The most anticipated launch event of the year and, somehow, people seemed disappointed. Apple launched the new iPhone 5, but didn’t stop there. It also announced the new operating system iOS 6, the new A6 chip that’s twice as fast as the A5, new versions of the iPod and a new version of iTunes. From a technology perspective, none of what was announced was new: information about the improvements has been leaking for months, so no surprise that people who came to the launch seemed disappointed. The stock price stayed flat too. Rather odd, it seemed, when you look at some of the numbers.Apple has 27 per cent of the PC market in the US, and has grown faster than the industry for six years in a row. Despite the launch of new Android-based tablets, the iPad still sold 17 million units; more than the entire suite of some PC makers. The iPad’s market share went up to 68 per cent from 62 per cent; yet, not many were impressed. Perhaps they miss Steve Jobs.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 24-09-2012)
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Ever wondered how it would be if you got a notebook with two screens or a tablet that also serves as a notebook! Asus announced the launch of its new range of products from Asus touch family that includes Asus Taichi dual screen notebook/tablet, Asus VivoTab RT TF600TG and lightweight Vivobooks F202E & S400. All the mentioned products are driven by Microsoft Windows8 OS. “These models have the superlative technology with simple package yet the most essential features to offer the state-of-the-art technology to the Indian market.” says Alex Huang, MD, system business group, ASUS India. Unaez Quraishi, sales & distribution director, system business group, ASUS India also added that“We anticipate capturing the Indian market as to when they think of touch notebooks and tablets, they think of Asus,” Asus Taichi is a fusion of notebook and tablet that contains a 13.3” Full HD screen, Intel Core processor and backlit keyboard on the inner side of lid. When the lid is closed it becomes a lightweight tablet with a slim, tapered profile and a multi-touch Full HD screen for intuitive fingertip control. Its mirror mode enables the user to share information by sharing same image on both back-to-back screens and can be used separately with different apps: one with the keyboard and multi-touch touchpad; the other with the multi-touch screen and stylus. It is priced at Rs 1,39,999 and will be available in the market from December 2012. Asus VivoBook F202E(Price Rs 39,999) comes with 11.6" LED Backlight HD screen (1366X768, Glare); 3.6mm panel with longer battery life up to 5 Hrs is another advantage it provides. Asus VivoBook S400(Price Rs 59,999) comes with 14” LED Backlight HD screen, a capacitive touch panel with multi touch function. The Vivo Tab RT(Price Rs 61,999) has a 10.1" HD Glare with transformer design and is supplied with its own mobile dock that provides a QWERTY keyboard, track pad, USB port and built-in battery. It comes with Docking Station and 3G & GPS Embedded. They will be available in the markets from November 2012. ASUS is a leading enterprise in the new digital era. ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home, office and person, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktops, Eee Box and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, tablet devices, servers, multimedia and wireless solutions, networking devices, and mobile phones.
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Shortly after Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, moved into Antilia — his $2 billion, 27-storey home in Mumbai — his wife Nita described it as a “modern home with an Indian heart”. In an interview to Vanity Fair magazine, where the photographs of the home’s interiors were first published, she also spoke of how “getting the temple right was so important”. Not everyone knows that the place of worship at Antilia was carefully clad using gold leaf technique, an invaluable Indian craft traditionally used to dress up the domes of temples and palaces. While the entrance of the room used the leafing technique in silver, the ‘seat of God’, where the idols are installed, was done up in a combination of gold and silver. Even the bedrooms, the ballroom and some other rooms were gilded with 24-carat gold and silver sheets, with patterns that were customised for the Ambani home. To be sure, the technique was used on select furniture items too. Mumbai-based The GoldLeafing Studio, which has been into gold and silver gilding for over eight decades now, did the work in Antilia. “People don’t hesitate to spend on their homes. They can spend in crores if they wish,” says Shehzad Khan, the fourth-generation promoter of the company, even as he refuses to comment on Antilia’s details, including how much the tab came to. GoldLeafing’s claim to fame includes gilding homes of the rich and famous, Shah Rukh Khan among them. Prateek Jain and Gautam Seth, owners of Klove Studio, New Delhi(BW Pic By Bivash Banerjee)Touring the homes of the rich and famous is a critical part of Khan’s work. From Shah Rukh’s Mannat to Lakshmi Mittal’s mansion in Delhi, his work takes him to places where only a few are allowed access. “The gold-leafing trend for private homes picked up three years ago. Corporates, doctors and lawyers are increasingly approaching me for leafing work,” he says. People, quips Khan, want to live like maharajas. Back in New Delhi’s Chhattarpur, home to some of the plushest farmhouses, world-renowned chandelier designer and restoration expert Regis Mathieu says in all seriousness: “Indians still live the maharaja life.” We’re seated beneath a smoky quartz chandelier that Mathieu has designed over six months, cutting and arranging roughly 200 kg of quartz. The piece, inspired by the universe, is