India Now February March 2018 PDF

ISSUE 05
VOLUME 04
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
THE
EDGE
Reshaping India’s lifestyle choices
STATE FOCUS: Rajasthan | DEEP DIVE: Aviation Industry | INDIAMADE: iD Fresh Food
1
CEO SPEAK
India Now Business and Economy

DEAR READERS,
As a founding member of the WTO, India has remained a strong votary of the multilateral
trading system, with its principles of consensus, inclusivity, and transparency. The country has
been strongly taking forward issues under the Doha Round of trade negotiations since 2001.
India retains its stance on the need for openness and transparency in global trade amidst the
growing global trend towards protectionism. The Department of Commerce, under the aegis
of the Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry Mr Suresh Prabhu, organised an Informal
WTO Ministerial Meeting during March 19-20, 2018 in New Delhi to reinforce the spirit
of the multilateral trading regime as enshrined in the WTO, especially after the stalemate at
the Eleventh Ministerial Conference held in December 2017. The meeting was attended by
the WTO Director General and ministers and officials from 53 developed and developing
countries. The efforts of the Government of India were highly appreciated.
IBEF successfully handled a gamut of responsibilities at this event—logo design,
conceptualisation, and execution of branding collaterals at the venue, airport, and city, etc,
development of website for the event, registration and management of delegates, and a social
media campaign. The campaign was highly successful in disseminating information about the
event to a wide audience and received engagement from the WTO Director General, Indian
Missions, Press Information Bureau, media bodies, and delegates.
During February-March 2018, IBEF also managed branding campaigns for four critical
trade events. It partnered with Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) for branding
the India pavilion at Middle East Electricity Dubai, March 6-8, 2018—the region’s leading
trade event for the power and electrical industry—through venue branding, advertising in trade
publications, and a digital campaign. IBEF also partnered with EEPC for the 38th edition
of its trademark multi-product overseas exhibition INDEE (Indian Engineering Exhibition),
which was held in Thailand during February 1-4, 2018.
In the agri-products sector, IBEF took up branding for the pavilions of APEDA and Tea
Board at Gulfood Dubai, February 18-22, 2018. This is a major event for food trade in the
Gulf region with around 97,000 visitors and one million sq ft of exhibition space. Besides
advertising at the venue and through print media, IBEF’s digital campaign for the event led to
9,144,454 impressions and 46,158 clicks.
The India Carpet Expo, one of the largest trade fairs for handmade carpets in Asia, was
held in New Delhi during March 8-11, 2018. IBEF organised a press conference on March 8,
leading to media coverage across leading publications, besides venue and outdoor branding.
Ms Anu P. Mathai
CEO, India Brand Equity Foundation
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
www.ibef.org
2
I Volume 04 I Issue 05 I
February-March 2018
DEAR READERS, www.ibef.org
EDITORIAL
India has grown into the world’s fifth largest global destination Editor: Maneck Davar
Managing Editor: Poornima Subramanian
in the retail sector, riding the urbanisation wave and also owing Deputy Editor: Anitha Moosath
to the rise of an affluent middle class. Further, the shaping Editorial Team: Ashutosh Gotad, Melissa Fernandes
of a ‘desire economy’ (as Glyn Atwal, Associate Professor DESIGN
of Marketing, Burgundy School of Business, describes in his Art Director: Parvez Shaikh
Designer: Yogesh Jadhav
interview), which comprises young and aspirational consumers, Illustrators: Swapnil Redkar, Darshan Sompura
has helped many a foreign brand establish a firm footing here.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Proliferation of the internet has shaped a buoyant e-commerce Bobby Daniel
market too, which is expected to touch US$ 220 billion in terms INDIA BRAND EQUITY FOUNDATION
of gross merchandise value by 2025. CEO: Anu P. Mathai
Domestic demand for lifestyle products has been steadily on Project Manager: Virat Bahri
the rise, and so too have been exports. Largely, it has been a
two-way street, with more global players coming in and native
brands exploring markets abroad. This has been particularly
noticeable in the luxury fashion segment. While brands such
as Zara and H&M are catering to the aspirational Indian
consumer, native labels such as Hidesign and Amrapali are
becoming part of high-street fashion elsewhere. India Now Business and Economy is a bi-monthly
magazine published and printed by India Brand
India’s luxury market is undoubtedly on a fast track, and is Equity Foundation (IBEF), New Delhi, Editor – Maneck
expected to cross US$ 30 billion by the end of 2018. And the Davar. It is published from 20th Floor, Jawahar
Vyapar Bhawan, Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi- 110001
assurance of quality, innovativeness, and cost efficiency is sure and got printed by Graphic Point Pvt. Ltd., 4th
to help more Indian labels gain traction on foreign shores. Floor Harbans Bhavan 2, Nangal Rai Commercial
Complex, New Delhi - 110046.
India Now Business and Economy is for private
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not be reproduced in any form without the written
permission of IBEF. Editorial opinions expressed in
this magazine are not necessarily those of IBEF and
IBEF does not take responsibility for the advertising
content, content obtained from third parties and
views expressed by any independent author/
contributor. (India Brand Equity Foundation, 20th
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Opinions expressed herein are of the authors and
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4
COVER STORY
16
All that Glitters
India is re-emerging as a
major destination for both
global and homegrown
luxury fashion brands.
22
India in the Spotlight
The emergence of a generation of young
and aspirational consumers is transforming
the country's luxury fashion market.
28
A Seamless Pattern of Growth
The Indian market is different from the
European and Chinese markets. Retailers
need to adapt to be successful here.
32
STATE FOCUS 38
Rajasthan–a State DEEP DIVE
on the Rise Wings of Success
India's largest Adoption of modern technology,
state—Rajasthan—is focus on low-cost carriers,
transforming rapidly developing infrastructure, and a
with advancements in slew of government initiatives
agriculture, industry, are fuelling growth of the
infrastructure, and country’s civil aviation sector.
energy production.
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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5

Volume 04 I Issue 05 I FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
REGULARS
06 India in News 10 Tech Corner 12 Statistics 58 What's New @IBEF
OTHER FEATURES
51
38
44 WANDERLUST
In Mowgli’s Land
INDIA MADE Pench National Park is home to
A Fine Blend numerous species of wild animals and
iD Fresh Food has proliferated the birds, including a few endangered ones,
domestic market with its ready-to-cook and is the setting for Rudyard Kipling’s
offerings and now aims to cater to a The Jungle Book.
global audience.
54
CULTURE
Heritage Hues
Rajasthan miniature paintings are a mélange
of intricate designs and vibrant colours.
48
STARTUP
Dynamic Disruptor
Zuper’s enterprise mobility platform
is enabling organisations to manage,
modernise, and transform their field as
well as remote workforce.
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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INDIA IN NEWS
India Now Business and Economy n INDIA IN NEWS
India hosts Informal WTO Ministerial Meeting

Representatives of 53 countries gathered on fisheries subsidies by 2019, and the interaction where aspects related to
in New Delhi from March 19 to 20 for the importance of open, transparent and multilateral trade were discussed.
Informal World Trade Organization inclusive discussions within the joint Mr Modi underlined the importance
(WTO) Ministerial Meeting organised by initiatives by proponents of issues such of countering challenges faced by
India. Union Minister of Commerce and as Electronic Commerce, Investment the multilateral trading system. He
Industry, Mr Suresh Prabhu welcomed Facilitation, Gender, MSME, etc. also emphasised on the need for
the participants, including WTO Director On March 20, ministers and senior a kind approach towards least
General Roberto Azevedo. Participants dignitaries called on Prime Minister developed countries.
thanked the Government of India for Mr Narendra Modi and held an
organising the meeting and welcomed the
fact that, some positive results had been
achieved at MC11 despite challenges.
Members agreed that it is their collective
responsibility to preserve the functioning
and credibility of the rules-based
multilateral trading system as embodied in
the WTO.
Some of the key issues discussed
included the impasse in appointment of
Appellate Body members, impact of recent
unilateral trade measures and proposed
counter-measures, Special and Differential
Treatment (S&DT) provisions for LDCs,
need for progress on Doha issues,
especially agriculture, fisheries subsidies
and domestic regulation in services,
need for a permanent solution on public
stockholding for food security purposes,
need to address historical asymmetries
and imbalances in the Agreement on
Agriculture, need to conclude negotiations
Elecrama 2018 held in Noida

Elecrama 2018, an initiative organised by the Indian Electrical
and Electronics Manufacturing Association, was held between
March 10 and 14 at the India Expo Mart, Noida. Elecrama
showcases the latest products and offerings in the electrical
equipment and manufacturing space and is the largest
congregation of the power sector. During the inaugural session,
Vice President of India, Mr M Venkaiah Naidu, said that India
has the potential to become the leader in solar energy, and listed
the initiatives that have helped India improve its ranking in World
Bank’s Ease of Getting Electricity Index from 99 to 26. Electric
and hybrid electric vehicles would dominate the automobile
industry in the future, he added.
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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INDIA IN NEWS n India Now Business and Economy

Cabinet approves ‘Made in India’ MRI India ranks second
national healthcare machine in progress in mobile phone
scheme production
On March 21, the Cabinet approved the The healthcare sector in India will soon According to the Indian Cellular
launch of Ayushman Bharat-National witness the first Indian magnetic resonance Association (ICA), India accounted
Healthcare Protection Mission, a health imaging (MRI) machine that will be much for 11% of global mobile production
insurance scheme aimed at covering more economical than the present ones. in 2017, making it the second largest
more than 10 crore underprivileged The prototype is expected to be ready by mobile phone producer in the world after
families. The scheme was announced as December. On March 20, the Minister of China. Imports of devices reduced to less
part of the Union Budget 2018. It will Electronics and Information Technology than half in 2017-18 due to the increase
incorporate two ongoing schemes—the (MeitY) Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad held in mobile phone production in the
Rashtriya Bima Yojana and the Senior a meeting with the Society for Applied country. ICA national president Pankaj
Citizen Health Insurance Scheme. In the Microwave Electronics Engineering & Mohindroo lauded the combined efforts
Union Budget speech, Finance Minister Research (SAMEER) to check the progress of ICA and FTTF in boosting mobile
Mr Arun Jaitley called it the world’s of the machine. The low-cost medical device production in India. The fast track task
largest government-funded healthcare will make scans affordable for patients; at force (FTTF), a body under Ministry
initiative. He added that enough present, an MRI machine costs more than of Electronics and IT, aims to produce
resources would be allocated to the plan `1 crore. India is now listed among the around 500 million mobile phones in
while states will bear 40% of the costs. top 20 global medical devices market and India by 2019. It also aims to export 120
The scheme will provide a benefit cover fourth largest in Asia after Japan, China, million mobile phone units, valued at
of `5 lakh per family each year. and South Korea. US$ 1.5 million, by the end of next year.
“India may well become the top “The ‘Make in India’ campaign and
country in terms of mobile data the country’s young demographics will
consumption per user per month, not just draw a better consumption
resulting in a need for a lot of pattern for the country but also push
network capacity. In the last 12 the overall growth rate towards the
years, it has been remarkable for double digit mark.”
creating the ecosystem for the - ANIL RAI GUPTA,
long term, even though it’s been CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, HAVELLS
somewhat challenging in the

short term.”
- RAJEEV SURI, CEO, NOKIA
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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INDIA IN NEWS
India Now Business and Economy n INDIA IN NEWS
HCL launches UP and FICCI join RBI announces

training programme hands to promote monetary policy
for women startups At its first bi-monthly review of
2018-19 on April 5, Reserve Bank
On March 28, HCL Technologies The Government of Uttar Pradesh has
joined hands with the Federation of of India (RBI) governor Mr Urjit
launched iBelieve, a training programme
Indian Chambers of Commerce and Patel-led monetary policy committee
to reskill their employees, especially
Industry (FICCI) in a progressive step (MPC) decided to keep the repo rate
women who drop out of the workforce
and wish to rejoin. It provides training to promote startups and entrepreneurial unchanged at 6% and reverse repo
on modern-day technology concepts and ventures. At the Uttar Pradesh Investors rate at 5.75%. It also lowered its
business skills. At `2.5 lakh, participants Summit 2018, held on February 21 inflation projection for the first half
can access this training programme in and 22, the government announced the of the current fiscal year to 4.7-5.1%
Chennai and Bengaluru. Those who have Innovation and Start-up policy. Mr Yogi from a previous range of 5.1-5.6% due
Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar to a moderation in food prices and
been on a career break of more than
Pradesh, announced `1,000 crores for it. the possibility of a normal monsoon.
two and less than six years are eligible
Mr Nirankar Saxena, Deputy Secretary The governor said that the pace
for it. The duration and type of training
General, FICCI, spoke about the need for
will correspond with the candidate’s of economic activity in 2018-19 is
promoting and commercialising startups,
background. Srimathi Shivashankar, expected to accelerate, given the clear
both in the domestic and international
executive vice president, HCL said, “This markets. The partnership would create signs of revival in investment activity.
program is targeted at women who are 10,000 new jobs each year with 80% “The GDP growth is projected to
serious about making a comeback and focus on the rural population and strengthen from 6.6% in 2017-18 to
willing to invest in themselves.” increasing farmers’ income. 7.4% in 2018-19,” he said.
First mega food park in Satara

The first mega food part in Satara, Maharashtra was launched on
March 1 by Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister of Food Processing
Industries, in the presence of Mr Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of
Maharashtra. Mega food parks are modern infrastructure facilities for food
processing across the value chain from farm to market, and this is the twelfth
such park made operational in the country. The mega food park at Satara
will help in reducing wastage of food at every stage of the supply chain with
more focus on perishables. The government provides financial assistance of
up to `50 crore per mega food park project; however, this project will get
an additional investment of about `250 crore to set up 25 to 30 processing
units. The food park will also provide employment to 5,000 people.
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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TECH CORNER
India Now Business and Economy n TECH CORNER
National policy on artificial

intelligence soon: Niti Aayog
With the aim of outlining the scope of AI research, and adoption and
commercialisation of the technology, Niti Aayog will soon be coming up with
a national policy on the technology. As India prepares to meet its commitment
to sustainable development goals starting this year, this policy is expected to
structure the country’s short-, medium-, and long-term goals to be achieved
by 2022, 2026, and 2030 respectively. A part of this nation-wide strategy will
be to hire domain experts. Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, Mr Arun
Jaitley had asked Niti Aayog to initiate a national programme to direct the
government’s efforts in the area of AI in the Union Budget.
Foxconn to make Indian Railways to use AMD to raise India-

printed circuit satellite imagery for focused technology
boards in India mapping assets fund
The world’s largest contract electronics Indian Railways has signed an MoU with US-based chip manufacturer
manufacturer Foxconn has become Indian Space Research Organisation Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD),
one of the recent global giants to start (ISRO) for mutual cooperation in the field through its venture capital arm, AMD
manufacturing operations in India. It has of satellite imagery, in order to monitor Ventures, is raising a nearly US$ 200
started the assembly of printed circuit and manage its assets across the country. million India-focused technology fund.
boards (PCBs) constituting about half the An official from the rail ministry said It will be based offshore—operating
cost of making a phone—which will offer that, “Indian Railways will use satellite from either Amsterdam or Singapore—
a price advantage to its clients such as imagery to identify new encroachments and will follow the FDI route to invest
Xiaomi and HMD Global. This move is around stations. GPS-based mapping of in tech-focused firms in India. With
railway assets on geographic information this, the company will compete with
seen as a boost for ‘Make in India’, and it
system (GIS) platform across the country Intel Capital, Cisco Investments,
will also benefit Foxconn as the country
is likely to be completed by December this Qualcomm Ventures, and Siemens
raised basic customs duty on smartphones
year.” As railway operations have wide India, all of whom already have
from 15% to 20% effective February
spatial coverage, GIS mapping of assets tech-focused funds in the country.
1, 2018. The company has a phone
on Indian Railways can be used for better According to CB Insights, the amount
manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh of funding by venture capitals in India
management, the official said further.
that employs close to 6,000 people and The satellite imagery will be taken from rose five times in the second quarter
produces 15 million units a year. Bhuvan Platform of ISRO. of the present financial year.
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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11
TECH CORNER  India Now Business and Economy

