In drawing rooms across Delhi, the lunching classes are packing away their pashminas and airing their handspuns. In Mumbai, the threat of RTI is looming over the heads of celebrities wondering whether it’s the end of champagne times. Change was never more evident in the air. Will the rising tide of nationalism spell the end of expensive taste? Is the world of graft and baksheesh over? Change makes an uneasy playmate. It is the passenger in a train everyone eyes with suspicion. The Johnny-come-lately, a jholawala evangelist whose motives are uncertain, might yet launch an Indian spring. But change is also a harbinger of promise and new excitement, of surprises — welcome or otherwise. Prices Will Rise, Prices Will FallA few pundits are still demanding a ‘price correction’ amidst signals that prices are rising. Francis Bacon’s painting — Three Studies of Lucian Freud— sold recently for a record Rs 900 crore. If you don’t expect prices for Manet and Monet, Picasso and Bacon, to go soft, why expect works by S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza, M.F. Husain and Tyeb Mehta to lessen in value? Even Ram Kumar, whose value had come down, is selling stronger now. As for Gaitonde, he’s your ticket to billionairedom (if you’re selling) along with an original Raja Ravi Varma, or Amrita Sher-Gil. But prices and interest among the contemporaries still remain ambivalent. It’s hard enough trying to understand political statements in art without being able to justify prices. So, yes, further price correction might be inevitable.Where Were They Hiding?By the time you read this, Christie’s would have concluded its first auction in India with a line-up that included the three Tagores (Rabindranath and his nephews Abanindranath and Gaganendranath) as well as Nandalal Bose who were sidelined by the brasher Progressive Artists’ Group. Fair To BiennaleChristie’s and the desi auction houses Saffronart, Astaguru and Pundole’s are responsible for meticulous sourcing and greater vigilance with regard to quality and provenance of works. In turn, galleries will be pressured into putting together better shows. But for the junta, the experience of finding both wheat and chaff together will begin in January with the India Art Summit in New Delhi and wind down in December with the Kochi Muziris Biennale. Legal PaletteArvind Kejriwal should be pleased that a growing propensity for auctions has brought in greater transparency into dealings. Fear of the Aam Aadmi will keep galleries on the straight and narrow with payments not in black currency but by cheque. Foreign Interest In Indian ArtIf the writing is on the wall, the BJP’s international supporters will draw from popular culture. And they’ll look at art as a distinctive marker of their eminence. In 2014, the buying tide will favour NRIs, leading to more museum shows and the presence of Indian artists at global art forums. Younger Artists Will Get Their Due The recession years were hard on the younger artists. Recognition is now coming their way. Already, a mid-career retrospective on Atul Dodiya is on view at the National Gallery of Modern Art. Expect a growing band of middle-aged artists to wrest their place in the market. Desi SpenderAs luxury spends rise, sale of art could double over last year. After the Birkin bag and the Zegna suit, it’s Souza and his ilk who’ll usher you into the club of art collectors. Building InstitutionsWho’ll announce the next private museum? We don’t know for sure — though some are in the making (or, at least, collecting) stage. Meanwhile, the foundation stone of the Kolkata Museum of Modern Art was laid. If work starts soon, by 2014 the process of selection of works for its inventory will begin. Aspiring Middle ClassA growing middle class with money to spend will spur a market that has remained unacknowledged. Expect terms such as ‘woodcuts’ and ‘linocuts’, ‘serigraphy’ and ‘3 of an edition of 5’ to become common currency. Homes will aspire art, breaking through the stranglehold of decorative art aesthetic. Photography will get a leg up too. Husain’s ArtHusain’s prices will rise further, but public viewings of his work will still invite opprobrium. Blame the times we live in, which 2014 will be hard put to shed. The End of MoneyNew funds will remain a taboo in 2014. The author is head, publications & exhibitions, Delhi Art Gallery (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 13-01-2014)