priced at Rs 20 lakh (in another corner of the room, we see a similar piece, inspired by the planets, priced at Rs 50 lakh). “The collection in quartz is popular with Indians who believe in the healing properties of the stone,” says Mathieu who along with ANG Sales, set up a shop last year to help high-end international lifestyle brands enter India. “The demand is growing and I’m here (in India) once every five weeks,” he says while showing us other outstanding pieces in the farmhouse that he is converting into his ‘light studio’. Samvit Tara, director of International Furniture Brand(BW Pic By Ritesh Sharma)Clearly, well-travelled Indians with rising disposable incomes and a penchant for spending are widening the luxury category in the country. Numbers, too, tell a positive story. According to India Luxury Review 2011, a CII-AT Kearney report, the Indian luxury market is pegged at $5.75 billion and is expected to grow to $14.72 billion by 2015. Those in the business say that home décor contributes 4 per cent to the market. However, with the coming up of high-end real estate properties (Lodha Group’s World One, the tallest residential tower in Mumbai, for instance, will boast of apartments furnished with Armani Casa furniture, Italian designer Giorgio Armani’s home décor line) along with the interest shown by individuals, the category could contribute 8-10 per cent to the luxury market. Call it ostentatious, flashy or pretentious, but those who have the money are, well, flaunting it. Chandeliers with 20,000 pieces of shimmering crystal at a staggering Rs 3 crore (Mathieu’s replica of a 17th century European piece), walls dotted with milky white pearls with a hint of gold dust (we find this in Delhi’s House of Raro, a decade-old home décor brand), hand-made Italian mattresses made from 22 carat gold yarn from Magniflex at Rs 27 lakh, consumers are demanding — and showing off. break-page-break The choices are a plenty. A trip to House of Raro’s recently opened store at Delhi’s DLF Emporio showcases the brand’s new furniture range, aptly called The Penthouse Collection. From an eight-seater dinner table with a hand-carved fishscale pattern on African ebony wood to a leather embossed table with silver leafing, or a tall ‘Masai chair’ draped in fabric from Hermes to antique Venetian mirrors (part of the ‘palace collection’, by the way), House of Raro’s mainstay is bespoke. Taking 16 to 20 weeks to complete their projects, the brand launches its ‘limited’ collections twice a year. Or you could pick up the Hermes armchair ($11,100) and console ($8,550) made of pear wood with satin-finish varnish and natural cowhide at its year-old store at Horniman Circle in Mumbai. Interestingly, Bertrand Michaud, managing director of Hermes India, while talking of the brand’s confidence of growing in a developing nation like India in a recent interview to a website, spoke of how its clients were “citizens of the world”. After its Mumbai store (where you walk on cushioned, bespoke Hermes carpets), which houses apparel, accessories, home décor and furniture, Hermes plans to open another store in Delhi. In India since 2008, Hermes now has a presence in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune. Regis Mathieu, chandelier designer and restoration expert(BW Pic By Tribhuwan Sharma)If Hermes is quietly confident of its presence in the country, others like IPE Cavalli and Fendi Casa are also betting big on their furniture lines. More contemporary in style than, say, Hermes, these brands were brought to India by companies like Terra Sans International (in Gurgaon) and International Furniture Brands (in Delhi and Mumbai) earlier this year. The ‘streamlined’ range of IPE Cavalli furniture, besides a select range of Fendi Casa, is already on display at the plush 15,000 sq. ft Terra Sans Home Couture boutique in Gurgaon. According to Nitin Kohli, director of Terra Sans International, Indian consumers are ready to experience all the furniture brands that are offered globally. The Terra Sans boutique offers sofas, armchairs, beds, tables and more in bright colours and eclectic designs. The price point: Rs 10-15 lakh upwards for Fendi Casa beds. Now, even fashion designers are seeing promise in diversifying into luxury furniture. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, for instance, has already been approached by realtors to design homes, as have Raghavendra Rathore and J.J. Valaya. Designer duo Ashima-Leena plans to launch a dedicated furniture and soft furnishings line, according to media reports. “I don’t see people compromising on their spending power when it comes to furniture. Many seek customisation, which, in turn, means exclusivity,” says Raseel Gujral, promoter of Casa Paradox, a high-end homegrown furniture and furnishings brand that opened in 1993. We’re seated in one of Gujral’s three sprawling stores in New Delhi’s Gallery on MG, which is bursting with colours and has brilliant pieces of furniture. The mall has dedicated two floors for homegrown and international luxury high-end furniture brands. That luxury is priceless is evident from her design pieces, which do not have any price tags. Clearly, Casa Paradox’s discerning clientele believes in pointing out their favourite piece of furniture and having it sent home, without worrying about how much it costs. Raseel Gujral, promoter of Casa ParadoxOn her part, Gujral spends anywhere between 6-8 months planning a new collection every year. “We don’t have sales staff in showrooms, we have designers,” she points out. Up next: an uber chic collection of international furniture (including centre tables, consoles, cabinets and chairs) in neo-classical Indo-French style that’s synonymous with gold and silver gilding, lightly carved patterns on furniture and upholstered with rich fabrics, including satin and