US$ 200
million
India-focused technology
fund being raised by
AMD Ventures.
Air travel to soon

become paperless
India and France to tackle
climate change together SITA, the air transport IT and
communications service provider
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Centre at Indian airports, is set to take the
national d’études spatiales (CNES) will collaborate government’s concept of Digiyatra a
step further by providing fully biometric
on satellite technology in order to address issues such
air travel, wherein national biometric
as climate change. This collaboration is part of the identification cards of citizens and
Joint Vision for Space Cooperation, signed during foreigners’ passports would be linked
French President Mr Emmanuel Macron’s visit to with the databases of airlines, airports,
India. The two countries will also collaborate on an and other stakeholders. Maneesh
earth observation mission and pursue the study of a Jaikrishna, SITA Vice President - Indian
Subcontinent, Eastern and Southern
constellation of satellites for maritime surveillance.
Africa said, “Leveraging India's national
Further, the two agencies could also join hands vis- Aadhaar biometric identity system with
a-vis the development of technologies for liquid our Smart Path technology, SITA will
oxygen-methane propulsion engine; reusable launch deliver a seamless biometric experience
vehicle, and special materials, advanced composites, across all airlines and airports—both
nanomaterials, chemicals, polymers, nanotechnologies domestic and international—in India.”
Presently, three airports, including
and manufacturing technologies.
Varanasi and Vijayawada have been
chosen to implement the biometric access
system for passengers.
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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12
STATISTICS
India Now Business and Economy n STATISTICS
PROMISING CONSUMER MARKET

INDIAN HOUSEHOLDS BY INCOME (MILLIONS)
Annual gross
household income 2005 2016 2025
(US$ thousands)
Elite 3.1 6.5 15.8
(>30.8) (1.5%) (2%) (5%)
Affluent 7 17 33
(15.4-30.8) (3%) (6%) (11%)
Aspirers 17 40 61
(7.7-15.4) (8%) (15%) (20%)
Next billion 89 121 140

(2.3-7.7) (42%) (45%) (46%)
Strugglers 93 82 55
(<2.3) (44%) (31%) (18%)
Note: Income distribution is calculated in constant 2015 dollars; US$ 1 = `65. Because of rounding, not all percentages add up to 100.
Source: BCG CI proprietary income database; BCG analysis
https://www.bcg.com/en-in/publications/2017/marketing-sales-globalization-new-indian-changing-consumer.aspx
INDIAN RETAIL MARKET SIZE

1400
1300
1200
1000
Market size (US$ billion)
800
672
600
600 534
518 490
424
368
Market size (US$ billion)
400
321
278
204 238
200
Source: https://www.ibef.org/
uploads/industry/Infrographics/ 0
2008
2000
2002
2006
2004
2020E
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2010
large/Retail-December-2017.pdf
RETAIL ECOMMERCE SALES IN INDIA

60000
52,301
50000
45,206
40000 37,979
Sales (in US$ million)
31,123
30000
25,076
20,059
20000 16,073
Sales (in US$ million)
10000
0 2016 2017 2018* 2019* 2020* 2021* 2022*
Note: *Estimate
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/289770/india-retail-e-commerce-sales/
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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13
STATISTICS n India Now Business and Economy

SEGMENT-WISE REVENUE BREAKUP (FY20E)
Others
Footwear 5.4%
Furniture and 1.2%
furnishing 3.6%
Pharmacy 2.7%
Consumer durables
Food and grocery
and IT 5.2%
66.3%
Jewellery 8.0%
Apparel
8.7%
Source: https://www.ibef.org/uploads/industry/Infrographics/large/
Retail-December-2017.pdf
INDIA’S READY MADE GARMENT (RMG) EXPORT UPDATE FY (APRIL-DECEMBER) 2017-18
12000
11,287.7
10,707.86
10,355.5
9,988.5
10000 8,586.85
8,563.21
8,222.9
8000 6,719.21
(`crore)
5,400.35
6000
FY 2017-18 (`crore)
2000
2000
0
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Source: DGCI&S, Kolkata, 2017

http://aepcindia.com/apparel-magazine/february-2018
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THE
LUXE
EDGE
THE LAND OF THE MAHARAJAHS IS
RE-EMERGING AS A KEY DESTINATION
FOR GLOBAL AND HOMEGROWN LUXURY
FASHION BRANDS. WHILE THE MARKET
SHOWS IMMENSE PROSPECTS, SUCCESS
WILL REQUIRE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF
THE MINDSET OF THE 'NEW' CONSUMER.
All that Glitters

India in the Spotlight
A Seamless Pattern of Growth
16
ALL THAT
India Now Business and Economy n COVER STORY
GLITTERS
The luxury fashion industry in India is well poised for dynamic growth. While
international and domestic brands are eagerly tapping the potential in the domestic
market on one hand, Indian players are also beginning to make a mark on the global
stage on the other.
AMANDA D’SOUZA
Photo courtesy: Joyalukkas
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17
COVER STORY  India Now Business and Economy

ndia’s erstwhile royalty and its historic
I love affair for opulence has been captured

in interesting anecdotes throughout
history. For instance, around 20% of
CHANGE IN HOUSEHOLD WEALTH BY REGION
300,000
Total wealth 2017 (in US$ bn) Change in total wealth over 2016-17 (in %)
Rolls Royce sales were from India in the 1920s. The 6.4
Maharajah of Patiala asked Cartier to remodel his 250,000
280,289
crown jewels, including a 234.69 carat De Beers
diamond. Cartier developed a beautiful Patiala necklace 200,000
that weighed 962.25 carats and had 2,930 diamonds —
150,000 9.9
Cartier’s largest commission till date.* The wealth of the 6.4
last Nizam of Hyderabad was estimated at £100 million 0.7 101,005
100,000
in gold and silver and £400 million in jewels! 6.3 79,639
Present-day India is again capturing the world’s 0.9 55,052 9.2 3.9
50,000
29,000
imagination as a highly lucrative luxury market. This
2,499 4,987 8,107
time, however, the main plot is not driven by kings 0
or queens or the uber rich. The growth of the luxury Africa China India North
market is more broad-based, and is being led by an Asia- Europe Latin America World
Pacific America
increasingly prosperous and aspirational middle class.
The New Economic Policy, introduced by the
Indian Government in 1991, reduced the state’s COMPOSITION OF WEALTH PER ADULT IN INDIA
interference in the market, slashed government
spending and subsidies, abolished price controls, (in US$)
7,000
made public undertakings private, greatly reduced
6,000
tariffs, invited foreign investments, and regulated
the financial sector. All of these measures opened up 5,000
the economy to global interest and competition.1 4,000
Economic development in India after the landmark
3,000
economic liberalisation in 1991 has enabled major
transformations across the income pyramid. Post 1991 2,000
up to 2016, the per capita income in India rose from 1,000
R6,270 to R93,293.2 When you consider the bottom
of the pyramid, India lifted 133 million people from 0
poverty between 1994 and 2012 (World Bank). There -1000
has been a marked increase in the purchasing power Financial Real Debt Net worth
of the country’s ever-growing middle-class, a rapid
spread of urbanisation, a growing pervasiveness of all
kinds of media and a burgeoning youth population. WEALTH AND POPULATION BY REGION
The rise in per capita income has also led to the rise Share of total wealth Share of adult population (in %)
in purchasing power of its swelling middle class, a
phenomenon clearly evident through statistics on Africa
market trends. Take, for instance, rising car sales. In India
1991, the number of cars sold was just around 2 lakh.
In 2017, this figure had crossed the 3 million mark.3 Latin America
The sales of luxury cars hit record figures in 2017,
China
despite the initial adjustment issues pertaining to the
rollout of GST (Goods and Service Tax), registering a Asia-Pacific
growth of 17% since the previous year.4
Further, the number of affluent Indians has also Europe
risen tremendously. According to Hurun’s Global North America
Rich List 2018, India has the third largest share of
0 10 20 30 40
billionaires in the world, with a total of 131, after
China and the US.5 Source (for all graphs): https://www.livemint.com/Money/O2U4eJpykOUQcwswFI8lRL/India-home-to-
These are a few of the major factors that have helped 245000-millionaires-household-wealth-at-5-t.html
spur the recent interest in luxury market. Additionally,
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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18
Photo courtesy: @sabyasachiofficial

THE INDIAN MARKET IS
evidently ready and geared up
for positive growth in the luxury
segment. Though this segment
presently makes up only a small
portion of the overall market,
it has made rapid strides in
recent years.
Shoe designer the very large size of the market in India is also seen Though the various government regulations
Christian Louboutin as an attractive prospect for investors. Further, luxury (demonetisation, GST) that were introduced were
and fashion designer goods are viewed as aspirational purchases in the seen as having a negative short-term impact on the
Sabyasachi
Mukherjee worked
Indian scenario, driven by perceptions of status and luxury sector, these policies are expected to benefit the
together on a limited- prestige. Therefore, from the consumer behaviour market in the long run,10 by regulating the circulation
edition collection of viewpoint, demographic, psychographic, and economic of currency, stemming illegal financial activity, and
handbags and shoes factors are contributing immensely to the surge in the increasing purchasing power of middle-income group
for men and women country’s desire economy. members.11 The imposition of a single, uniform taxation
that included lavish
hand-embroidered
system across the country is also expected to help break
styles. THE INFLUENCE BEHIND AFFLUENCE down various barriers between the many Indian states,
One prominent segment that is witnessing the benefits making it easier to retail.12 More importantly, the
of this growth is the fashion industry. According to much-awaited allowance of 100% FDI in single brand
an ASSOCHAM report, the Indian luxury market retail has brought much joy to the consumers and
is expected to cross the US$ 30 billion mark by the investors in this sector, alike. This policy permits the
end of 2018.6 It suggests that one of the reasons for entrance of foreign brands in the country, independent
this projection is the increased visibility of high- of the restrictions of having to partner with a domestic
end international brands among the class of brand- manufacturer. The move is expected to bring many
conscious, aspirational youth populace. This target major players in the fashion sector to India.
group of young consumers is important since it is Overall, India’s apparel market is projected to
expected to form a large share of India, which is set grow to US$ 180 billion by 2025 (Axis Direct report),
to become the world’s youngest country by 2020.7 making it the fastest market at a CAGR of 11.8%. In
This is an important factor to consider since the youth early 2018, a report by BMI Research indicated that
or ‘millennials’ are seen as the new target audience India is emerging as a favourable destination for
globally for luxury brands, according to a report by fashion retailers due to its huge population of young
Bain & Company.8 adults and growth in the middle-income segment.
The ASSOCHAM report also states that the
increasing purchasing power of those in the higher THE CONSUMER TURNS CONNOISSEUR
economic bracket in tier 2 and tier 3 cities will be According to a Euromonitor report,13 the new consumer
a significant factor contributing to the expansion in developing countries like India comes from the rising
of the luxury market. Privatisation of airports is middle class, desiring upward socio-economic mobility.
another significant growth driver for luxury retail, This desire is fuelled by globalisation, a shrinking world
giving high-end brands a platform to directly reach that has increased exposure to international brands
their target consumers.9 and products. The Indian luxury consumer looks for
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SHADES OF INDIA ON GLOBAL STAGE Syndicale du Prêt à Porter des Couturiers in 2009. Arora
The textile sector is India’s second largest industry, and frequently collaborates with international luxury brands,
the country is renowned for its craftsmanship and design such as Reebok, Mercedes Benz, Swarovski Elements,
in apparel and textiles. And cashing in on a globalised MAC Cosmetics, and Swatch.
world, native fashion designers have been building Many celebrities from around the world have donned
upon their legacy and steadily making a mark in the dresses and jewellery by Indian designers at Cannes Film
international arena. Festival. These include actress Rachel McAdams who wore
Celebrity endorsements have been one way in which Victorian rose-cut diamond bracelets by Amrapali while
Indian designers have grabbed global attention—many attending the screening of Sleeping Beauty in 2011, French
international actors and models have sported apparel producer Melita Toscan du Plantier who wore an art deco-
designed by Indians. Gauri & Nainika is a favourite of inspired Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla creation in 2013, Chinese
American country singer Carrie Underwood. When the actress Bai Ling who appeared in a cocktail dress by Rohit
Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine Middleton, sported Gandhi and Rahul Khanna at the opening ceremony and
an Anita Dongre outfit, the international demand for her premiere of The Great Gatsby in 2013, and Israeli socialite
designs soared so high that her brand’s website crashed.1 Hofit Golangolden who sported a head-turning gown by
Dresses designed by Saloni Lodha have been donned by designer Gaurav Gupta in 2014.3
actress Emma Watson; Bibhu Mohapatra’s work shot to Other big Indian names on the international stage
limelight when Michelle Obama, wore an elegant yellow include Anamika Khanna, Rajesh Pratap Singh,
dress designed by him. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Ashish Soni, Raghavendra
Designers’ success on the international stage is often Rathore, Manish Malhotra, Wendell Rodricks, Anupamaa
gauged on the basis of their ability to make a splash on Dayal, Tarun Tahiliani, and Rohit Bal. All of them retail
the Parisian design canvas. As international fashion expert in several countries other than India and have a loyal
Stéphane Wargnier puts it, “The soil of fashion is in Paris.”2 foreign clientele.
By this measure, the most successful Indian designer is
Manish Arora, who was the only Indian to be mentioned References
as a designer of international repute in Didier Grumbach’s 1 https://www.hindustantimes.com/fashion-and-trends/did-kate-
middleton-s-anita-dongre-dress-crash-the-designer-s-website/story-
book History of International Fashion. He regularly j2sCSMdfAQHqjGvLsFaGZI.html
showcases his collections at the prestigious Paris Fashion 2 https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/NLBvdmtX4GinbprdURX30I/Who-is-
Week. Arora also enjoys critical acclaim from the greats an-international-designer.html
3 https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/cannes-fashion-7-times-foreign-stars-
of Paris, as was evident by his induction into the Chambre wore-indian-designers-1405187
LEADING DESTINATIONS FOR INDIAN READY-MADE GARMENTS (RMG) EXPORTS IN 2016-17
(in ` billion)
300
265.23
252.52
250
200
150
109.8
100
77.22
52.28
50
24.97 26.66
0
France Germany Italy Netherland United Arab United United
Emirates Kingdom States
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/624885/export-value-of-ready-made-garments-by-country-india/
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Photo courtesy: House of Anita Dongre

