“The greatest luxury is being free” — Manolo Blahnik
An aspiring middle class with increasing disposable income (average disposable income rose 83 per cent over 2011-2016 as per Euromonitor) and global exposure are the key reasons for the growing luxury market. Though demonetisation did have an impact in the first two quarters, the luxury market bounced back. Luxury is a lifestyle choice, one that Indian consumers are willingly making.
We at BW Businessworld come out with our annual luxury issue just before Diwali. The issue focusses on some of the best experiences money can buy and also looks at new trends.
Senior Associate Editor Smita Tripathi visited the Cartier archives in Paris and found that the brand that inspires the world has been inspired by India. The Indian connection is so strong, it is almost a part of Cartier’s vocabulary.
Senior Correspondent Arshad Khan writes about the ultimate luxury on four wheels. These super cars can go from 0 to 100 kmph in under 3 seconds and there is a demand for them in India. Now, if only we had to the roads to drive such beauties on.
Nothing smells like luxury more than a bespoke fragrance. A perfume that is an extension of your personality is the ultimate luxury must-have, finds out Tripathi. The luxury hospitality sector is booming with several new launches in the past year. Tripathi looks at the unique aspect of each.
We also bring you columns from the very best in this issue. Read Kishore Singh’s column on art, Dinaz Madhukar on luxury retail, Gaurav Bhatia on collectibles, Sanjay Kapoor on luxury trends, Nishant Padhiar on tech, Iñigo Mendoza on investments, Pradeep Sebastian on collecting rare books, and Kalyani Chawla on being a luxury consumer. Celebrity chef Ranvir Brar gives his take on the luxury dining scene in the country while Ritu Kumar talks about the changing trends in luxury fashion in The Last Word.
Luxury is not the only talking point of this Special. For the past few weeks, India has been buzzing with a festive spirit. This period of festivals is also the time where the economy sees an upswing — driven by consumer demand. We look at various sectors, and BW reporters get you the story from the ground, that will cheer you, notwithstanding the talk of an economic slowdown. Talking of the economy, serving IAS officer Srivatsa Krishna cites rich data to drive home the point that the fundamentals are sound and the economy is on a strong wicket.
With this issue, BW Businessworld launches BW Moneyworld, a special on personal finance catering to all your personal finance needs. This comes absolutely free of charge to our readers. Do send in your feedback.
Dear reader, this is also the season of some very interesting political developments. Questions are being asked if it was right on the part of the Election Commission to keep the voters of Gujarat waiting even as it announced the Himachal Pradesh election dates.
Meanwhile, it is being debated if Pranab Mukherjee would have been a better choice as Prime Minister instead of Manmohan Singh during the UPA regime. All such developments — economic, business, policy, political — are accessible for you on businessworld.in. You get the best of the lot in the print edition.
“Sometimes you have to grope for ideas in the dark and sometimes they shine with a light of their own, beckoning you on. Light is a common metaphor for thinking and ideas and is mostly used to indicate understanding, often sudden.”
Happy Diwali!