the organisation of travel or outdoors activities like sailing, skiing, adventure and wildlife are special-interest outdoor activities that are becoming increasingly popular in luxury travel, to rooms with custom made beds and pillows to ensure restful sleep, elegant fine dining restaurants where the ambience and service matters as much as the food, to spas with every variety of treatment on the menu.

Luxury travel vacation experiences may be a combination of cultural, leisure and/or recreational activities. Many wineries are now developing

Luxury Hospitality

The Sofitel, Accor’s luxury hotel in Mumbai, embodies the best of French hospitality

on-site restaurants, hotels and spas to meet increasing demand from tourists. Tasting schools and cooking schools are developing and opening up to tourism, not only in wine regions but also in key cities. At the same time, hotels are bringing the education of luxury to its guests with wine tasting sessions, gourmet cooking workshops and more.

The primary destination for luxury travel is Europe, listed as the top luxury destination by 41 percent of the interviewees. Two countries remain hot favourites: France (14%) and Italy (9%). Paris, the French Riviera, and Tuscany were specially noted. The Asia/ Pacic region follows at 27 percent. Top destinations are the Maldives, Japan, India and French Polynesia, followed by Thailand and New Zealand. Destinations in the Middle East and Africa were favoured by 18 percent, with Austral Africa and Mauritius noted by 12 percent. Turkey and United Arab Emirates (UAE) attracted 6 percent.In the Americas, the US (especially California and Hawaii) dominates at 8 percent, followed by the Caribbean (Caribbean cruises, Bermuda) and Latin America (Argentina) at 6 percent.

Luxury hospitality may certainly not be new to India, but it is set to grow like never before.

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Perfecting the Art of LuxuryYa c h t s b o b b i n g u n d e r a Mediterranean sun, a date with fate at opulent Casinos, the discreet pop of the bubbly to go with gastronomic wonders at Michelin starred restaurants, personalised shopping in upscale areas of Paris, waking up in elegant ambiences of Palace category hotels, hot air ballooning over verdant landscapes with a flute of Champagne for company...Welcome to France! The French have well perfected the art of luxury and a visitor choosing to ''live it up'' will definitely not be disappointed. Short of rolling a red carpet for you every time, France is all out to pamper its luxury holiday makers. Voila! Let the good times begin!

Your good life in France commences with a limousine transfer from the airport that promises a smooth and stylish ride. There is no dearth of elegant accommodation options with 4 and 5 star hotels providing a comfortable yet luxurious stay. Want something better? Why not opt for a Palace Hotel. Bestowed only on select hotels in France, a Palace Category distinction supersedes even the 5 Star rating and assures only the very best of French hospitality. Also on offer are an exquisite selection of luxury Bed and Breakfast properties, villas and windmills! The experience does not end at accommodation alone... while in France, do as the French do and indulge in the best of French gastronomy and wine... home to famous Michelin starred chefs and restaurants,

be prepared for a perfect meal where a lot of attention to detail is paid in its making. Enjoy world class French delicacies perfectly complemented with the country's finest wines or Champagne. Ensure that you come to France with a good appetite!

Luxury experiences are possible everywhere in France - its buzzing metropolises, chic seaside resorts, quaint medieval cities, and elegant mountain retreats promise a true blue elegant experience for those who seek it.

It Starts with the Cities Paris is no stranger to the good life. It puts forth an array of exciting options for the discerning traveller. You will be spoilt for choice with a diverse range of 4, 5 and not less than 5 Palace Category hotels for the taking. Sharing an indelible association with shopping, iconic French and international brands await you at upscale districts of the Place Vendome, the very popular Champs Elysees, the Faubourg St Honore and St Germain de Pres. Visit art galleries found in the trendy Marais quarter and on the Left Bank. An eclectic night life can be found at fashionable bars, clubs and cocktail lounges all over Paris. Encounter the French Can Can at the Moulin Rouge or take in a classy cabaret at the Lido.