Anita Dongre’s
collection, exclusive products with high-quality craftsmanship,
featuring a THE TARGET AUDIENCE FOR LUXURY
with a brand image that aligns with their own need for
perfect blend of
self-expression and self-indulgence and allows them
fashion is not as niche as it was before. With
contemporary
and traditional, is to display their wealth. Fashion is one of the most the opening up of markets and the boom
a much-sought- overt symbols of upward mobility, and therefore of e-commerce, luxury brands are within
after brand the commands a relatively larger share of the overall global the reach of consumers across India, across
world over. economic classes.
luxury segment.
In India, luxury fashion calls to mind images
of sophistication, glamour, high fashion of models GLITZ AND GLAMOUR
and ramps, and apparel donned by celebrities on Another noteworthy trend in the fashion world is that
Page 3. The fashion statements of film stars often of increased market segmentation and season-specific
drive demand for designer clothing in India. High-end fashion. There is now a move towards increased
designers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee have capitalised specialisation of clothing—whether it is according to
on these associations, especially the link of luxury to occasion, season, changing styles, or even the time
royals and celebrities, positioning their brand in such a of the day. This means that newer niche markets are
way as to create an image of regal, luxurious glamour. emerging within the fashion world, and these newer
Through celebrity endorsements and carefully niches allow high-end luxury brands to further expand
curated storytelling, Brand Sabyasachi is now nearly and hone their offerings. This is true for the global as
synonymous with aspirational luxury fashion.14 well as the Indian market. Athleisure, for example,
The fascination with the famous and high visibility is one of the newest trends in the Indian apparel
of the many fashion weeks in India have also led to market.15 This kind of clothing is similar to active-wear
the popularity of several designers such as Manish or sportswear but is meant to be worn in situations
Malhotra, Ritu Kumar, Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal, Abu even other than those where fitness is the prerogative.
Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Satya Paul, and many others. Brands like Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL)
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COVER STORY n India Now Business and Economy

and Arvind Lifestyle are offering various interesting makes up a small portion of the overall market, it has
designs in these styles, encouraging consumers to wear made rapid strides in recent years and is expected to
such comfortable clothing even at the workplace. On only grow by leaps and bounds.
the international ramp, too, the tracksuit–a piece of The perception of the average Indian consumer
clothing formerly perceived as extremely casual, has as being one who is keen on value purchases has
now received the catwalk treatment from well-known also given rise to a sub-section of affordable luxury
luxury brands like Gucci, Chloe, and Bottega Veneta.16 within the larger market of luxury goods.19 Michael
This is just one of the examples of how the world of Kors, Calvin Klein, and Kate Spade are popular
fashion is keen to experiment with different styles and brand names in this segment, offering the option of
designs, opening up the market to different possibilities, luxury at accessible prices. This is presently a small
across segments. section of the luxury market; but given its rapid
The huge Indian wedding industry is another sub- growth (at the rate of 40% a year according to a
segment within this sector, which, valued at US$ Euromonitor report)20, it is expected to command a
50 billion, is one of the most expensive bridal wear larger share of this market in the near future. This
industries in the world.17 As with any other bridal segment of affordable luxury is seen as bridging
couple, the Indian consumer in this segment too, hopes the gap between the desire for prestige goods and
to don his/her best on their special day, and therefore, the constraints of a limited budget, which is a huge
apparel sales soar high in the luxury wedding fashion plus point for brands that cater to this niche in the
segment–not just for the couple, but even for the Indian scenario.
wedding guests. As with premium luxury goods, the consumer
Further, the target audience for luxury fashion is mindset behind purchases of affordable luxury is also
not as niche as it was before. With the opening up of a desire to flaunt the brand as a symbol of prosperity.
markets and the boom of e-commerce, luxury brands With the latest trend of ‘fast fashion’, the fear of
are within the reach of consumers across India, across sporting outdated trends is prompting consumers
economic classes. International fashion houses are to buy latest goods more, thereby driving a higher
customising their offerings to suit Indian needs, as seen demand for these products.21 Affordable luxury goods
in the case of Hermès—a French brand that launched allow consumers to buy more with the same financial
a line of sarees18 in a bid to warm up to the Indian resources, while still indulging the purchasers’ desire
customer, thereby demonstrating how important this to sport branded products as a status symbol.
market is to the brand. The luxury market in India is not a nascent concept.
India has had a long-standing affinity for gold, across
IF THE PRICE IS RIGHT religious and cultural lines. Pre-colonial India was
The Indian market is evidently ready and geared up for globally renowned as the land of riches. It seems like
strong growth in the luxury sector. Though it presently the luxury market is keen to repeat history.
References 11 https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/
*https://www.huffingtonpost.in/mahul-brahma/decoding-the- immediate-impact-of-demonetisation-negative-on-luxury-sector-
success-of-india-s-luxury-market_a_23041352/ report/58278251
1 https://qz.com/737196/after-25-years-of-liberalisation-indias-rich- 12 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/merc-india-
are-growing-richer-and-the-poor-poorer/ ceo-sees-indirect-impact-of-demonetisation-hitting-luxury-car-
2 https://www.firstpost.com/business/25-years-of-liberalisation-a- buying/article9402378.ece
glimpse-of-indias-growth-in-14-charts-2877654.html 13 http://www.euromonitor.com/affordable-luxury-in-emerging-and-
3 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/ developing-markets-and-the-impact/report
car-sales-grow-highest-in-4-years-to-cross-3m-in-2017/ 14 https://www.socialsamosa.com/2018/02/sabyasachi-mukherjee-
articleshow/62330862.cms marketing-strategy/
4 https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/auto/luxury-car-sales-grow- 15 https://www.livemint.com/Industry/
fastest-5-years--india/story/267578.html RH3PdSAPkUQynyoMoCvU2H/Apparel-companies-find-sweet-spot-
5 https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/india- in-athleisure-wear.html
third-highest-number-billionaires-world-hurun-global-rich-list/ 16 http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/chic-tracksuits
story/271746.html 17 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/big-fat-
6 https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/indias- indian-wedding-market-has-foreign-suitor-zankyou-lining-up/
luxury-market-to-cross-30-bn-by-year-end-assocham/63110966 article9622383.ece
7 http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/with-an-average-age- 18 https://www.forbes.com/sites/worldviews/2011/10/12/hermes-is-
of-29-india-will-be-the-worlds-youngest-country-by-2020/603435/ now-selling-saris-in-india-and-its-a-big-deal/#81707705f241
8 http://www.bain.de/Images/BAIN_REPORT_Global_Luxury_ 19 https://qz.com/1030728/indias-luxury-market-stands-apart-from-
Report_2017.pdf the-rest-of-the-world-because-its-actually-affordable/
9 https://www.scribd.com/document/88344722/Luxury-Marketing- 20 http://www.euromonitor.com/luxury-goods-in-india/report
in-India 21 https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/RfZ466ybvoEETXQKTIwoMN/
10 https://www.businesstoday.in/opinion/columns/unfolding-india- Old-habits-for-new-money.html
luxury-market-in-2018/story/271418.html
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INDIA IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
The impressive oeuvre of native designers, coupled with liberalisation
measures, has shaped the Indian luxury fashion segment in such
a way as to lend it a global appeal. Glyn Atwal, co-author of Luxury
Brands in China and India, co-editor of The Luxury Market in India:
Maharajas to Masses and Luxury Brands in Emerging Markets talks
to India Now Business and Economy about the country’s ‘desire
economy’, the brands that stand out, and growth opportunities in the
niche segment.
How has the luxury fashion market in India

evolved vis-à-vis China and Japan?
We have to be cautious about the definition of ‘luxury
fashion’. There are different levels of luxury and this is
certainly reflected in how the market in India has evolved. To
put this into perspective, there are only three Louis Vuitton
boutiques in India compared to over 40 in China and 50 in
Japan. On first reflection, this may imply that India is not
a luxury fashion destination. This is misleading. My advice
for any international executive is to browse through a Vogue
Glyn Atwal is Associate India and anyone will be taken aback by the breathtaking
Professor of Marketing profiles of Indian designers.
The game changer in India is, however, the emergence of
at Burgundy School of
a generation of young and aspirational consumers. This is
Business. His teaching, what sets India apart and will transform the luxury fashion
research, and consultancy market. In particular, affordable luxury brands such as
expertise focuses on Michael Kors are able to benefit from what I refer to as the
luxury marketing and ‘desire economy’.
India is certainly at a different stage of development but
strategy. Prior to academia,
looking forward, it has reached a tipping point. It is not
he worked for Saatchi & coincidental that India followed by China was ranked as the
Saatchi, Young & Rubicam, top retail destination in AT Kearney’s 2017 Global Retail
and Publicis. Development Index.
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Photo courtesy: Shantanu and Nikhil
The Cabinet recently approved 100% FDI Above: to develop the retail infrastructure. This is probably the
in single-brand retail via the automatic Modernity most significant impediment to growth within the luxury
steeped in
route. How will this impact domestic Indianness—
fashion sector.
players in the luxury fashion sector? that is what 100% FDI in multi-brand retail is the next logical step
The government has taken significant steps that lends a shade which will give the luxury sector the ability to develop
have made India one of the world’s most attractive of uniqueness cutting-edge and innovative retail formats. Lessons from
investment destinations. French President Emmanuel to the works of other international markets show that a truly liberalised
many an Indian
Macron’s recent four-day visit to India is testimony designer.
retail sector can unleash growth which will benefit the
that foreign investors are willing to seize this huge economy as a whole.
market opportunity.
100% FDI retail reforms are sending Could you talk about one niche luxury
out a clear message that the country is open Indian brand and its marketing strategy
for business. Investors need to invest in that stands apart from the rest?
confidence. There are of course challenges. Hidesign is a Pondicherry-based leather accessories
India’s Ease of Doing Business is currently brand. It is one of the few truly green luxury fashion
ranked 100 but this compares to 139 in brands. It embraced sustainability before it became a
2010 and further reforms will undoubtedly mainstream marketing phenomenon.
accelerate India’s global standing. Moreover, I admire its ‘slow luxury’ philosophy
Domestic players should not feel threatened which makes the brand stand out. One Atelier takes
by these market liberalisation reforms. In fact, 42 days handcrafting a single bag and 40 days to hand
this will translate into a win-win situation in colour bags ecologically. This is impressive and this is
the longer term. Yes, there will be greater what luxury should be about. In the era of ‘democratic
competition but foreign investment will help luxury’, I think many European and American luxury
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brands have neglected the value of craftsmanship as they obviously many others draw inspiration incorporating
reach out to a mass audience. Hidesign reminds us of the ancient Indian traditions into their designs.
essence of real luxury. Indian consumers can be allured by the logo of an
international brand but they also need to understand the
How do you view the performance of story behind it. Gucci’s Artisan Corner which featured a
the Indian luxury fashion industry on the custom-built workshop at the Gucci stores in New Delhi
global stage? and Mumbai was an effective brand-building initiative.
Many established Indian designers such as Manish Arora International luxury brands need to understand that it
enjoy prestige and a dedicated following on the global takes more than a logo to win over the Indian consumer.
stage. An interesting trend is the emergence of young
designers who are set to make a mark on the global Luxury brands are often seen integrating
fashion scene. The 2018 New York Fashion Week saw a Indian designs into their products. Has
number of Indian designers make an immediate impact. this found substantial takers in the
international market?
There are numerous examples of international brands
collaborating with Indian designers. ‘Suneet Varma
for Judith Leiber’ minaudières are retailed across the
world at the Judith Leiber boutiques. Christian
Photo courtesy: Golecha’s Jewels
Louboutin has collaborated with Sabyasachi

“LUXURY BRANDS
Mukherjee on a number of limited edition
will certainly need collections. More recently, an ultra-limited
to consider how to collection of shoes and bags was launched
reach out to exclusively at Harrods. Such collaborations
the aspirational showcase the very best of ‘Made in India’. The
middle-class Christian Louboutin x Sabyasachi collection
consumers was created using handcrafted saree fabric from
who are willing to the Sabyasachi archives. Consumers outside
trade up to purchase of India are starting to recognise that Indian
luxury brands.” designers can provide high quality, creativity,
and authentic luxury which is otherwise difficult
or even impossible to replicate. I am sure that we will see
more examples of such collaborations within the luxury
Intricate craftsmanship makes Indian jewellery a big draw.
fashion space.
However, it is not just about fashion. We are seeing Given the availability of skilled workforce
the rise of Indian brands ranging from beauty to in the country, should global luxury
hospitality. Notably, Indian jewellery brands which excel brands start considering making in India?
in jewellery traditions and craftsmanship are starting A Ralph Lauren sweater may have a ‘Made in China’
to gain a stronger following in international markets. label stitched inside but we still see RL as quintessential
Amrapali, for example, is showcased in Harrods and American. India is certainly renowned for being a big
Selfridges (London). The Duchess of Cambridge was textile outsourcing hub and there is no reason why
even spotted wearing Amrapali earrings when she visited affordable luxury brands cannot shift production to
India in 2016. India. Consistency in quality is however critical. The
prominent ‘Make in India’ campaign has certainly helped
What is the difference between Indian and to put India on the radar. In ten years’ time, we could be
foreign luxury brands? How do customer looking at a very different economic model.
expectations and awareness levels impact Yes, it is generally acknowledged that there is a skills
the product line and marketing strategies? gap across many sectors of fashion manufacturing in
Indian luxury has its very own signature. The Indian Europe. India can certainly help fill this gap. Designers
perception of luxury has strong influences stemming have, however, been hesitant to outsource production
from its royal patronage. Rooted in Indian culture is an to India, but there is [now] a change in perception.
appreciation of products that are precious, unique, and India is moving up the value chain for manufacturing
handcrafted. Indian designers such as Ritu Kumar and activities and if India can deliver and exceed ‘world-class’
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COVER STORY n India Now Business and Economy

standards, the luxury fashion sector will start
to see India through a very different lens.
A rise in purchasing power has

given a boost to the luxury
fashion sector in the country.
How do you envision the
competitive scenario in the
coming years?
Domestic and international luxury fashion
brands can both benefit from the rise of
India’s buoyant middle class. This is a
massive market opportunity. Indeed, the
rise of the female economy in urban India is
giving way to new growth segments.
Fashion brands, whether Indian, French,
or Italian, are competing against each
other to win over the luxury rupee. They
are also competing against other product
and service categories. Consumers do
need to make choices: do I buy a designer
bag or a gold necklace? However, as the
economy continues to expand, there is
still significant scope for growth within
the luxury fashion sector. Consumers are
increasingly embracing the idea of fashion as
a means of self-expression and are becoming
more experimental in their choices. Fashion
is reflecting more varied usage occasions
such as festivals, sport, business, travel, and
leisure. In the longer term, this will result in
new market growth opportunities for higher
end and niche luxury brands in India.
What has been the role of social

media in spreading awareness
about global luxury trends?
No matter where they are—restaurant, family
gathering, work, or just stuck in traffic—
Indians seem to be glued to their mobile
phones. According to an annual global
survey conducted by We Are Social, social
media users in India spend two hours and
26 minutes per day on social media which
compares to just one hour 22 minutes for
France. Although social media penetration
Photo courtesy: Tarun Tahiliani
Fashion events
still remains low, India enjoys one of the in India are as
fastest user growth rates in the world. opulent and
Social media is without doubt a must for all glamorous
as the major
luxury brands in all parts of the globe. India,
fashion
however, is a special case for three reasons. destinations
First, Bollywood. The desire for Indians across the
to access Bollywood entertainment provides world.
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Photo courtesy: Dinodia