velvet. Gujral’s collection will use fabrics in shades of salmon, ecru and amethyst. If Gujral predicts that the trends in furniture and furnishings will be classical with subdued colours, Delhi-based luxury home furnishings store Sarita Handa foresees the influence of antique French textiles in the segment. Even as international furniture brands eye the Indian market, not everyone has succeeded. Versace Homes, brought in with great fanfare last year by Blues Clothing Company (sofa sets were priced at Rs 14 lakh onwards), has downed its shutters according to people in the know. Blues Clothing Company declined to participate in the story. Two industry experts separately said Versace Homes has not exited the country. “It’s only a matter of time before the brand comes back with a new (business) partner,” said one of them. NOW, EVEN FASHION DESIGNERS ARE SEEING PROMISE IN DIVERSIFYING INTO THE LUXURY FURNITURE SEGMENTOthers such as Gianluca Brozzetti, chief executive of Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli, feel that the time is right to tap the enormous opportunity that India offers for luxury brands. “The well-travelled Indians want to experience (furniture) designs inside their homes and we see immense opportunity here,” says Brozzetti. Roberto Cavalli Home, which will showcase a wide range of furniture and other home décor products for the Indian market, will soon start selling, for instance, its signature leopard print carpets, beds in suede and leather and chairs upholstered with silk and velvet with gold print. “Luxury requires a personal touch, long-term investments and tremendous services that can last clients a long time,” says Samvit Tara, director, International Furniture Brands, a 16-year-old company that has brought over 30 premium brands such as Baker, Ralph Lauren Home, Armani Casa, Theodore Alexander and Maitland Smith to India. Most in the business agree that “servicing clients” is what can make or break brands, especially those in the luxury/premium category. The GoldLeafing Studio, for instance, offers a guarantee of 25 years on its services and three years of free maintenance. Prateek Jain, promoter of Klove, another homegrown boutique brand for lighting installations, says: “We sometimes redo pieces of our work if the client is unhappy with the product. It’s part of gaining the loyalty of clients, a must if you’re serving a premium client.” On his part, Mathieu’s products (“it’s not just a chandelier,” he says) come coded with numbers, embossed with the studio stamp and bear Mathieu’s signature. The ‘code’ is to ensure that only authentic pieces are delivered to the client. It also allows the company to continuously track its invaluable “work of art” for maintenance and other periodic services that the company offers its discerning customers. bweditor(at)abp(dot)in (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 24-09-2012)
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In a full-page ad for luxury apartments, a young couple lounges under beach umbrellas, sipping Bacardi besides the photoshopped blue waters of a pool. They were dressed as any successful westernised working couple — open collar shirt on black pants for the man and racy low-cut blouse and skirt for the woman. Thirtyish, both probably rising executives, heavily in credit card debt, employed by some IT firms that have contributed to Incredible India’s 8 per cent growth, now slowing. They exude a self-confidence that says they are people for whom architectural luxury is not a long-term hope, but a routine expectation. Lolling about their home, the image could be in Rio or the Riviera. Or Greater Noida. The ad promises an international standard paradise: a 5-bedroom condominium set in a 12-storey structure, open plan, Jacuzzi, bar, two kitchens, servant quarters, heated terrace pool, barbeque, solarium and service backup. Architecture by a US firm, interiors by a Singapore-based consortium and pool design by a Brazilian artist, the international ideal could not be in doubt. Isolated in the supposed luxury of their 5-bedroom apartment, dipping their toes in their pre-warmed pool, the couple is doomed to a life of serious luxury. All for a mere Rs 3 crore, payable in convenient EMIs. The ad had all the promises being made in other structures rising in Malibu Towne in Gurgaon, Whitefields in Bangalore, and New Gomtinagar in Lucknow. Whatever the location, architectural value lay only in the elimination of geographical distance, and proposing a structure that could no longer be identified with its location, no longer even identified with India. Architecture was changeable and dispensable; only the marketing of luxury was capable of making it into a saleable package. Moreover, insisting on the exclusiveness of his venture, the developer had added a rider to the ad: By invitation only. In a country where shades of caste and status add premium to any idea, the clause of restriction could only work in his favour. By conducting interviews for admission, he elevated the status of the project from mere apartment house to exclusive club. The developer was a Punjabi, familiar with both, the workings of the Indian mind, and the capacity to manipulate it. The primary interest in architecture has always been directed towards excess: fanciful space, new materials, structural assemblies that defy gravity, an attraction for the loud and supercilious. Call it what you will — luxury, style, status — the reasoning behind the inclusion of useless fripperies is a cultural flaw. Are Golf View Apartments sold because they provide a view of the greens? How many of the owners are interested in the game? How well would Sewage Treatment Plant View Apartments sell? Why are buses Deluxe, Semi-Deluxe and Super-Deluxe? Is there a difference in levels of comfort, privacy, convenience? How does