Want more of the French way of life? Head to historic Dijon for a visit of its famous Côte de Nuits vineyards. Savour the taste of Burgundy's very best. Spend a

night on a luxury hotel barge, ideal for couples of families.

Encounter French royalty in the Loire Valley, home to famous chateaux such as the Chateau de Chenonceau and Chateau de Chambord. Majestic and graceful, these chateaux are true representations of France's glorious past. Get a bird's eye view of these chateaux with a hot air balloon ride across lush landscapes. A glass of champagne adds to this heady feeling! Feel ''royal'' with a stay in a chateau at the Loire.

Enjoy gastronomic encounters at Lyon's upscale Michelin fine dine establishments. Known as the capital of Gastronomy, Lyon promises unique encounters with France's finest delicacies. Bordeaux lures you with the promise of f ine wine. Enjoy authentic wine tasting in unique wine bars and wine cellars that can be found all over Bordeaux and its surroundings. Want to go beyond? Plan a visit the winter resort of Arcachon and sample some fine oysters or head to St Emilion for a discovery of its UNESCO classified monuments. Wellness on your mind? Head straight to Les Sources de Caudalie, a wellness retreat located 20 kms from Bordeaux. Indulge in some Vinotherapy - grape based cures - for a rejuvenation of the mind and senses!

And Continues to the SeaFor those wanting to get away

Luxury Tourism in France

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from daily routine, a seaside holiday is often a relaxing option. At an approximate distance of 2 hours from Paris, lies elegant Deauville located in the Normandy region. A Casino, horse races and golfing possibil it ies are yours for the taking here as well as wellness possibilities at the Algotherm Deauville Thalasso & Spa Center. Frequented by jetsetters, Deauville is also famous for many international events that take place here.

Head on to La Baule, a charming seaside resort that invites you to share its art de vivre. When in La Baule, a wellness experience in the form of Thalassotherapy is recommended.

The South West of France has its own jewel - the exclusive seaside resort of Biarritz, made famous by Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie. Replete with 12 golf courses, golfers can find their paradise here. Enjoy a rugged view of its coast by helicopter or simply laze on its beaches. Biarritz offers wellness options in the form of natural therapies including the use of sea water, seaweed and algae.

Further South, the French Riviera is a hotbed of action with exclusive seaside resorts such as St Tropez, Cannes, and Nice amongst others. Helicopter transfers are possible as are transfers by yachts guaranteeing an arrival as elegant as the destination. Choose from 5 star hotels located in the city centre to elegant addresses located at a distance, for those who prefer their solitude. Enjoy fabulous outings on private beaches with fabulous views of the Mediterranean. Try your luck at the Casinos in Monte Carlo or Cannes or party the night away at nightclubs. Sightseeing abounds in the form of quaint villages such as St Paul de Vence, Eze enhancing the feel of medieval times.

And Peaks in the Mountains The snow capped peaks of the

French Alps are at once majestic and awe inspiring with the Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak standing proud and tall. With picture postcard villages dotting the mountain landscapes, the serene and tranquil ambience adds to the charm of a quiet getaway. Plan a visit to Courchevel, one of the most elegant resorts in France. Its collection of Michelin starred restaurants will introduce you to many gastronomic delights of the region.

However if you prefer to divide your time equally between the ski slopes and discovering the area, the picturesque village of Megève could be a good choice. Also considered a romantic destination, it could hold appeal to honeymooners.

Chamonix the home to the Mont Blanc offers lots in terms of sightseeing as well as some good pistes for skiers. Discover myriad facets of Chamonix by helicopter.

Luxury accommodation in the form of hotels and chalet stays is possible in ski resorts. Why not opt for something different and stay in an igloo? This is possible in the Haute Savoie region of France.