Premier events such as the biannual Lakme Fashion Week have brought many Indian designers to the center stage.
luxury brands a platform to inspire millions of potential misconception that the luxury market is concentrated in
consumers. The pulling power of Bollywood celebrities the metropolitan cities.
on top of bloggers and other key opinion influencers Retail infrastructure, however, remains
should not be underestimated. According to De Beers, underdeveloped but consumers are able to access
66% of mainstream consumers in India are influenced brands thanks to e-commerce. Online fashion
by Bollywood celebrities. Second, information search. retailers such as Myntra and Jabong are enjoying
Indian consumers still lack information about brands and strong growth as a result of demand from lower
trends. Social media can facilitate this stage of discovery tier cities.
and experiences can be sought after from family and Luxury brands will certainly need to consider how to
friends. Finally, social validation. This is still very reach out to these aspirational middle-class consumers
important in India, given the social structures of Indian who are willing to trade up to purchase luxury brands.
society. Social media enables consumers to receive A number of international brands such as Swarovski
approval among their peers. have recognised the potential of developing a national
In short, luxury brands that develop a specific Indian market presence and have expanded its reach in India
social media strategy will be able to gain a competitive via franchise-based and multi-brand operations to India’s
advantage, and this can make a difference between smaller cities.
market success and failure. It is perhaps too soon to talk about the democracy
of luxury but we should not lose sight of market
Can luxury fashion retail find a sustainable opportunities beyond the luxury malls in Mumbai, New
future in the Indian rural market? Delhi, and Bengaluru. 
This is a very important point. Tier 2 and 3 cities
are growing fast in stature, and affluent consumers (As told to Ashutosh Gotad)
are growing in tandem with them. It is a certainly a
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Dr Sheetal Jain is Founder

and CEO, Luxe Analytics.
A SEAMLESS PA T T ER N OF GROW T H
The Indian luxury fashion market was valued at about US$ 18.5
billion at the end of 2016, and has the potential to cross the US$
100 billion mark over the next seven to eight years.*
Dr Sheetal Jain, Founder and CEO of Luxe Analytics, talks
about the country’s aspirational consumers and how they have
fashioned the luxury brand segment.
What are the factors that have propelled Which are the major products and brands
growth of the luxury fashion segment in that are exported from India?
India? The jewellery segment sees the highest exports from the
The Indian luxury market is steadily growing at a rate country. The fourth annual Global Powers of Luxury
of 25% per annum, and is expected to reach US$ 50 Goods report listed three Indian brands including Titan
billion by 2020 and US$ 180 billion by 2025. What has Company Limited, and PC Jewellers Limited among the
propelled this growth is mainly the Indian middle class top 50 luxury goods firms globally. The second major
who has the spending power to invest in affordable luxury segment is apparel, and the last is luxury automobiles.
[products], also called ‘bridge brands’. Factors such as When Tata acquired Ford Motor Company’s Jaguar
globalisation, increasing awareness, improving standards and Land Rover brands, the luxury automobile segment
of living, and accessibility have also contributed to witnessed a boost in export sales.
this. Brands like Michael Kors or Kate Spade provide
consumers with affordable luxury styles in India. It is Where does India stand among luxury
not connoisseurs but rather aspirational buyers from the fashion products exporting countries in
middle class who are buying these brands. In due course Asia?
of time, they will move up the ladder and start buying The luxury market in India is at a nascent stage, and it
big ticket-size products as well. That would drive sales in is too soon to comment on where it stands with respect
more expensive segments like apparel. to the export of Indian luxury brands. However, it has
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29
INDIA'S GDP PER CAPITA AT CURRENT PRICES (US$)

1,800.0
1,600.0
1,400.0
1,200.0 1,538.5
1,000.0 1,403.0
800.0
1,288.6
1,179.3
600.0
1,058.0
945.9
400.0
200.0
FY 12 FY 13 FY 14 FY 15 FY 16 FY 17
Source: https://www.ibef.org/industry/retail-india.aspx
been growing at a rapid pace for the past few years. In

the next five to ten years, we will see more homegrown
brands on international platforms and becoming
global disruptors.
What are the major export destinations

for luxury fashion?
The country’s major export destinations are London,
Paris, the UAE, and the US. These are also the countries
where most Indian fashion designers have set up stores,
owing to high demand. However, with the growth of
the Indian market, brands will slowly penetrate into
other countries.
Could you talk about the visibility of the

Indian apparel industry—in particular,
luxury fashion wear—on the global front?
India-born
The works of Indian designers like Manish Arora or
Hollywood actress
Sabyasachi Mukherjee (his recent collaboration with Freida Pinto wore
Louis Vuitton was a great hit) are visible in the global a glittery gown by
arena. Similar collaborations would be of great help and designer Sanchita
provide more visibility to our brands because we have Ajjampur at Cannes
Film Festival, 2013.
great craftsmanship and the way our products are made
adds value. For example, Anita Dongre has designed
for Kate Middleton and Sabyasachi for Oprah Winfrey; WHEN INDIAN BRANDS GO ABROAD THEY MUST
so there is a lot of visibility. Also, our designers have look at Western silhouettes and designs; it should be
participated in prestigious events such as Paris Fashion traditional, yet contemporary and modern to be accepted
Week and Milan Fashion Week. by the Western audience.
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India Now Business and Economy  COVER STORY
Photo courtesy: @sabyasachiofficial
THE KEY FORCES SHAPING THE GLOBAL
Photo courtesy: House of Anita Dongre

LUXURY MARKET
MILLENNIALS
TRAVEL
Above: The world took cognizance of the potential of designers
in India when the Duchess of Cambridge, during her visit to the
country in 2016, sported an Anita Dongre dress. WEALTH
Above right: The new-age collection by Christian Louboutin and

Sabyasachi Mukherjee uses saree fabrics and ribbons from DIGITAL
Mukherjee’s personal collection. THE FOUR KEY
ELEMENTS OF
What factors have given rise to ‘affordable LUXURY GROWTH
luxury’ in India? Source: https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/consumer-
Affordable luxury—bridge brands—is outpacing other business/articles/gx-cb-global-powers-of-luxury-goods.html
segments in luxury. According to a report by Euromonitor
International, it is estimated to be worth around US$ 200
million and growing at a rate of 40% per annum. The buy. They are young and as and when they move up the
reason, as I said earlier, is that Indian buyers are aspirational ladder, they will start buying more expensive products.
buyers. India has one of the youngest populations in the More than functionality/utility, it is a bespoke experience
world, and the standard of living is rising with increasing to own such brands.
per capita income. That is why affordable luxury brands Affordable luxury does not necessarily imply inferior
are witnessing an increase in demand. quality. For instance, for bags that cost `3 lakh and
The Indian luxury market is different from the above, the material used would be exclusive and they
European or Chinese luxury markets. Even the European would have been mostly handcrafted; and hence it would
markets are saturated, similar to China and Japan. But the take a long time to create a single piece. In an affordable
India market is nascent and that is why these affordable luxury bag brand, there will be some difference with
luxury brands are at a starting point. Burberry Brit has respect to the product and its finish. It may not be
come to India and can lure middle class consumers; they completely handmade and so the amount of labour and
will find high demand millennials who have the power to time involved is less, and the fabric could be different.
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31
LUXURY MARKET REVENUE ACROSS METROS AND NON-METROS

56% 17% 7% 20%
Metros Next top 11-20 Source: Kotak Wealth Management

6 cities cities Rest of India Report 2015
apps.aima.in/ejournal_new/
44% Non-metros
articlesPDF/Sheetal-Jain.pdf
FIGURE 3: POWERFUL FORCES DRIVE

Given that Indian fashion designers are THE DEMOCRATISATION OF LUXURY
gaining popularity in international circles,
could India become the next global Demand Drivers
disruptor in the segment?
Yes. Indian designers participate in international fashion
weeks. And India can [be a disruptor] but not in the near Household income,
future. It is still evolving, but may be in another 10 years, relative affluence Supply Factors
it can if [Indian] brands manage to create their own
identity. Indian brands have the potential to go global,
Mass communication,
but they have to take care and not compromise on quality; global connectivity,
otherwise, they will not be able to survive for long. One brand reach
has to live up to global standards and expectations. Family and work:
Working parents,
When global brands come to India, they adapt to breakdown of
Indian styles. Canali’s Nehru jackets are a case in point. traditional family, job
stress and insecurity
Similarly, when Indian brands go abroad they must
look at western silhouettes and designs; it should be
traditional, yet contemporary and modern to be accepted Technology: production
by the western audience. Another important factor is technology, analog to
digital, shorter life cycles
brand marketing.
Icons (such as
How is the luxury market as a whole Oprah Winfrey,
growing in India? Martha Stewart)
Apart from fashion, growth is rapid in luxury automobiles;
the footwear and watches segments are also doing
remarkably well. Among Indian luxury watches, the New channels,
retail specialisation
Swiss watch segment is doing well and growing. Demand
for automobiles—Audi, Mercedes, and BMW—is going up
every year.
Home and accessories, and handicrafts are also Lifestyle: Global travel,
tastes
registering growth. In the bags segment, homegrown
brands like Hidesign and Da Milano are doing well not
only in India but also abroad.  Entrepreneurs,
innovative attackers
Reference
* https://www.ibef.org/blogs/luxury-brands-set-to-change-dynamics-
of-india-s-retail-market
New Luxury: Emotional Need,
Category Transformation
Source: Boston Consulting Group (2002)
(As told to Melissa Fernandes) apps.aima.in/ejournal_new/articlesPDF/Sheetal-Jain.pdf
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32
Rajasthan–A State
India Now Business and Economy n STATE FOCUS
on the Rise
Rajasthan’s growth journey is a story built on progress and change bolstered by
initiatives focusing on infrastructure growth, modernisation, and education.
KANIKA PUNWANI SHARMA
t an incredible 342,239 sq km, Rajasthan history and culture, to a state that is associated with
A is India’s largest state. Its stunning forts

and palaces have earned it a steady tourist
inflow and an association with royalty
development, progress, and escalating infrastructure
growth. Its progress is visible in the form of increased
industrial development and investment, boost in
and luxury—its name literally translates to the ‘Land skilled labour reserves, increased education levels,
of Kings’. and a focus on modernisation. Consequently,
However, especially over the last few years, between 2011-12 and 2017-18, Rajasthan’s GSDP
Rajasthan has evolved beyond simply being a state of grew at a CAGR of 6.05% from US$ 86.06 billion to
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
The windmills at Barabagh, Jaisalmer are one of the many installations that make Rajasthan a leading state in wind energy generation.
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33
STATE FOCUS n India Now Business and Economy

FDI EQUITY INFLOWS, 2008-09 TO
2016-17 (US$ MILLION)
600
541
500
400
343
300
200
Photo courtesy: Wikicommons
165
132
100
96
51
2015-16 50
0
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
2016-17
2017-18
Source: Department Of Industrial Policy & Promotion
US$ 129.79 billion1, and in 2015, it made the 7th The India One
highest contribution to India’s GDP.2 Furthermore, in THE STATE GOVERNMENT HAS SIGNED thermal solar
2015, the Department of Industrial Policy Promotion 38 MOUs worth US$ 672.30 million power plant at Abu
Road, Rajasthan
(DIPP) ranked Rajasthan as 6th overall in terms of for promoting investment in the is a first of its kind
ease of doing business.3 agriculture sector. in the world using
Today, the state has come to symbolise what dish technology
Naveen Mahajan, MD of Rajasthan State Industrial in direct steam
Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO), scarcity, lack of diversification, and tough conditions for generation
mode. It has full
calls, “the old-new face of India in the 21st century.”4 farmers. For example, the state aims to replace flood thermal storage
irrigation with more efficient and modern, pressure for 16 hours
AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED SECTORS irrigation systems, and is committed to harnessing solar of continuous
Rajasthan sustains in the world’s cultural imagination energy; over 20,000 solar pumps have already been operations for
as a state of undulating sand dunes and arid deserts. installed in the state.8 Besides helping fight water scarcity, base load.
In actuality, it accounts for 14% of India’s cultivable these initiatives open up investment opportunities in
land, and in 2015, agriculture contributed to 24% of sprinkler and drip irrigation equipment, and solar and
its total GSDP—above the national average of 20%. alternative energy sources.9 In terms of diversification,
Its vast geography allows ten agro-climactic zones to investments in developing cotton as a cash crop have
flourish within the state, enabling ideal conditions for increased output from 200,000 bales in 2007-08 to
a diverse variety of crops.5,6 It is the country’s largest 900,000 bales in 2012-1310, and the figure is estimated
producer of rapeseed, bajra, and mustard, and the to reach 1.73 million bales in 2017-18.11
second largest producer of oilseeds and spices. The Furthermore, the state is investing in human capital
state also has a flourishing dairy industry and is the by helping farmers modernise, expand, and further
country’s second largest producer of milk. develop their skills. To achieve these goals, the state
Recognising agriculture’s importance to growth encourages the use of modern farm machinery and
and prosperity, the state government has undertaken organic and contract farming.12 Additionally, in the
several initiatives to ensure the industry remains state budget for 2017-18, an allocation of US$ 13.69
vibrant. Since 2014, the government has spent million was made for setting up five agricultural
US$ 1.49 billion on the agricultural sector and the universities.13 These universities, along with a variety
2018-19 state budget allocated an estimated US$ 692.59 of government schemes, aim to enable farmers
million for agricultural initiatives.7 These initiatives through learning sustainable management of natural
directly address challenges to the sector such as water resources along with uses of biotechnology and crop
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34
India Now Business and Economy  STATE FOCUS
diversification.14 In terms of farmer well-being, in Overall, the state government has signed 38 MOUs
November 2017, the Rajasthan government decided to worth US$ 672.30 million17 for promoting investment
reduce interest rates for farmers to 5.5% and provide in the agriculture sector.
interest-free loans up to `75,000 crore within the next Rajasthan’s agricultural sector acts as a useful
one-and-a-half year15, while simultaneously promoting model in understanding how the government has
the eNAM (electronic National Agriculture Market) brought about progress in other sectors because the
platform, which allows farmers to market products core strategy has remained consistent across—building
directly without middlemen. infrastructure that embraces modernisation and
These initiatives aim to double farmers’ incomes sustainability so as to create investment opportunities,
by 2022, while also creating investment opportunities with the final goal being an investment in the skills and
in areas such as agri-businesses, processing, and well-being of the state’s greatest resource: its people.
packaging. To help attract these opportunities, the
government launched the Global Rajasthan Agritech EXPANDING INFRASTRUCTURE
Meet (GRAM) in 2016 with the goal of bringing The first step in this process, one of creating
together farmers, academicians, technologists, agri- infrastructure to promote investment, has been
business companies, and policymakers. Its 2017 edition wholeheartedly embraced by the government in the
witnessed the signing of MoUs worth `406 crore.16 last decade as can be seen by projects that facilitate
• Minimum education & • To promote region-

work experience must wide economic
for politicians. balance.
• To provide more • To develop
freedom to efficient economic
bureaucrats. infrastructure.
• Fair & advanced • To promote SMEs
taxation system. and develop
• Self-disciplined special zones.
media. • To create network of
• To develop good
canals.
quality roads.
• To develop five
• Proper traffic Governance Economy international-level
management
research labs.
systems.
• To address soil fertility
• To develop & maintain
& reduce use of
special economic
Infrastructure Agriculture fertilisers.
and technological
infrastructure. VISION • To achieve leadership
• To develop
appropriate water
2022 in animal husbandry
& livestock
businesses.
policy.
Community Education
Human
• To develop a coherent development
social environment.
• Compulsory education
• To execute poverty up to 10th standard.
elimination plans.
• To promote privatisation.
• To increase interaction
• Poverty elimination • To support higher
within community.
& employment education & research.
opportunities for all. • To provide computer
• A comprehensive literacy.
Economic Inclusion
Policy to be developed.
• A well-defined healthcare
system.
• Utilise services &
expertise of NGOs.
Source: Confederation of Indian Industry
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35