the luxury model of the Nano compare with the Jaguar — both owned by the same company? Is one an indicator of Indian luxury, the other of British? In the 1980s, when designing a house in Delhi, I realised that the idea of style and luxury had stemmed from entirely different considerations. At the time, people’s values were essentially Indian, even parochial. A house with a puja room far outweighed one with a Jacuzzi. Exposed brick walls were as much a status symbol as the diagonal width of the TV screen today. Luxury meant a red velvet sofa, the kind seen in cheap European brothels, juxtaposed against a wallpaper of a New England autumn scene. On the floor, there was no traditional Kashmiri carpet, but a nylon shag rug. Alongside, a dinette of tubular steel and glass-top surrounded by heavy Baroque chairs. Architecture was an abundance of textures, colours, and mismatched styles that lent a certain couldn’t-care-less bravado to the lifestyle. Indian luxury always was — and always will be — a mélange of contrasting sensations. The new French restaurant in Delhi’s Hauz Khas village promises all the gastronomic pleasures of a small bistro in the Loire valley, but access to its interior is through an alley filled with excreta and garbage; walk further you can smell fresh coffee and croissants amid the diesel fumes of a restaurant perpetually run on a generator. At the entrance to the market, housewives stop in the morning to buy flowers for the puja room. That the flowers are displayed against the wall of the public urinal is not enough to upstage the sanctity of their religious use. Contrasting moments of utter dereliction and exaggerated delight are a permanent backdrop to urban life. The exclusive club and spa seem all the more luxurious when seen from the ramshackle despair of its surroundings. We are, as you can see, unsure of the constituents of luxury. As with most things Indian, luxury is a constantly changing recipe: a list of add-ons that provides essential garnishing to humdrum lives. I too now approach every project as a package of new pretentions. Brushed steel columns if it’s an office, a skylight above an atrium for a mall and acres of plate glass if a house. Accordingly, the nomenclature changes, and phrases assume their rightful professional tone. ‘I’m trying to recreate the duality of urban enclosure as both physical confinement and symbolic representation’ is an old favourite. In designing an elaborate farmhouse, I am always careful to select the right words to convey the importance of architecture. If I add a colonial mirror-cum-hat stand to the entrance hall, I call it an ‘Arrival Loggia’. The drawing room, however cramped, can be christened ‘Entertainment Galleria’. In discussing the bedroom on the drawings, I make sure we mark it ‘Sleeping Chamber’. The thing to remember is not what a building is, but how it will be perceived. If people have made a financial success of their life, my job is merely to make them realise that they have.Gautam Bhatia is a Delhi-based architect and columnist(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 24-09-2012)
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Quick, what’s common to Mel Gibson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage and Ricky Martin — apart from the fact that they are all hunks? All of them are masters of their own private islands — a little bit of paradise turned into their private fiefdom. And what do the isles give them, besides bragging rights? They are ‘gifted’ to friends for weddings and honeymoons and, of course, serve as the perfect hideaway to avoid bad press after a movie bombs. It’s the new A-list status symbol and everyone, from Virgin Group’s Richard Branson (he owns three private islands spread across the globe) to pop diva Celine Dion and Oracle’s co-founder Larry Ellison, has an island with beautiful beaches, which is their very own little — or in some cases not so little (Ellison has purchased Hawaii’s sixth largest island) — retreat. And what’s good enough for the global super rich is good enough for our home-bred HNIs (high networth individuals). Chris Krolow, CEO of Private Islands, a Toronto-based real estate company which has over 500 private islands listed with it, says that they are increasingly receiving enquiries from rich Indians wanting to buy a private island in the Caribbean and even some of the smaller islands in Canada. “With the Maldives opening up, there is huge demand from Indians to take up an island on long-term lease there.” (Courtesy:www.privateislandsonline.com) So, typically, how much will an island set you back by and which part of the world should you buy an island in? “In general, it is easiest to purchase property in a country where you hold citizenship; for international buyers, North America has some of the most accessible properties and property laws,” says Krolow. While the celebrities may have made investments of a few million dollars, one can purchase an island in Canada, Belize or Nicargua for less than $100,000 (approximately Rs 56 lakh) — that’s cheaper than buying an apartment in Mumbai or Delhi. But it’s the Bahamas that everyone wants a slice of. They are not only beautiful with miles of virgin beaches, palm trees and aquamarine waters, but also make financial sense. “The Bahamas are a tax haven. We have no income, capital gains or inheritance tax,” explains George Damianos, president of Damianos Sotheby's International Realty based in the Bahamas. The most expensive island listed with Sotheby’s is part of the Exuma Chain and is priced at $85 million. The other popular regions include the South Pacific and Central America. “Panama is no doubt the most urban of Central America’s island markets, offering proximity to not only a world-class metropolis but also having advantageous banking and residency laws, and excellent