Role of Atout France - the France Tourism Development AgencyAs a tourist organisation promoting France as a destination of choice to visitors, luxury travellers are an important target audience. Current travel trends indicate that the keyword for the discerning traveller is experiences. Today's holiday maker is not satisfied with ''been there, done that'' experiences. There is a desire for more...a desire to connect with local culture and tradition, to walk off the beaten track and create a trail of one's own. Experiential travel is slowly emerging as the new age mantra for travellers willing to try out of the box activities and creating holidays with a difference.

Evolving times call for evolving concepts and in order to connect with this new breed of enthusiastic travellers, Atout France India proudly presents i ts la test introduction to its Indian guests -" Be There! Do That!''. This initiative encourages Indian travellers to go beyond the tried and tested, to explore new and varied facets of France. To venture into France's regions and experience a taste of its art de vivre or way of life.

There are tons of unimaginable activities that are possible in France...Want to try a cooking class in Provence, we have it! Want a meal with the French in their homes, we have it! Want to see lions and bears in the wilderness outside Paris, yes it's possible! Want a rafting experience at the foot of the Alps, why not? A romantic dinner for two in a wine cellar, oui bien sur!

''Be There! Do That!'' is a positive encouragement to travellers to plan a French holiday. Lots of such surprises await our Indian guests...France's innumerable activities span across a diverse clientele and we are sure they will appeal to families, honeymooners, and friends on a holiday, or just those out to have a good time.

Slated to launch in 2013, this special and unique campaign will be promoted through various communication channels and media platforms to connect directly with the end consumer. Atout France India will also work in tandem with travel agencies/tour operators to promote this concept to larger and diverse databases of clientele.

With so much in store and so many experiences to savour in France, all that is required is for you to ''Be There! Do That!''.

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Dassault SystèmesFostering innovations in 3D

Dassault Systèmes, the 3D Experience Company, provides business and people with virtual universes to imagine sustainable innovations. Its world-leading solutions transform the way products are designed, produced, and supported. Dassault Systèmes’

collaborative solutions foster social innovation, expanding possibilities for the virtual world to improve the real world. The group brings value to over 150,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries.

The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform of Dassault Systèmes transforms the way “innovators innovate with consumers” by connecting designers, engineers, marketing managers and even consumers, in a new ‘social enterprise’. Dassault Systèmes enables everyone – from product designers, engineers, companies, suppliers to end-use consumers, and their respective communities – to create, share, and experience in 3D. The company provides businesses and people with holistic 3DEXPERIENCES to imagine sustainable innovations capable of harmonizing products, nature and life.

Dassault Systèmes’ global customer base includes companies primarily in 12 industrial sectors: transportation & mobility; aerospace & defense; architecture, engineering and construction, industrial equipment; consumer goods & retail, consumer packaged goods & retail; energy process & utility; high-tech; marine & offshore, life sciences; financial & business services & natural resources. The company’s software solutions and consulting services have been designed to enable its customers to innovate in the design and quality of products and services; reduce design cycle time to accelerate time-to-market; collaborate with partners and suppliers in product development; create, manufacture and maintain products more cost effectively; and simulate their end-customers’ experiences.

Dassault Systèmes overall growth strategy is focused on expanding the addressable market towards new software markets, new industries and new types of users. The objective is to provide the clients with a powerful platform, which uses the universal language of 3D and the Web as the user interface, to help them to connect the dots for a game-changing increase in end-user value.

In India Dassault Systèmes focuses on all the vertical industry segments that we address globally. The core segments for India are market maturity and technology adoption. Thus transportation & mobility, aerospace & defense, energy process & utility, the infrastructure sector and the growing consumer package goods & retail are key markets. Working closely with the major players in these industries, the various industry solutions experiences help bring most innovative ideas to life pushing technology to new limits. Dassault Systemes has partnered with companies like HPCL-HMEL Mittal, Godrej Interio, Tata Consulting Engineers and Infosys to help build the right business solutions and to provide 3DEXPERIENCEs to customers.

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