RAJASTHAN'S GSDP AT CURRENT GSDP PER CAPITA OF RAJASTHAN AT
PRICES (IN US$ BILLION) CURRENT PRICES (IN US$)
CAGR: 6.05% CAGR: 4.61%

140 2,000
1,800
120
129.79
1,600
1,723
116.36
100
1,567
1,400
1,501
102.98
95.31
1,351
1,200
80
1,257
86.06
84.55
85.22
1,216
1,208
1,000
60 800
40 600
400
20 200
0 0
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18E
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18*
Source: Central Statistics Office, SSDP* - Rajasthan Economic Review 2016-17, Per Capita GSDPˆ - Calculated using GSDP in million US$/population in million
expanding the state’s connectivity. These include:

 New roads being constructed to link villages across UNDER THE RAJASTHAN SOLAR
the state under schemes such as the Missing Link Energy Policy 2014, the government
Project, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana plans to produce 25,000 MW of solar
(PMGSY), and Central Road Fund. A total of energy in the state.
4,262 km of black top roads were constructed in
Rajasthan as of December 2015.18 (SMS) grade limestone is supplied to various steel
 Annual investment of `1,960 crore for development plants in the country. Furthermore, Rajasthan has
of railway infrastructure in the last two years [2015, reserves of numerous precious and semi-precious
2016], which was further increased in the recent stones and is the largest manufacturer of cut and
budget [2017].19 polished diamonds in the country. The world's largest
 Consistent improvements to airport connectivity centre for gemstone cutting and polishing is located
and infrastructure. In 2017, Jaipur airport was in Jaipur.
awarded first place in the 2-5 million passenger Looking to develop industry in Rajasthan further,
category of Airport Service Quality by Airports RIICO spearheaded the development of 329 industrial
Council International.20 parks spread over more than 80,000 acres. Six SEZs
with an expected investment of `165.15 billion have
This growing connectivity has been key in bolstering been notified and will promote sectors such as IT/
Rajasthan’s thriving tourism industry, which accounts ITeS, textiles, medical tourism, and multi-services
for almost 15% of the state’s economy.21 Crucially, (which include R&D, education, and bio-technology).22
better connectivity encourages investors as it improves In collaboration with the governments of Japan and
the ease of doing business. South Korea, Japanese and Korean investment zones
Besides improving connectivity, RIICO has also have been established. Japanese Zone-1 has already
channelled resources into infrastructure for industry. attracted an investment of `42 billion and employs
Some of the key industries currently present in more than 9,000 people.23 These projects add to the
Rajasthan include automobiles, handicrafts, steel and healthy FDI inflows into the state, which amounted to
ceramics. Rajasthan also has a large mining industry US$ 1.576 billion between 2000 and 2017; the majority
and is rich in mineral resources. The state’s abundance of these investments have been in the electricity and
of limestone accounts for it being the country’s largest manufacturing sectors.24
producer of cement. Rajasthan has 24 major cement Besides FDI inflows, the government is also looking
plants, having a total capacity of 55 million tonnes to increase Rajasthan’s exports basket as was apparent
per annum (MTPA). Additionally, Steel-Melting-Shop when, in 2017, it announced plans to set up an
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36
India Now Business and Economy n STATE FOCUS
Export Promotion Council. State Industries Minister by 2019, is currently touted as ‘the largest solar park
Mr Rajpal Singh Shekhawat said, “The overarching in the world’. Speaking about the park, BK Dosi,
objective of the Export Promotion Policy is to double MD, Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Ltd,
the shipments from `36,000 crore in 2015-16 to said, “Rajasthan is on course to triple its solar power
`72,000 crore by 2022.” The strategies to achieve this generation capacity in next two years to 7,000 MW
growth, as outlined by Shekhawat, are similar to the from 2,246 MW at present. A major contributor will
broader strategies the state has followed for overall be world’s largest solar park at Bhadla, which will have
industrial growth, focusing on diversification, skills a total capacity of 2,255 MW.”28 Ultimately, under the
development, and technology adoption.25 Rajasthan Solar Energy Policy 2014, the government
These projects are an encouraging indication plans to produce 25,000 MW of solar energy in the
of the state’s vision of growing beyond agricultural state.29 Overall, the state's total installed power capacity
dependency and embracing a diversity of industry, (from all sources) has more than tripled over the last
and have already shown measurable success. Between decade, increasing from 6,426.20 MW in 2008-09 to
2011-12 and 2017-18, the industrial sector grew at a 20,954.54 MW in 2017-18.30
CAGR of 8.15%, the second fastest growth after the This sustainability extends beyond natural resources
services sector.26 to sustaining a hassle-free business environment
through the use of technology and online processes.
EMBRACING MODERNISATION AND For example:
SUSTAINABILITY  Rajasthan was one of the first states to implement
The state has embraced modernisation and the filing of ‘Udyog Adhar’, an online registration
sustainability not only in its agricultural practices but system for MSMEs
also across the board, thus opening itself to progress,  Since 2011, Rajasthan has implemented the
Marble mining innovation, and new avenues for investment. Single Window Clearance System (SWCS), which
and production is It’s focus on environmental conservation and facilitates online applications and approvals
a thriving industry
renewable resources has been the cornerstone of for businesses through a single ID. It is the only
in Rajasthan. The
Makrana variety, its sustainability initiatives; 25% of its total power is Indian state to have an act on SWCS—Rajasthan
one of the best- generated from renewable energy sources. Over the last Enterprises Single Window Enabling and Clearance
quality marbles five years, the state’s installed power capacity grew at a Act, 201131
in the world, has CAGR of 14%, while renewable capacity grew at 23%.  In 2005, the state designed its own e-governance
been used in the
It is presently a near-zero power deficit state, ensuring initiative called eMitra; it comprises a system of
construction of
monuments such uninterrupted supply to industrial consumers.27 The kiosks at various locations that allow investors to
as the Taj Mahal. Bhadla solar park, expected to be fully commissioned make online applications and payments directly
without having to physically visit government
offices32
These initiatives were key in earning the state
recognition as an ‘aspiring leader’ in business
reforms. Besides being sixth in terms of ease of doing
business, Rajasthan was ranked third in complying
with environmental procedures; fourth in allotment
of land and obtaining construction permits; and fifth
in setting up a business and carrying out inspections.
Furthermore, a 2015 Ernst & Young survey ranked
Jaipur second among emerging investment destinations
in India.33
Besides these awards and rankings, the success of
these initiatives can be witnessed through testimonials
from businesses that have leveraged these policies
Photo courtesy: Dinodia
(as per a November 2015 report published by the

Bureau of Investment Promotion, Rajasthan). Martin
Kriegner, Country CEO, Lafarge India, said “Lafarge
is very satisfied with the investment climate in the
State of Rajasthan. We also used the Single Window
Clearance System…which helped us a lot for the
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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37

References
IN 2015, THE GOVERNMENT 1 IBEF report
2 http://statisticstimes.com/economy/gdp-of-indian-states.php
implemented a Rajasthan Startup Policy with 3 Rajasthan the Land of Promise. Report published by the
the aim to establish 50 incubators, support Government of Rajasthan. URL: https://www.indianembassy.ru/
500 innovative startups and mobilise US$ downloads/economic/Rajasthan_is_Ready.pdf
4 http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/rajasthan-
77.77 million of angel and venture capital. emerging-as-india-s-premier-industrial-hub-113082600950_1.html
5 Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet. URL: http://www.gramrajasthan.
in/udaipur/rajasthan_at_a_glance
6 Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet. URL: http://www.gramrajasthan.
efficient implantation of the project.” Kiran Mazumdar in/udaipur/advantage_rajasthan
Shaw, Chairman and MD of Biocon, said, “Rajasthan is 7 IBEF report
really poised in an enviable way in projecting itself as a 8 Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet. URL: http://www.gramrajasthan.
in/udaipur/investment_opportunities_in_agriculture
State which is serious about Ease of Doing Business as 9 Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet. URL: http://www.gramrajasthan.
well as ensuring a good share of return on investment in/udaipur/investment_opportunities_in_agriculture
to the investors.” Praising the government, Ajay S 10http://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/cotton-yield-
improves-significantly-in-rajasthan-114061200488_1.html
Shriram, Senior MD, DCM Shriram Ltd, added, “The 11 IBEF report
first thing we felt is the proactiveness and openness of 12 Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet. URL: http://www.gramrajasthan.
the government...they are genuinely looking forward in/udaipur/investment_opportunities_in_agriculture
13 IBEF report
to help investors...their orientation towards the 14 GOI: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
labour front is very practical which is sort of a very URL: http://mospi.nic.in/sites/default/files/cocsso/24cocsso_ag4_
progressive outlook.”34 Rajasthan.pdf
15 http://www.uniindia.com/rajasthan-will-provide-interest-free-
loans-to-farmers-upto-rs-75-000-cr/states/news/1039995.html
SKILLED LABOUR ADVANTAGE 16 http://www.uniindia.com/rajasthan-signs-17-investment-mous-
Finally, just as the state has focused on equipping worth-rs-406-cr-at-gram-udaipur/states/news/1041095.html
17 IBEF report
its agricultural workers with education and evolving 18 IBEF report
skillsets, it is implementing a more holistic approach 19 http://indianexpress.com/article/india/centre-focusing-on-railway-
to developing skilled labour. Rajasthan has always facilities-development-in-rajasthan-suresh-prabhu-4713772/
20 IBEF report
been a good resource pool for manpower as it houses 21 http://www.rajras.in/index.php/rajasthan-tourism-contribution-
renowned educational institutes such as IIT, Jodhpur, economy-new-initiatives-state-government/
IIM, Udaipur, and Birla Institute of Technology 22 http://www.indiainvestmentguides.com/guidance/state/rajasthan/
investmentopportunities##_ftn46
and Science (BITS), Pilani. Recently, the state indicated 23 Rajasthan the Land of Promise. Report published by the
its resolve to further strengthen its labour force by Government of Rajasthan. URL: https://www.indianembassy.ru/
establishing 300 new skill development centres. downloads/economic/Rajasthan_is_Ready.pdf
24 IBEF report.
Furthermore, in 2015, the government implemented 25 Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/
a Rajasthan Startup Policy with the aim to establish rajasthan-aims-to-double-exports-to-rs-72000-crore-by-2022/
50 incubators, support 500 innovative startups and articleshow/57276163.cms
26 IBEF report.
mobilise US$ 77.77 million of angel and venture capital, 27 Rajasthan the Land of Promise. Report published by the
and develop an innovation culture in the state.35 Government of Rajasthan. URL: https://www.indianembassy.ru/
The state’s education initiatives, announced during downloads/economic/Rajasthan_is_Ready.pdf
28 https://www.hindustantimes.com/jaipur/bhadla-to-fuel-
the State Budget 2018-19, envelop more grassroots rajasthan-s-plan-to-triple-solar-power-generation/story-
level efforts as well, including:36 4g4S6V8JPueFI89ksjTcMJ.html
 A total allocation of US$ 5.13 billion for general 29 Rajasthan the Land of Promise. Report published by the
Government of Rajasthan. URL: https://www.indianembassy.ru/
education downloads/economic/Rajasthan_is_Ready.pdf
 Recruitment of nearly 77,100 teaching staff for 30 IBEF report.
remote and rural areas 31 http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/rajasthan-
emerging-as-india-s-premier-industrial-hub-113082600950_1.html
 Provision of free Wi-Fi facility in government colleges 32 Rajasthan the Land of Promise. Report published by the
The state’s top-to-bottom investment in education downloads/economic/Rajasthan_is_Ready.pdf
33 Rajasthan the Land of Promise. Report published by the
is indicative of its broader approach to modernisation Government of Rajasthan. URL: https://www.indianembassy.ru/
and infrastructure—an approach characterised by downloads/economic/Rajasthan_is_Ready.pdf
across-the-board improvements for all, from big 34 Rajasthan the Land of Promise. Report published by the
corporations to the individual farmer, and one that downloads/economic/Rajasthan_is_Ready.pdf
ensures the state’s continued progress and a bright 35 IBEF report
future outlook.  36 IBEF report
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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38
India Now Business and Economy n DEEP DIVE
Wings of Success
As one of its fastest growing industries, Indian aviation is gliding
through airwaves determinedly to earn the country a spot among the
top three aviation markets by 2025.
NALINI RAMACHANDRAN
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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39
ndia’s civil aviation market, the ninth-
DEEP DIVE n India Now Business and Economy

largest in the world at present, grew at a
rate of 15.5% in the past three years when
the global market recorded a growth of
only 5.7% (as of September 2017).1 The increasing
demand for connectivity, the country’s open sky
policy, low-cost carriers, better infrastructure, modern
technology, and growing FDI have enabled the industry
to take off at full speed such that it rises to the third
place by 2025.
FLYING HIGH
The National Civil Aviation Policy of June 2016 has a
significant role to play in helping the sector achieve this
goal—it aims to build an integrated aviation ecosystem,
facilitate business, boost regional access and thereby
tourism, construct greenfield airports, and focus on
aviation education and skill training as well as generate
employment. Well connected with 55 countries
via nearly 300 routes2, India, as of March 2018, has a
fleet of around 550 planes—the projection is that this
number will grow to become 2,100 aircraft in the next
two decades.3
Fleet expansion plans are primarily a result of rising
passenger traffic. The International Air Transport
Association (IATA), which represents 280 airlines in
the world and constitutes 83% of the overall air traffic4,
estimates that global passenger count would touch 7.8
billion by 2036, while that of India is set to reach 478
million by then.5 The Directorate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA),
states that domestic airlines saw 222.09 lakh Indians
travel by air in January-February 2018 as compared
to 182.34 lakh travellers in January-February 2017,
indicating a growth rate of 21.80%.6
Airbus Industries, a pioneer in the manufacture
of aircraft, has projected that in the next decade, the
company would provide one new flight every week
to India. Increasing demand has led to the company
partly outsourcing the manufacturing of planes to
Indian companies, a move that has not just translated
into the creation of 6,000 jobs in this country7, but has
also helped take forward the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
In addition to expanding their fleet, airlines
are focussing on providing fliers with distinctive
THE COUNTRY TARGETS TO HAVE