transportation and medical infrastructure,” says Krolow. Chris Krolow of Private Islands says rich Indians are eager to buy islands in the Caribbean(Courtesy: www.privateislandsonline.com)The Maldives are also attracting a lot of interest. Till recently, you could only develop an island as a resort. However, now it is possible to take an island for individual use on long-term lease from the government. “This has really created excitement in the market. The Maldives have always been beautiful and are a hot option for rich Indian and Chinese buyers as they are closer home for them,” says Krolow. In fact, he is thinking of opening another office only to cater to the Asian market. Moreover, what’s attractive about the Maldives, besides the natural beauty, is that the islands being given on lease are fully developed — that means your electricity, fresh water and connectivity needs are taken care of. Priciest Of Them AllIsland Of Patroklos, Greece: 643 acres; $185 millionRangyai Island, Thailand: 110 acres; $160 millionCave Cay, Bahamas: 222 acres; $110 million George Damianos of Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty feels that post the 2008 recession, prices have become realistic(Courtesy: Damianos Sotheby's International Realty)If you are a true blue son of the soil and want to buy an island in India, you do not have many options. Islands in the Lakshwadeep and the Andaman and Nicobar regions are protected and owned by the natives and cannot be sold. Your only option is to buy an island in a river. A few of them in Kerala are listed on property websites. Till recently a 44-acre property called Palm Island located near the village of Padiyoor, 40 km from the Cochin airport, was listed on the Private Islands website for $2.4 million. Most islands in the Caribbean require a lot of work. Plus, it is really expensive to maintain them. Just keeping minimum staff costs upwards of $50,000 a year, explains Krolow. Developing an airstrip will set you back by $500,000-1 million, add a jetty and costs escalate. “The idea of a private island may sound very romantic but once there you still want all the basic comforts. Nobody wants to live in a shack,” says a Delhi-based realtor. But once you do get all the permissions and develop the island, the price appreciates. “The price of an island appreciates through development, accessibility and the ease of communications,” says Damianos. However, from an investment point of view what is important is that you buy the island at the right price. Krolow says pre-recession, most islands were overpriced. But now buyers are getting a better deal. Agrees Damianos of Sotheby’s: “Recession has affected the business and sellers have become more realistic about prices.” Buying your own island does sound like a dream. But before you put down millions, do consider a few things. For starters, you need to be sure why you are buying it. Is it a real estate investment, are you going to develop it into a resort or is it going be your second home? If it’s an investment you are better off buying a freehold property rather than a long-term lease. If you are looking at developing it into a resort, you need to check on laws relating to development of the property and things like connectivity. If it’s going to be your second home, then proximity and travel time need to be considered. Then you also need to factor in the climate. For instance, tropical islands are beautiful, but are you prepared to battle humidity, heat and the insects that come with life around the equator? If the answer is yes, then go ahead. After all, nothing spells exclusivity like an island address. smitatripathi(dot)bw(at)gmail(dot)com (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 24-09-2012)
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It was once called Srinivas Mills. In the central Mumbai area of Parel, associated with smoke stacks and textile production, it has been rechristened ‘Upper Worli’ by its buyers, the Lodha Group. The 18-acre sprawl will soon boast of the tallest luxury apartments in India, the 117-storey World Towers and the 60-floor World Crest.A Lodha salesman, standing before a giant model of the skyscrapers, drops big names for impact. Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, who have also designed the Pyramid at the Louvre in Paris, and the Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong, have conceived the World Towers. Luxury apartments of three and four bedrooms go up to the 43rd floor. Beyond that, till the 82nd floor, it is ‘World Villas’ — 7,000 sq. ft grand apartments spread over an entire floor. And finally the grandiose ‘Mansions in the Air’ — the 15,000 sq. ft duplex palaces.But what’s different about these high-end homes is the branding. From the high-ceiling reception area, our guide steers the party into the ‘show villa’. The atmosphere changes with the soft lights, and the rich and mellow gold leaf walls and furniture. The interiors have Armani written all over. Everything is designed in clean, straight lines. Nothing juts out. There are no switches, lights turn on automatically; the television unit recedes into the wall. Beyond the spacious living room is a balcony running around the apartment. This is where one can soak in the plunge pool and watch the Mumbai skyline. Georgio Armani has his stamp on the interiors with his Armani/Casa brand. In the Armani Roca bathrooms, everything, including the toilet paper, disappears into the wall. The kitchen has the Dada branding. A New Trend“We wanted to create an iconic product, and by branding it, we add value,” says R. Karthik, the chief marketing officer of the Lodha Group. “The additional value is because of the exclusivity defined by how desirable we can make the product, and how selectively it is traded.” Branding interiors, developers like Lodha hope, will not only create a superior product but also add a 30-60 per cent premium over similar products in the market. The two World towers have only 400 homes, and the cheapest of them comes at Rs 12.5 crore. The villas cost about Rs 40 crore each. The sky mansions are not yet on the block, but when they do come into the market, they will be close to Rs 100 crore; that is, Rs 50,000-60,000 per sq. ft. Branding homes and hotels in developed markets is not new. The Trump Towers in New York and Chicago or the Armani-branded hotels in Milan and Burj Khalifa in Dubai have added premium to real estate. In India, it is a new trend though. In Pune, Panchshil Realty has teamed up with Donald Trump to brand their two 22-storey towers in Kalyani Nagar as ‘Trump Towers’. The project, flagged off last month by Trump himself, offers 6,000 sq. ft apartments with embellishments like a special home theatre room. Another ambitious branded luxury project by Panchshil Realty, ‘yoopune’, is offering 228 apartments in six towers spread over 17 acres in the posh Koregaon Park area. The ‘Yoo’ branding, owned by designer Philippe Starck and realtor-entrepreneur John Hitchcox, kicked off in Manhattan nearly two decades ago, and quickly spread to other low-rise cities like London, which began embracing classy, skyscraper-styled homes. In Pune, the buyer also gets to indulge in the branded Sixth Sense Spa, a tea lounge and even a cigar room as part of the common offerings. The pre-sale bookings for the apartments were done at Rs 15,000 a sq. ft, a 50 per cent premium on the luxury Pune market. The Four Seasons branded CityView apartment owners in Bangalore will also get to use all the hotel’s serviceIn Bangalore, the CityView project, promoted by a joint venture between UK-based Westcourt, Goldman Sachs and Bangalore-based Century Real Estate, is being marketed with Four Seasons branding. The Four Seasons Hotel will extend to the 21st floor of the South Tower, the residences will be in the North Tower and in the higher floors of the South Tower. The Four Seasons apartment owners will also get to use all the services offered by the hotel. break-page-breakAnother unique branding exercise is by Sunteck Realty. It has teamed up with the Walt Disney Company to create branded children’s bedrooms and play areas in its 23-acre residential project ‘Sunteck City’ in Goregaon, Mumbai. “We have licensed as many as 100 Disney characters, including the Avengers, to adorn the children’s rooms. For Disney branding, this is a first,” says Sunteck Group’s CMD Kamal Khetan. “Disney commands a strong recall value, especially in the international markets; and kids are more important today when their parents go shopping.” Sunteck claims the company has opened sales for its three Disney- branded towers at Rs 11,000 a sq. ft, a 20 per cent premium over the local market. Defining ExclusivityThough builders now offer branded interiors and apartments, they still have to prove themselves. In January 2011, Rohan Lifescapes teamed up with Donald Trump, and Mumbai’s Trump Tower was announced with much fanfare as a 42-storey luxury apartment project near South Mumbai’s Girgaum seaface. Eighteen months later, there is no trace of the project. Does branding define luxury for India’s super rich, or is it location and ‘high quality’? Om Ahuja, CEO of property brokerage JLL Residences, says terms like ‘premium luxury’ are much abused concepts. “Yes, branded luxury apartments is a new trend, but in India, the super rich are willing to pay for the address and the pin code and not so much for a brand.” The focus is on specific localities. In Chennai, it is Poes Garden; in Kolkata it could be Alipore and Ballygunge, explains Ahuja. Branding may not work without the right address.Many big builders like Hiranandani, DLF or Unitech consider themselves to be brands that represent premium quality, and would not sell their stock using an Armani tag. Also, if a developer can get premium rates by adding features and quality that people want, he may not see the need to pay a license fee or a 10-15 per cent share of his revenue to the brand owner for his tag. The pre-sale booking rate for yoopune apartments (far left) was Rs 15,000 a sq. ft; (left) the Armani stamp is clearly visible in the Lodha Group's World Tower in Mumbai — clean, straight linesIn Gurgaon, the Ambience Group is promoting Caitriona, abutting the Ambience Mall, with a promise of “seven-star living”. The 240 ultra-luxury homes spread over 10 towers start at 6,400 sq. ft and Rs 14 crore, with the penthouse apartments going up to 11,500 sq. ft. It has all the features of ‘luxury’ that a buyer may want: access to a 9-hole golf course, laundromats at ‘zero’ level, and furnished ready-to-live interiors. Meanwhile, Anshuman Magazine, CEO of broking firm CB Richard Ellis India, feels that some big brands like Trump may not be willing to spend the money and effort on what they may perceive as a risky project in India. Karthik of the Lodha Group is, however, confident that over time, branded luxury homes will be a part of India’s landscape. “Yes, people are willing to pay for an address; but that is what we aim for: to make branded projects like the World Towers a sought-after address.”gurbir(dot)singh(at)abp(dot)in(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 24-09-2012)