250 functional airports by 2020. In the
meantime, the government is also planning
to construct 17 highways-cum-airstrips, i.e.,
highways where road traffic will halt every
time a flight needs to take off or land.
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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40
PASSENGER GROWTH
PASSENGER GROWTHCHART
CHART
India Now Business and Economy n DEEP DIVE
Growth: YoY (January-March) = 23.87%

MoM (March) = + 28.03 %
2017 Pax carried

(in lakhs)
2018 Pax carried

337.90 (in lakhs)
272.79
115.80
90.45
Source: http://dgca.nic.in/
reports/Traffic-ind.htm
YoY MoM
PASSENGER LOAD FACTOR

120.0
100.0
96.3
Pax Load Factor (%)
91.8
91.2
90.4
89.7
90.0
87
88.7
90.4
89.7
95
90.3
88.0
80.0
84.7
84.6
83.7
80.2
84.2
77.0
77
68.0
60.0
50.3
40.0
29.3
20.0
0.0
0.0
Air Jet JetLite SpiceJet Go Air Indigo Air Asia Vistara Trujet Zoom Air Air
India Airways Air Deccan Odisha
Jan-18 Feb-18
Source: http://dgca.nic.in/reports/Traffic-ind.htm
experiences—in a bid to become travellers’ first Government of India has announced Ude Desh ka
choice. For example, Jet Airways recently introduced Aam Nagrik (UDAN), a regional connectivity scheme
a select beverage range: apart from Sky Chai, some (RCS) that aims to cater to the common man. The first
international Jet flights will now serve a new array of two phases will see the construction of 31 helipads and
champagnes and authentic filter coffee. On the other 56 airports in underserved/unserved locations across
hand, affordability, which was a major concern for the the country8—around 325 routes9 have been identified
country’s middle-class population that preferred air for this purpose—the Northeast being one such region.
travel, is now being overcome—even as income brackets Following a hub-and-spoke structure, the Airports
widen, low-cost carriers such as SpiceJet, IndiGo, Go Authority of India (AAI) wants to develop Guwahati as
Air, and the like are making travel easy for the people. regional hub and Agartala, Imphal, and Dibrugarh as
inter-regional spokes.10
PLANNING GROUNDWORK The country targets to have 250 functional airports
Low-cost airlines have contributed immensely to the by 2020.11 In the meantime, the government is also
sector’s growth, and this can be evaluated through planning to construct 17 highways-cum-airstrips12, i.e.,
the booming domestic passenger traffic statistics. The highways where road traffic will halt every time a flight
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41

FREIGHT TRAFFIC (MILLION TONNES)
3.00
2.50
2.68
2.7
2.53
2.35
2.28
2.28
2.00
2.19
1.96
1.50
1.70
1.72
1.55
1.40
1.00
0.50
0.00
FY06
FY07
FY08
FY09
FY12
FY13
FY15
FY16
FY17
FY14
FY10
FY11
Note: FY - Indian Financial Year (April - March) Source: Airports Authority of India
needs to take off or land. Saras Mk2, the indigenously

developed 19-seater civil aircraft by the National THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) under the aegis of the (MoCA), in association with the AAI,
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has launched India’s first multi-skill
might meet the requirements of UDAN-RCS. The development centre in Chandigarh to
plane should be inducted into the Indian Air Force by create a workforce for the aviation and
2022 and thereafter be made available for civil aviation aerospace industries.
purposes.13
Another focus area of UDAN-RCS is the air cargo
market, which can play an especially crucial role in (as on December 31, 2017), is playing an active role
boosting the country’s agro trade. Speaking of this in employment generation. Not only has the airline
sector’s potential, Minister of Commerce & Industry won 20 routes under the UDAN scheme, but it has
and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu was quoted saying, also completed seaplane trials in Vijayawada and
“(Around) 30-40% of fruits and vegetables perish Mumbai successfully. To prepare a workforce for its
every year before they reach the market.”14 Better new initiatives, SpiceJet now plans to set up its own
air connectivity will facilitate the transportation of training institute.17
agricultural goods and help avoid such loss. Nearly Aviation Benefits 201718, a report by International
30% of the total import-export trade is transported Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), states, “By
through air; by 2032, India’s cargo volume is expected 2034, it is forecasted that the impact of air transport
to cross 11.4 million tonnes.15 and the tourism it facilitates in Asia and Pacific will
So important is UDAN-RCS to the aviation sector have grown to support 44.3 million jobs (54% more
that it has been allocated `1,014.09 crore under the than in 2014) and a US$ 1.7 trillion contribution to
2018–2019 Union Budget, as opposed to `200.11 crore GDP (a 171% increase).” Foreseeing the share that
last year.16 Moreover, to aid the process of creating India will constitute in this pie, the Ministry of Civil
best-in-class aviation infrastructure, 100% FDI has Aviation (MoCA), in association with the AAI, has
been permitted in greenfield projects, non-scheduled launched India’s first multi-skill development centre in
air transport services, helicopters and seaplanes, Chandigarh to create a workforce for the aviation and
maintenance and repair organisations, and flying/ aerospace industries.
technical training institutes under the automatic route.
Skill development and employment generation FUELLING THE FUTURE
are vital to both the growth of the sector and the Adoption of technology will play a key role in how the
country’s economy. SpiceJet, which has registered aviation industry will evolve in India. Keeping this in
profits for the past 12 consecutive financial quarters mind, the government has instituted Digi Yatra, an
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India Now Business and Economy  DEEP DIVE
TOWARDS NEW HORIZONS

Availability of frequencies, an increase in international passenger traffic, and the vision to own
a larger share in the global aviation market seem to be pushing Indian aviation companies to fly
over international skies. In 2016, Air India, Air India Express, Jet Airways, IndiGo, and SpiceJet
carried 1.9 crore, i.e., 36% of the total international passenger traffic of 5.3 crore to and from
India. In 2017, the statistic rose by 2.6% to 38.6% with Indian aircraft accounting for 2.3 crore of
the total international passenger traffic of 5.9 crore.1
A major contributor to this rise has been IndiGo Airlines—15% of its capacity caters to the
international circuit at present,2 and it hopes to up the percentage through the introduction
of long-haul flights. The company has already begun recruiting foreign experts for network
planning and revenue management.
While Jet Airways began nonstop flights in October 2017 from Bengaluru and Chennai to
Amsterdam and Paris, and from New Delhi to Riyadh,3 Vistara Airlines—one of the newer
entrants on the Indian runway—plans to make way especially into the Gulf and Southeast Asian
regions by the second half of this year.4 The growing network is likely to make 2018 another
turning point in the sector’s growth.
References
1 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indian-carriers-share-in-international-traffic-up-by-2-6/articleshow/63007159.cms
2 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/aditya-ghoshs-exit-not-linked-to-expats-at-indigo-ceo-
rahul-bhatia/articleshow/63993678.cms
3 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/jet-airways-expands-international-network-with-new-routes-more-
frequencies/articleshow/61007704.cms
4 https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/aviation/vistara-plans-start-international-operations-soon-bagged-20th-aircraft/story/274112.html
ANNUAL COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF TRAFFIC

On total scheduled (international+domestic) services of all scheduled
Indian airlines for the last three years
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43
initiative that aims to make the boarding experience in 2012, has announced the launch of its new fully-

paperless by using biometrics instead. Passengers’ integrated metal additive manufacturing unit in
biometric information (Aadhaar) would be linked to Bengaluru—touted to be the country’s largest—which
the database of airline companies, so that they can will cater to industries such as automation, defence,
not only complete an online check-in, but also clear healthcare, space, and aviation.
security checks in lesser time and securely make their Aerospace 3D Printing Market by Vertical (Materials,
way into their respective aircraft. For now, the AAI Printers) Industry (Aircraft, UAV, Spacecraft) Printers
has chosen the Varanasi and Vijayawada airports for Technology (SLA, SLS, DMLS, FDM, Clip) Materials
a pilot project. Application (Engine, Structural, & Space Components)
As India goes digital, the industry still needs to be and Region – Global Forecast to 2022,23 an April 2017
mindful of the price of a natural resource that drives report by MarketsandMarkets Research Private Ltd.,
its growth—aviation turbine fuel. Given this context, states, “The aerospace 3D printing market is projected
to make air travel affordable under the regional to grow from US$ 714.5 million in 2017 to US$ 3,057.9
connectivity scheme, the National Civil Aviation Policy million by 2022, at a CAGR of 27.42% during the
has planned to cap the per-passenger fare at `2,500 forecast period, 2017 to 2022.” These figures indicate
for states that bring down the VAT on aviation fuel.19 that 3D printing is gearing up to complement the
Telangana, which holds India’s first public aerospace traditional manufacturing market in a big way.
and precision engineering SEZ, recently cut down VAT The future of air travel offers much scope
on aviation fuel from 16% to 1%—a direct 15% drop.20 for growth—be it in terms of manufacturing and
On the other hand, the global aviation industry is engineering, business connectivity and tourism, or
becoming more and more conscious of carbon footprints rise in employment statistics and economic growth.
and environmental impact; airlines have begun using With positive plans and effective policies in place and
biofuels to reduce emissions. India, which is working international interest lining up the horizon, for India’s
on producing feedstock for second-generation ethanol, aviation industry, the sky is indeed the limit. 
hopes to set up biofuel refineries soon.
The country is also getting ready to become a
manufacturing centre for the global industry. Morgan
Stanley estimates that India’s aviation sector will
receive investment to the tune of US$ 25 billion in
References
the next decade.21 Godrej & Boyce’s aviation and 1 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/india-clocks-strong-
space flight arm, Godrej Aerospace, has partnered domestic-aviation-market-growth-in-sept/article9941700.ece
2 http://www.makeinindia.com/sector/aviation (Check ‘Statistics’ section on this
with Rolls-Royce to set up a ‘centre of excellence’ to page)
3 https://www.ibef.org/industry/indian-aviation.aspx
promote the manufacture of aviation- and aerospace- 4 http://www.iata.org/about/Pages/index.aspx
related components. Having won this contract worth 5 https://www.livemint.com/Companies/Br6lxw8HLhnWqI3C1g5LVJ/India-seen-
becoming-third-largest-aviation-market-by-2025.html
R200 crore, Godrej Aerospace will produce and 6 http://dgca.nic.in/reports/Traffic-ind.htm
supply “as many as 600 different parts to the various 7http://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/india-will-need-1-750-new-aircraft-over-20-
years-to-meet-demand-says-airbus-1.2185119
Rolls-Royce civil aerospace engine portfolio”.22 8 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/
udan-set-to-connect-100-regional-airports-soon/articleshow/63459319.cms
PRINTING PLANES 9 https://www.ibef.org/industry/indian-aviation.aspx

10 http://www.makeinindia.com/sector/aviation (Check ‘Investment Opportunities’
The 3D printing technology has introduced the market section on this page)
11 http://www.makeinindia.com/sector/aviation
of metal additive manufacturing, and companies that 12 https://www.ibef.org/industry/indian-aviation.aspx
want to enter this relatively new market are familiarising 13 https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-edit-page/saras-is-about-to-connect-
india-on-its-own-wings-linking-smaller-towns-for-an-aviation-market-set-to-boom/
themselves with the opportunities and advantages that 14 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/passenger-amenities-cargo-handling-
3D printing offers. To understand the scope of 3D focus-areas-suresh-prabhu/articleshow/63272603.cms
15 https://www.ibef.org/industry/indian-aviation.aspx
printing fully, Sastra University in Tamil Nadu recently 16 https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/budget-2018-jaitley-
gives-a-thrust-to-udan-scheme-five-fold-increase-in-allocation-2497447.html
inaugurated Foundation for Innovation and Research 17 https://www.finchannel.com/tourism-and-travel/71422-spicejet-registers-12th-
at Sastra: Technology Business Incubator (FIRST). consecutive-profitable-quarter
18 https://www.icao.int/sustainability/Documents/AVIATION-BENEFITS-2017-web.pdf
Bengaluru-based Intech DMLS Pvt. Ltd. has been 19 http://www.makeinindia.com/documents/10281/114126/Aviation+Sector+-
printing 3D precision parts for the aviation/aerospace +Achievement+Report.pdf
20 https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/telangana-slashes-vat-on-aviation-
industry, with a focus on R&D and prototyping, fuel-by-15/story-Jjn6Pmx9PFKYoCawCFWH9J.html
functional design and engineering, and fuel efficiency. 21 https://www.ibef.org/industry/indian-aviation.aspx
22 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/
Meanwhile, larger business houses have also been godrej-aerospace-expands-tie-up-with-rolls-royce-wins-rs-200-crore-contract/
investing in additive manufacturing. Wipro3D, the articleshow/63396487.cms
23 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/aerospace-3d-printing-
3D printing business of Wipro that was established market-7890041.html
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India Now Business and Economy  INDIA MADE
A Fine Blend
Creating a niche in an unorganised sector as that of packaged batter is an uphill
task. But iD Fresh Food has accomplished this with relative ease and even gone
a step ahead. They have revolutionised the concept of fresh, preservative-free
food in India and found place in homes abroad too. Co-founder P C Musthafa talks
about the processes and systems the company has put in place to help them
serve one million idlis a day.
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INDIA MADE n India Now Business and Economy

“RIGHT PACKAGING AND BRANDING,
and of course the right product are
important for all businesses, more so in the
food category.”
and-Fry Vada Batter, or larger-than-life campaigns like

iD Trust Shop, wherein unmanned chillers stacked
with iD products were installed—one could pick
any and pay on their own. iD’s DNA is made of the
following: product, people, branding and packaging,
technology, and distribution.
We have a company-owned distribution and follow
a zero-inventory model. We apportion the budgets
across the marketing mix—public relations, below the
line, above the line, and digital marketing—to ensure
brand visibility and ROI. Our positioning is 100%
natural fresh food, and we have adopted a 360-degree
approach to market and our offerings.
How do you build a culture of innovation in

your company?
Employees are motivated at every level and are well
rewarded. We use the most basic ingredient, ‘common
sense’, for our innovations. iD is known for innovative
products and packaging as well as unique and
disruptive campaigns. Innovation is the only way to
stay ahead of competition.
Right packaging and branding, and of course the
right product are important for all businesses, more
so in the food category. It took us long to perfect the
design of the boat packaging, which we have patented.
We also engaged in branding exercises to shape the
brand ethos and essence.
Role of technology in your operations...

We use technology to a great extent in our business
and operations. We have a sales force automation
platform wherein daily tracking is done across 15
cities and 18,000 plus stores. We also have a business
intelligence tool and analytics solution that helps us
track sales and provides real-time data and predictive
ordering systems. This helps us forecast the throughput
per store and also minimise market returns.
iD Fresh Food’s products have emerged How much have you leveraged social media?
as a significant competitor for national We use digital media to a large extent to connect to
and multinational FMCG brands. What has our target group. This platform gives us an opportunity
been your strategy to capture and sustain to narrow cast and craft communication aimed at
market share? a specific set of consumers. Digital has played an
iD has always been known for its disruptive marketing important role in terms of brand awareness. Unlike
strategies—be it product innovations like iD-Squeeze- traditional media, which are mostly one-way channels,
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India Now Business and Economy n INDIA MADE
Photos courtesy: iD Fresh Food

“QUALITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR
strong point, and we ensure that we
abide by our brand philosophy of offering
fresh, chemical-free, natural food to
our consumers.”
As of now, our batter has a shelf life of seven days

in refrigeration. But this would be a challenge when
we enter markets such as the US. We are trying to
work around this.
How would you trace your growth graph?

We will be closing the fiscal year 2017-18 at `210
Above: iD's
ready-to-cook digital media ensures two-way communication; also, it crore and aiming at `300 plus crore for the next
products are is almost immediate and measurable. fiscal.
found in India as iD has been digital heavy in the last few months. At present, the UAE accounts for 25% of our
well as the UAE. We are trying to understand what works best with our revenue. Our products are available in Dubai,
target group by experimenting with varied content Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm al-
Below: iD
collaborated and videos. Quwain, and Ras al-Khaimah. We plan to expand
with local stores to Oman and Saudi too in future. We do not follow
to advertise How do you ensure quality across the a one-size-fits-all approach. For instance, to cater
the brand and spectrum of your offerings? to the UAE market, we have a different range of
also installed iD
Quality has always been our strong point, and we products like idiyappam, kulcha, and naan, which
Trust Shops—
unmanned ensure that we abide by our brand philosophy of are not available in the India market. We will be
chillers—across offering fresh, chemical-free, natural food to our launching batter too in the UAE market in the next
Bengaluru. consumers. Superior-quality ingredients are used two months.
and good manufacturing practices followed across We are planning to set up a world-class plant by
our production plants. Every batch is checked before the end of the year, and add more products to our
it goes to market, and the CEO himself handles portfolio which will help a homemaker and be her
complaints, if any. These have ensured that we are a professional kitchen assistant. Geographies such as
stickier brand compared to many big FMCG brands. the US and the UK are also part of our expansion. 
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India Now Business and Economy n STARTUP
Dynamic
Disruptor
In a fast-moving world, digital transformation is fundamentally changing the way
we live and work and emerging trends are shaping the way organisations operate.
Adapting to these has become imperative for all businesses—small, medium
and large. Driving on this digital path, Chennai-based Zuper aims to empower
organisations through their expertise.
peaking at Madison Square Garden in core business processes. Mr Subbaraj considered
S New York (September 2014), Prime

Minister Mr Narendra Modi appealed to
the Indian diaspora there to come back
technology as a solution to this problem. He says,
“A lot of service businesses were visiting the homes
of their past customers (that they remembered) to
home and add to the country’s talent pool. “Mr Modi’s recollect phone numbers, and past service history so
speech was thoughtful, patriotic and inspirational. that they could rebuild the business history and contact
Working with top MNCs like Microsoft and AT&T, information. I was amazed by their sincerity but felt this
I had lived abroad for 14 years. I felt a strong desire to was an manual process that needs to be addressed. My
do something meaningful for my country,” says brother-in-law (Karthik) and I discussed the situation
Mr Anand Subbaraj, CEO, Zuper. and realised the importance of digital transformation,
A year later, the December 2015 floods that hit not just in rural India but in every business that was
Tamil Nadu brought him back home to visit his not leveraging the power of technology.” This is how
family. He witnessed several services-based businesses Zuper’s journey began.
being impacted by the floods. They not only incurred
heavy infrastructure damages but also lost years WHAT THEY DO
of business history and contacts. The losses were Zuper was launched in Chennai in August 2016 as an
especially significant to the service businesses because enterprise mobility platform—enabling organisations to
of their rudimentary and ad-hoc methods of handling manage, modernise, and transform field and remote
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STARTUP n India Now Business and Economy

workforce—and started operations in February 2017.
Their aim is to bridge the digital gap for “ZUPER IS BUILT ON A MICRO-
organisations by providing solutions that transform
customer experience and improve workforce utility.
service architecture pattern leveraging
It gives them the option to organise, automate and the best practices of mobility, cloud
digitise their field business by efficiently managing and distributed computing.”
their customers and employees through one platform.
Mr Subbaraj says, “With the ‘uberisation’ of various
businesses, the massive growth in the on-demand for the most critical operations to eliminate the
economy, and IoT, it is important to provide the dependency on network connectivity; and the users
best experience to customers. There is absolutely can perform most of the tasks in a completely offline
no tolerance for mediocre service. Customers no environment on a mobile device of their choice.”
longer want to wait for a four- to eight-hour window
for a service technician; they expect up-to-the-minute THE TECHNOLOGY
information about events, want to be updated on the Zuper is built on a micro-service architecture pattern
service, and more importantly, want to be assured that leveraging the best practices of mobility, cloud and
the job will get done during the first visit itself.” distributed computing. It is a suite of independently
Zuper offers an end-to-end platform to bring deployable, small, modular services where each
together the power of people, process, product, and service runs a unique process and communicates
promise with mobility, and IoT—for managing field through a well-defined, lightweight mechanism to
workforce efficiently, reducing operating costs and serve a business goal and thereby enables scalability
customer churn, and improving customer loyalty. They on-demand. They have a predictive analytics engine
have been in the field for a little more than a year, but that helps organisations forecast their work-orders,
already has an impressive list of clients. “Organisations and schedule smartly. They also use Content Delivery
using Zuper have increased workforce utilisation by Networks to ensure high availability and minimal
over 50%, reduced service turnaround time by over latency. They have obtained a provisional patent and
35%, increased customer adoption and profitability by IP protection for their ML-based smart scheduling and
over 45%, operating more efficiently and reduced costs intelligent and automated diagnostics system.
by over 30%,” Mr Subbaraj adds.
REVENUE GENERATION
BUSINESS MODEL They have been bootstrapping so far with the primary
Zuper offers a comprehensive and modern field goal of validating the market opportunity, building a
service management platform. It is a mobile-first, strong product that meets customer requirements, and
cloud-first B2B software as a service (SaaS) offering driving customer acquisition. Their revenue run rate
for organisations, irrespective of shape and size. Their for 2017-2018 was US$ 200,000. Based on the strong
modules include remote timesheet management, pipeline of customers and word-of-mouth referrals,
inventory management, smart scheduling and they are targeting a revenue of R10 crore in the next
dispatch, work order management (online and offline), 24 months. “We are seeing a tremendous growth of
real-time location tracking (online and offline), safety >30 % month over month. We will start our funding
and security for consumers and employees, and rounds soon. The goal is to raise a pre-Series A round
analytics and reporting. Organisations can pick and by Q2 CY 2018 and scale the business. We plan to go
choose the ones they want to deploy. Mr Subbaraj for a Series-A round by Q4, CY 2019.” Zuper has more
adds, “The remote timesheet management module than 40 clients across ten different cities in India and
comes with facial and voice biometrics. We are the Singapore, and is deployed in more than 500 client
first platform in Asia to offer voice biometrics-based sites catering to around 6,000 end users.
timesheet management of workforce. Apart from this, Being a B2B startup, Zuper initially targeted SMEs.
capabilities are deeply embedded in the rest of the However, setting the right business model became one
workflow allowing organisations to perform real-time of their major challenges as the team went through
identity verification ensuring the right employee is at several iterations to get the model and the price right to
the right customer location. In a market like India, we ensure it is a win-win situation for SMEs. Mr Subbaraj
came across situations where the user’s productivity adds, “We initially offered the entire feature set as
was impacted due to flaky network connectivity. To part of the platform. This was great to demonstrate
counter this issue, we also offer offline mode support and showcase the richness of the platform but not all
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50
30% Operate efficiently

$
India Now Business and Economy  STARTUP
and reduce costs

Customers using
Zuper are operating
more efficiently, 50% Increase workforce
utilisation
saving costs,
improving customer
satisfaction and 35% Reduce service
turnaround time
growing business.
40%
Increase customer
adoption and
profitability
Source: Zuper
features were useful for all businesses. We had to pivot

to a tier-based framework and offer features in a pay- “CUSTOMERS NO LONGER
as-you-go model. And it started resonating much better want to wait for a four- to eight-
with the customers.”
The other challenge was that SaaS was still in
hour window for a service
the nascent stage in India, which meant that SMEs technician to arrive.”
did not easily adapt to paying regularly for using a
product as they are used to paying one-time or using
services for free. “This is an ongoing challenge, but Flipkart disrupting the market, business decision-
with the evolving market, decision-makers are looking makers across small, medium and large enterprises have
at leveraging the right technology to automate and realised that they need to modernise and re-imagine the
operationalise their businesses.” Lastly, they also had business processes to provide the best experiences to
to overcome resistance to adopting technology—if not their customers, and stay competitive. In India alone,
from the business owner, then from the employees or this is a US$ 5 billion market opportunity. We have
end users who are either intimidated by tech and feel it met over 500 small, medium, and large businesses to
is a threat to their job, or just averse to change. validate our hypothesis. This helped us significantly
to clarify our thoughts, get a better understanding
MARKET OPPORTUNITY IN INDIA of the scenario, and gain deep knowledge of service
Over the last twelve months, Zuper has travelled businesses and the mindset of the owners.”
across the country from Madurai down south to
Chandigarh in the north. For them, India offers a THE FUTURE
vast market opportunity. There are several industries Zuper is planning to launch in Malaysia, Indonesia, and
like home services, maintenance, installation and the Middle East. They will be executing their services
repairs, facility management, HVAC, retail logistics, through a channel partner programme that enables
BFSI, pharma, pest control, construction, automobile, individuals and companies to sell their products for
and manufacturing that can leverage their platform, a commission. The decision has been taken to boost
improve the efficiency of after-sales servicing and their sales, and gain access to competitive markets.
improve customer experiences. Mr Subbaraj says, They plan to expand to the North US in Q1 CY 2019.
“We are a small team and do not want to stretch too Zuper is creating an operating system for field
thin. We are laser-focused on a subset of the industries and remote workforce management. Their goal is to
and our goal is to be the market leader in these before continue evolving the platform and provide the latest
targeting more. There are going to be over 50 million technology. The future of field workforce management
field workers in India by 2020. About 80% of the is IoT-enabled connected devices and smart homes.
field workforce does not leverage any technology, or They aim to offer a connected platform that automates
the deployment is fragmented and ad-hoc. With the all points of interactions across different functions to
digital wave sweeping the country and the emergence help organisations to operate with the highest level
of platforms like Uber, Ola, WhatsApp, Amazon, and of efficiency. 
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WANDERLUST  India Now Business and Economy

In Mowgli’s Land
Chital herd enjoying the grass at the back end of the Totladoh reservoir.
Stretching across Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, Pench National

Park is known for being the inspiration to Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle
Book. Rich in flora and fauna, this teak forest is also a tiger reserve and
home to over 285 resident and migratory birds, including endangered
species of vultures.
TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS: SUSHMITA MANDAL
road trip through the forests of Central into the Wainganga river in Maharashtra. This is the
A India is a treat for nature enthusiasts. As

the forest prepares for the parched summer
months, it acquires hues of yellow, ochre,
only tiger reserve in the country that straddles two
states—Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The forests
are located on the southern slopes of the Satpura
russet, and golden. The inimitable dhak or ‘flame of ranges, comprising mixed deciduous species with teak
the forest’ (Butea monosperma) provides a flash of (Tectona grandis) as the primary species.
fiery orange to the landscape. At Pench National Park At this time of the year, the teak stands bare, forming
and Tiger Reserve too, these are the views that greet a cushioned bed of dried leaves. We started with the
you in the month of March. evening safari that took us down long-winding roads.
The park derives its name from the Pench river that Looking for the elusive tiger in this landscape seemed
divides it into almost two equal halves, flowing north less daunting with the trees stripped bare of foliage.
to south as it joins the Kanhan river, which pours But when the guide pointed to a leopard resting in the
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India Now Business and Economy  WANDERLUST
thick leafy undergrowth of teak, it was remarkable to

see the magnificent animal so well camouflaged against
the forest colours. That awe-inspiring moment when I
spotted the leopard resting gracefully on the leafy bed
will be forever etched in my memory.
Besides the leopard sighting, the forests offered so
much more. Driving up to the banks of the Pench river
that forms the natural boundary between Chhindwara
and Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh, one can spot
the lesser fish-eagle, a flock of painted storks, black-
headed ibis, crested serpent eagle, and blossom-headed
parakeets. We heard the fish-owl hooting as its hunting
day had just begun. Watching a committee of white-
backed vultures perched on an ain (Terminalia alata)
tree near the Totladoh reservoir was a promising sign
of the species thriving in the park. The guide informed
us that besides the white-backed vultures, there are
four other species including the Eurasian griffon, scurried out of view. White-bellied drongos and flame- Above: A baby
Egyptian, the red-headed and the Indian long-billed backed woodpeckers were all busy gathering food for langur in the
vulture that are found in Pench Tiger Reserve. the day. Families of langur sat under the giant semal comfort of its
mother’s lap.
Shortly thereafter, we witnessed a mesmerising or red silk cotton trees, munching on the fleshy semal
scene as a herd of chital gracefully crossed the meadow. flowers that were being plucked and thrown down by Below left: A
Towards the end of the safari, we encountered a family their family members. Watching a newborn langur tigress walking
of wild boars. The ubiquitous ghost tree (Sterculia cuddling on its mother’s lap was pure joy. towards the
urens) dots the forest as one traverses the park. Its While I enjoyed the various moods and colours of road, as curious
onlookers get their
white bark contrasts against the dead of the night, the forest, looking out for birds, and other herbivores, opportunity to
living up to its name. During the day, the ghost trees my guide spent time tracking the tiger. picture her.
look majestic against the lilac skies with just tiny As we circled the park, at one point, we came across
blossoms at the top ends of its branches. They are both a pack of dholes (wild dogs), shy creatures that are Below right: A
beautiful and eerie, and add to the sublime charm of decreasing in numbers in most parks. I remember nilgai pair basking
in the morning sun.
the forests. my last sighting of a pack of four dholes in BRT
The morning safari began early, in the hope to catch Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka, five years ago. I was
all the activity in the forest as its denizens go about pleasantly surprised to come upon a pack of ten this
their day. The first-viewed creatures were a family of time, including a few young ones. While the dholes
seven red jungle fowls on the slopes of a small hillock were on a hunt for a wild boar family that was hiding
by the forest road. I also came across the ruddy-nosed close by, our guide spotted a tiger slowly inching up
mongoose by the side of the road, who immediately from the other side of the forest. It was a tigress and
Photo courtesy: Simar Preet Kaur
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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53
WANDERLUST n India Now Business and Economy