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Microsoft launched its full and final version of Windows 8, the operating system (OS) it has been working on for the past year. At an event held at the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi, Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman Microsoft Corporation India, formally introduced the new OS to the media. Also gathered were other top executives from Microsoft India, several hardware partners, developers, and some customers. “With the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft is unveiling a re-imagined Windows to the world,” said Bhaskar Pramanik, speaking at the event. “Whether you want a tablet or a PC, whether you want to consume or create, whether you want to work or play – Windows 8 delivers a personalised experience that fits your unique style and needs.” Windows 8 is a completely overhauled or “re-imagined” product, critical to Microsoft because it will be present on computers, tablets and smartphones, allowing the software giant to make a much delayed play for a portion of the mobile market, while trying to retain its long-held dominance on desktops. The OS has been designed to be a comprehensive environment. Letting users move from one device to another seamlessly without losing their data, the applications they work on, or the experience. Windows 8 and apps on the new Windows Store will be available to users in India starting 26 October on Windows certified PCs and tablets. Windows 8 based phones will be launched later this week. Showcased at the launch event were a large number of laptops, ultrabooks, hybrids and tablets from 14 OEM Microsoft partners – Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HCL, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, RP Infosystems, Sai Info System, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Wipro and Zenith Computers. This included both touch and non-touch devices as Windows 8 can work on traditional PCs that meet a minimum set of hardware specs even though the OS is “touch first” or primed to work with touch devices. Windows 8 has been available in a consumer preview form for the past few months. Distinctive to the OS is its Start Screen which replaces the well-worn Start Menu. The Start Screen is made up of colourful tiles, each of which can be tapped to ead to apps. The tiles, depending on the app, show live information such as weather updates, e-mail or messages from contacts. The Taskbar and other navigational features now are in the form of panels that slide out when the user swipes at various points on the screen. Windows 8 now works with apps, or smaller pieces of software that can be downloaded at low cost from the online store, as well as larger applications that users all over the world are accustomed to, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. In India, a range of free and paid apps can be downloaded including Bharat Matrimony, BigFlix, BookMyShow, Bookyourtable, Burrp, Dhingana, Fastrack Tees, Flyte MP3, Gaana, Goibibo, ICICI Bank iMobile, ICICIDirect, JustEat, MakeMyTrip Explore, MapmyIndia, my airtel, NDTV Play, PVR Cinemas, Tarla Dalal, Yahoo Cricket, and Zovi, among many others. The paucity of apps, compared with Apple’s 700,000, has been a concern when it comes to Windows 8 and its still growing ecosystem. Microsoft urgently needs to regain ground lost to the iPad and other tablets spilling into the market. Windows 8 will be available in two versions at retail, Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. And for thebusiness customers who have signed up for software assurance, Windows 8 Enterprise there are features like Windows To Go, DirectAccess, and BranchCache, as well as enhanced end-to-end security with features including BitLocker and AppLocker. Launching at the same time is a new member of the Windows family designed for ARM-based tablets, Windows RT, which will be available pre-installed on new devices such as Microsoft’s Surface tablet. In addition to the range of new devices available, consumers can also upgrade their existing PCs. From 2 June 2012 until 31 January 2013, consumers currently running PCs with Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, are qualified to download Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of Rs 1,999. And Windows 7 PCs purchased between 2 June 2012, and 31 January 2013 can download Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of Rs 699 with the Windows upgrade offer currently on. While launch events took place all around the world, the main event, led by Steve Balmer, was in New York’s Times Square where Microsoft’s Surface tablet was also debuted. Steven Sinofsky, head of Microsoft's Windows unit and the driving force behind Windows 8, opened the launch event in New York in front about 1,000 media and PC industry partners. He showed off Windows 8's new look, but stressed that the system was built upon the base of Windows 7, Microsoft's best-selling software that recently passed 670 million license sales. The new design of Windows, which dispenses with the Start button and features square tiles for apps, may surprise some users. Initial demand appeared solid, but customers were wary. Early reviews of the Surface tablet were mixed, with praise for its slick hardware, but concerns about battery life and limited software and applications available. "We have seen steady pre-order sales on Windows 8 devices from early adopters," said Merle McIntosh, senior vice president of product management at online electronics retailer Newegg. "However, we expect that most average consumers are waiting until after launch to make a purchase decision." Investors were uncertain about the prospects for success of Windows 8, but many feel a solid launch could help Microsoft's stock, which has languished between $20 and $30 for much of the last decade. Apple's shares have significantly outperformed Microsoft's over the past 10 years, and its market value is now more than double Microsoft's. Microsoft was little changed at $27.87; Apple fell 0.7 per cent at $612.73. "This really is about debunking the notion that Microsoft is a dinosaur and they are relevant in a new climate of tablets and mobile," said Todd Lowenstein, portfolio manager at HighMark Capital Management, which holds Microsoft shares. "Extreme pessimism and almost utter failure is priced into the shares, so any kind of positive delivery on units, customer perception, would be really beneficial to the stock." (With inputs from Reuters)