Photos courtesy: Sushmita Mandal
TRAVEL TIPS
How to get there:
By air: Nagpur, Maharashtra is the
closest airport, located at a distance
of about 100 km from Turia Gate Park
entrance. Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh is
Above left: all our attention shifted to her as she hid behind a located about 170 km from the Karmajhiri
Park visitors tree trunk. And finally, right in front of the jeep, she
watching the
Park entrance. Both the airports have
crossed the road; the dholes scooted away and their flight connections from most major cities
pack of dholes,
before the hunt of the wild boar was left behind. During this in India. As the park is along NH7, it can
tigress makes riveting action, we saw the tigress circle about before be accessed by good roads, taking less
her entry from walking away into the golden grass patches. Was that than two hours from Nagpur and about
the far rightside. the crowning glory of the morning safari? Yes and no, three-and-a-half hours from Jabalpur.
because further ahead on that road, the dholes we had
Above right:
Black-rumped encountered earlier had finally managed to hunt down By rail: Nagpur (Maharashtra) and
flameback a young spotted deer. A lone jackal came by for a share Jabalpur and Chhindwara (Madhya
makes the forest but was chased away. Pradesh) are the closest railheads.
a shade richer. We came upon the Beejamatta waterhole, one of the
prime locations for spotting tigers. The guide informed Accommodation: One can find several
us that a tiger in that range had given birth to three accommodations around the buffer areas
cubs. However, we only saw a herd of sambars basking of the park, near Turia Gate. However,
in soft sunlight by the waterhole. The yellowing grass, some of the best places are inside the
draped golden by the morning sun, swayed in the gentle park, managed by the forest department,
breeze, as we waited for signs of a tiger, but none came. booked through their website.
As the safari time was drawing to a close, I saw a
few nilgai, several racket-tailed drongo, a white-eyed Getting in and around the park: Book
buzzard, and umpteen peacocks glowing in their blue- the jeep safaris online. One can avail
green colours against the dry and yellow landscape. safaris on the same day, but there is a
Pench is a healthy, well-managed park teeming limited quota of jeeps allowed. Hence, it
with wildlife. The teak forest, being deciduous, sheds is better to book in advance and present
its leaves in March readying for the water-starved the receipt at the counter at the gate
summer months and conserving its resources until from which the safari is to begin.
the rains come knocking, draping the forest in a green
palette. The undulating forested tracts of Pench are so Best season to travel: The best season
reminiscent of The Jungle Book that one can almost to travel to Pench is between mid-
imagine the characters come alive as one navigates October and mid-June. The park remains
through the landscape. The two safaris provided such closed from June 15 to October 15 (there
a rich peek into forest life, I left promising I will be may be slight variation in these dates).
back in another season to enjoy the forest’s glories. 
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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India Now Business and Economy n CULTURE
54
www.ibef.org
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
55
Heritage hues
CULTURE n India Now Business and Economy

Spanning a wide spectrum of themes and expressions, Rajasthani schools of
miniature paintings open up wonderful vistas of art.
TEXT: BRINDA GILL
A
s the name suggests, Indian miniature time, with the patronage of rulers, different schools
paintings are small in size, yet their of miniature painting emerged in different parts of
format compacts a wonderful world that is Rajasthan, each with its individual distinguishing
a delight to view. These paintings, mostly characteristics.
eight by six inches in size, are richly detailed making The main traditional schools of Rajasthani
them a repository of history. They depict episodes miniature paintings are Mewar (Udaipur), Kota,
from legends, events, architecture, styles of attire as Bundi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, and Bikaner.
well as nuances such as political status, social mores, Apart from these, rulers of smaller kingdoms also
and emotions. patronised the art, which added to its variety of
Indian miniature paintings are broadly defined artistic expression. Each school has its distinct features
by various traditions and styles as seen in different that are recognised by skilled artists who have often
geographical areas or erstwhile kingdoms. These learnt the art from their forefathers and studied
broadly encompass the Buddhist and Jain tradition old miniatures.
of illustrated manuscript, the extant copies of which, “In the Kishangarh style, the face is slim and the
date to the tenth century; the Mughal school of the features are sharp, the eyes are shaped like fish, the
mid-sixteenth century; miniature painting of the
Deccan Sultanates (1560s); the Rajasthan school of
the late 16th century; the Pahari school of the mid-17th IN THE FIRMAMENT OF INDIAN Fine strokes and bright
century, and the Central Indian schools of Malwa and miniature painting, which spans different colours are typical of
Bundelkhand of the 17th century. schools and styles, is traditional Rajasthani Rajasthan miniature
In the firmament of Indian miniature painting, miniature painting. paintings.
which spans different schools and styles, is the
traditional Rajasthani miniature painting. “Rajasthani
miniature paintings are full of beauty. They stand out
for their compositions that are marked by backdrops
featuring trees, plants, and flowers, which are drawn
and painted in great detail. Further, the figures are
painted with care with respect to their facial features,
jewellery, and attire,” says Mr Jai Prakash Lekhwal, a
renowned miniature painter and Padma Shri awardee.
RICH TRADITION
While the tradition of illustrated manuscripts (whose
earliest form created in Western India dates back to
the mid-eleventh century) was prevalent in Rajasthan,
the beginnings of the miniature painting tradition could
be traced to the end of the 16th century. While paper
replaced palm leaf as a medium, the format of the long,
narrow palm leaf manuscripts was initially retained.
Later the breadth was gradually increased and led to
the evolution of the art of miniature painting. And over
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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56
TRADITIONALLY, ARTISTS USED landscape. Paintings of past centuries, of different
India Now Business and Economy n CULTURE
colours made from stones and oxides, schools and those rendered by masters, may be seen
and obtained different shades by mixing in museums. Their reproductions appear in books
colours, and this practice is continued by whose text, written by scholars and researchers, offers
many artists. an understanding of the expression and details of
the works.
neck is slender and long, the body tall and thin. The
vegetation depicts banana and mango trees. In the THE TECHNIQUE
Jodhpur style, the face and body are heavy, the male The sheer effort that goes into creating a miniature
face is depicted with a moustache and beard, and the painting is best understood if it is viewed through a
female figure is shown slightly smaller than the male magnifying glass—it reveals hundreds of fine, paint
figure. Animals, such as horses and camels, are also brush strokes that have created the composition.
on the heavier side. On the other hand, in the Jaipur Typically, for creating a composition, an artist first
style, the face is round, the height medium, the eyes decides on the figures and other elements such as
are large and open, eyebrows long. In this school, blue buildings and vegetation. The designs are formed in a
is a predominant colour,” explains Mr Lekhwal. way to ensure prominence to the central figure while
An orange tree painted amidst a cluster of green ensuring an overall balance between the placement of
trees hails from the Mewar school as it is identified figures and other elements, an impression of the depth,
with the orange blossoms of trees such as gulmohur and a selection of dynamic and static figures.
or ‘flame of the forest’ that stands out in the local The elements are first outlined with a brush in light
Extreme care is landscape. Paintings of Kota depict hunting scenes red, and then the entire surface is covered with white
taken with respect
indicative of the presence of the tiger and forests priming. The lines redrawn in black, the background
to facial features,
jewellery, and teeming with natural life, while the paintings of worked on, and the main figures are painted and
attire in Rajasthan Bundi typically have water birds, lotuses, and stylised a final outlining is done. Traditionally, artists used
miniature paintings. banana trees with ducks and peacocks in a lush colours made from stones and oxides, and obtained
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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57
CULTURE n India Now Business and Economy

Photos courtesy: Shutterstock
Nature serves as
a huge inspiration
for artists.
different shades by mixing colours, and this practice

continues even today. Silver and gold leaf may be CONTEMPORARY MINIATURE
used for decorative effect. As the work comes alive artworks are usually painted in the
with colours and strokes, it conveys a particular traditional style of a particular school
moment in a legend, history, or everyday life. And or they may draw elements from different
after it is completed and dried, the artist places it schools and create their own signature style.
main face down and runs a stone across it to burnish
it—the process sets the colours into the paper, makes almost transparent colours and shading that creates a
the painted surface smooth, and gives the work a beautiful effect,” says Mr Lekhwal.
mellow glow. Besides the region, different artists have brought
Rajasthani miniature paintings touch upon a their individual brilliance to miniature paintings,
variety of subjects, especially gods and goddesses, further enriching the art form. “Artists may be
Lord Krishna, Indian epics and literature, folk tales inspired by traditional schools and then bring their
as well as subjects such as Ragamala (garland of own sensibilities and creativity to their work such
ragas), Nayak-Nayika (depicting heroes and heroines as the style of filling colours or shading, or even the
at different moments in time or the varying nature of motifs on the attire worn by the figures. Improvisation
their relationships), courtly scenes, hunting scenes, of the plants and trees identifies a particular artist
portraits, and pastimes of royalty. The Ragamala simply by glancing at their work”, adds Mr Lekhwal.
paintings create a visual form of ragas and raginis He says that his own style draws from the Company
(modes of Indian classical music) and thus depict a style (an Indo-European style of painting), the Delhi-
particular season, month, day, or even hour of the day Mughal style, and the Kangra style (owes its origins to
simply through the elements, figures, and the setting of the miniature painting tradition of Rajasthan). “I have
a painting. The Ragamala theme was later also blended found fulfilment in drawing from these traditions as
with the Nayak-Nayika theme. The Baramasa, twelve I like to create figures with frontal faces rather than
months of the year, was another theme represented by profile. More importantly, it is by creating works that
the flowering trees, weather, animals, sentiments, and are rooted in one or different traditional schools and
festivals of each period. bear the artist’s personal expression that new works
are created and the art itself evolves.”
MINIATURE PAINTING TODAY This approach to art reiterates the fact that traditional
Given their small format, miniature paintings are arts of India enjoy a dynamic facet even as some strains
easy to frame and display in interiors. Contemporary continue to adhere to established principles. And the
artworks are usually painted in the traditional style of wonderful result of this approach is that art lovers come
a particular school, or they may draw elements from across a spectrum of miniature paintings that range
different schools and create their own signature style. from pure traditional works rooted in the distinct style
“Many artists adapt their skill to new materials. For of a particular school to those that draw from different
instance, painting on ivory is banned. However, I schools as well as those that are a unique expression of
paint on a synthetic sheet that looks like ivory using a master artist’s creativity. 
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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58
Informal WTO Ministerial

Meeting, March 19-20, 2018
The Department of Commerce organised an
Informal WTO Ministerial Meeting in New
Delhi during March 19-20, 2018 under the
leadership of Mr Suresh Prabhu, Hon’ble
Minister of Commerce and Industry. The
invitees included a wide cross-section of
WTO’s membership. India took this initiative
to ensure better collaboration between WTO
members in order to further strengthen the
multilateral trading system. The meeting was
attended by high-level officials from 53 WTO
member countries.
IBEF handled multiple responsibilities
for the event including logo design, venue,
outdoor and digital promotion, website
development and updation, and visitor
registration and management. The campaign
received engagement from DG WTO,
Missions, Press Information Bureau, media
bodies, delegates, etc.
Online Campaign by IBEF for Informal

WTO Ministerial Meeting – Outcomes
PARAMETER OUTCOME
Web Campaign
Traffic 31,409
Impressions 11,623,940
Social Media Campaign (March 2-20, 2018)
Tweets 80
Impressions 1,900,000
Retweets 2,300
Likes 6,400
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
www.ibef.org
59

Gulfood Dubai, 2018
IBEF partnered with Agricultural and Processed
Food Products Export Development Authority
and Tea Board, India for promotion of the India
Pavilion at Gulfood Dubai, February 18-22,
2018. Gulfood is a major event for food trade
in the Gulf region, which attracted more than
97,000 visitors and occupied one million sq ft
of exhibition space in its previous edition in
2017. IBEF promoted the sectors through venue
branding, and also booked an advertorial in
Khaleej Times, a leading English daily with
readership of 115,000 across the UAE, Bahrain,
Oman, and Saudi Arabia. The digital campaign
launched by IBEF led to 9,144,454 impressions
and 46,158 clicks.
India Carpet Expo, New Delhi

India Carpet Expo is one of the largest fairs
for handmade carpets in Asia. It serves as a
unique platform for buyers to source the best
of handmade carpets, rugs, and other floor
coverings under one roof. The expo in 2018
was inaugurated on March 8, 2018 by
Mr Ajay Tamta, Hon’ble Union Minister of
State for Textiles. Ms Smriti Zuben Irani,
Hon’ble Minister of Textiles, addressed an
interactive session with media and overseas
buyers on March 9, 2018 at Hotel Taj Man
Singh. IBEF organised a press conference on
March 8, leading to media coverage across
leading publications such as Dainik Jagran,
Amar Ujala, and Dainik Bhaskar. Furthermore,
IBEF managed advertising at the venue—
including entry gates and car parking—and
hall hangers; outdoor branding included
important city routes and the route to
the airport.
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
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60
Middle East Electricity, Dubai

Middle East Electricity, held from March
6-8, 2018 in Dubai, is the region’s leading
international trade event for the power and
electrical industry with dedicated product
sectors for power generation, transmission
an distribution, lighting, and solar and energy
storage and management solutions. With
EEPC India leading the India delegation of over
50 companies, IBEF showcased the strengths
of India’s electricity equipment and products
industry at Middle East Electricity 2018.
The plan encompassed extensive branding
at Dubai World Trade Centre along with
dedicated supplements on the Indian electrical
machinery and equipment sector backed by a
strong digital campaign.
INDEE Thailand
INDEE Thailand was held from February 1-4,
2018, at Bangkok International Trade Exhibition
Centre (BITEC) in Bangna, Bangkok. This was
the 38th edition of EEPC India’s trademark
multi-product overseas exhibition INDEE
(Indian Engineering Exhibition). The event
was co-located with TIF (Thailand Industrial
Fair), with India being the partner country
for the event. IBEF coordinated and executed
a 360-degree branding plan including
advertisements at the venue, billboards
in the city and advertisements in mainline
newspapers and popular trade journals.
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2018
www.ibef.org

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ISSUE 05

India Now Business and Economy

Registered with RNI vide

India Now Business and Economy

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