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There used to be a time when an "It's a Sony" used to end all TV purchase arguments, but of late, their neighbours from across the Sea of Japan have pulled out all the stops to take the lead in the LCD/LED TV market. Does the 2012 HX850 series, specifically the 46HX850 unit I've looked at, do enough for Sony to regain its mojo? It certainly ticks of the first impressions box pretty comprehensively. A single sheet of Edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass — the same durable glass that's found in the top smartphones today — topped off with a thin sliver of silver trim around the edge gives the TV a sleek and streamlined look, and the well-weighted plastic stand does well to support the TV yet allow a stable left-right swivel. The clean look means that there is no integrated camera or a microphone, which means none of that gimmicky gesture or voice control I've seen recently. It also means you'll need to pay more for mic/camera if you want to use Skype. Around the rear of the cabinet are the HX850's numerous inputs and output connections - two HDMI ports, two USB ports, an RGB (PC) video input, and 3.5mm PC audio in and out jacks all face sideways for easy access, while the composite and component AV jacks and a connector for an optional external speaker stand are face the rear. A cable/antenna port, an Ethernet port, an optical audio output, and two additional HDMI ports round out an impressive list of connections, but some of these can be quite a challenge to get to if the TV is wall-mounted. The remote is rather standard Sony stuff, but is light and comfortable to hold. No backlight on the buttons though, so it can be a fumble to operate in the dark, and there's no 3D button to navigate to the 3D settings directly, you'll need to wade through the menu system for that. It's a good thing then that one is distracted by how good the picture quality gets on this TV, and Sony's X-Reality Pro image processing produces stunning natural colors and excellent contrast levels. Dark scenes look better than any edge-lit LED TV and are getting remarkable close to plasma levels. Picture quality is detailed and sharp and 3D, for those of you who care for it, shows satisfactory depth, but you'll have to cough up even more money for 3D glasses. Audio quality is respectable, given the poor quality I've seen on a number of TVs these days, and it will meet the needs of most. Like the competition, the TV features built-in Wi-Fi and wired Internet connectivity and gives you one-touch access to watch a host of video websites such as BigFlix, Sony, STAR, DailyMotion, not to forget on-screen widgets which let you stream your Facebook and Twitter feeds discretely on one side of your TV screen. But what excited me the most was the fact that the Opera TV App Store has made its way onto the TV, which lets you download a ton of TV-optimised apps and games — really shows the way forward for app adoption on TVs. All in all, Sony's pushed out a competent TV that does justice to the content you throw at it, but having to pay more for accessories that really should have been part of the bundle is a downer for sure. It's a competent offering in the market, but it will take more than the odd brilliant TV to turn their ship around and tackle the Korean onslaught. Rating: 8/10Price: Rs 1,23,900 for the 46-inch variantURL: http://bit.ly/PFOgft Desirable Choice Till recently, you could either get a capable smartphone or you could pick a dual-SIM device, but not both, and I longed for a dual-SIM device that did not make any compromises. Well, following on the heels of the Desire V dual-GSM phone comes the HTC Desire VC, the 'C' referring to the CDMA network capability in addition to its GSM SIM. Much like HTC's current range, it runs Android 4.0 with HTC's mature Sense 4.0 user interface. Specs are mid-range - a single core 1 GHz Cortex-A5 processor and 512 MB of memory — and so you're paying a bit of a premium for the dual-SIM capabilities at this price. Internal storage is limited at 4GB, but you have the option of adding in SD card storage or taking HTC up on the free 25GB of Dropbox cloud storage offer, which is valid for 2 years. Using the device is a breeze thanks to its 480x800 pixel 4.0 inch touch screen, and the while it packed to the gills on the connectivity front, it is worth mentioning that it does not support 3G on the GSM connection, which leaves you with only the CDMA connection if you're looking for high-speed data. Rating: 7/10Price: Rs 23,300URL: bit.ly/OzD4lf Guilt Free GoodnessFried food without the guilt. Has Philips made the perfect kitchen gadget or is it just hype? If you look past the hype, the Philips AirFryer is basically a convection oven for your kitchen counter top. Sitting above the tray which houses your food is a heating element not unlike the kind you'll find in your electric oven. What Philips does different is that they use a big fan above this heating element to blows superheated air onto your feed - up to 200 degrees and for up to 30 minutes. Now while the cookbooks suggest everything from quiches to fries are fair game for the AirFryer, results are mixed. Fries work great, as do roast potatoes, but breaded food items… not so much. You'll have to experiment a fair bit to get your estimates right with this. And of course, French fries afficanados will point out that the taste doesn't match up to deep-fried fries. It also takes up a lot of room on the kitchen counter, and it is pricey! Rating: 7/10Price: Rs14,995URL: bit.ly/OaAFLKtechnocool at kanwar dot nettwitter@2shar
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