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The luxury market will continue to grow in 2014 at an average of 15-20 per cent across categories. If 2013 is any indication, the global reduction in spends on luxury has not made any significant dent in the Indian market. If brands have grown globally in single digits, in India, the same have experienced double-digit growth. This is a very healthy indicator for brands in India and I am optimistic of these growth patterns continuing into the next year as well. The luxury consumer in India has indeed matured. There has been a gradual but visible shift towards spending on products that are high on quality and heritage as against badge value and logos. I see this trend maturing with more people appreciating luxury for its value and aesthetic. We will also witness a rise in aspirational consumers as more people come into the fold of luxury through greater access to brands as they move into cities outside the main metros of Delhi and Mumbai. Luxury is fast venturing into newer territories. For instance, Kolkata will soon witness the launch of the city’s first luxury mall, Quest. Many new malls are also scheduled to open by end-2014. In 2014, luxury will further expand to newer categories, such as personal care and luxury homes. Developers are focusing on luxury residences in a big way. In fact, many new projects in this space are on the anvil. Alongside luxury homes, the market for luxury home décor is also on the rise. And so is case with the personal care industry. People are now spending on luxury products in the cosmetics and personal hygiene space. Brands like Crabtree & Evelyn are rapidly expanding to cities such as Pune and Kolkata. Luxury wines and spirits are also an expanding category. It is interesting to note that women are indulging in this category as much as men. The accessories market will grow laterally as men’s accessories find more takers. Men are becoming increasingly fashion conscious. The mantra clearly is ‘if you have it, flaunt it’. The author is MD, Genesis Luxury (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 13-01-2014)
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Sharing it, rather than buying it, has become a serious trend. In transport, any big city worth mentioning seems to feel it needs a share-bicycle scheme — the Vélib’ scheme in Paris was a pioneer (although not the first). Barclays Cycle Hire in London is a major operation and, when I was in San Francisco recently, Bay Area Bike Share had just been launched there. Ditto for shared cars — I’ve got a Flexicar card (Australia) and a Zipcar card (UK and US) in my wallet. BMW is working on its own version, scattering BMWs around a city (Munich being the first) for shared use. At the other end of the transport spectrum, you can even share executive jets. NetJets is the best known. Ride-sharing (aka dynamic carpooling) is another rapidly growing field. And then there’s Airbnb, the do-it-yourself hotel operation where you rent out a room. Less SecurityAt the moment, it’s all more, more and more when it comes to travel security — the backlash has to come. Amid this increasing security madness, it’s great to occasionally see a tiny glimpse of sanity. Exiting San Francisco airport, I encountered a sign saying you couldn’t bring your bottle of mineral water across to the airside from the landside, but you could empty it out and refill it — for free — at a water fountain. Well, that makes sense! The world certainly doesn’t need any more plastic bottle waste. Burning EnergyWe don’t want to sit around when we’re travelling, we want to do things, get fit or simply pump up the adrenaline. An example: bicycle touring. This could be gently pedalling from one stylish guest house to another (with winery stops in between) in France, or cycling the length of Africa with the Tour d’Afrique organisers. They also put on adventurous long-distance bicycle tours in other regions, including India. Or trekking — head to Nepal for the Himalayan heights or almost any other country you care to mention. I’ve joined long distance walks in recent years in England, Italy, Colombia and Australia. Then there’s skiing of course, scuba diving (I’m off to Tonga in a month) or adventurous interludes like hot-air ballooning, bungee jumping, white water rafting. Name an activity, and it’s a growth field. Rising Airlines, Rising Hubs The growth of Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai as a three-point superhub, reinforced by three super airlines — Qatar, Etihad and Emirates — will continue. It’s a combination of a whole list of factors. They’re an efficient location; Dubai has become the one-stop jumping off point to almost anywherein the world. Increasing aircraft range is another big factor and the arrival of the 777X in a few years will reinforce that trend. Having three very competitive airlines — in everything from fares to new aircraft to excellent service — also helps. But those three Gulf state locations aren’t the only places that have become increasingly important hubs. China Southern Airlines is promoting Guangzhou as an alternative to Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok as an Asian hub. The currently high-flying Turkish Airlines is pushing Istanbul as a hub; there’s even talk about non-stop flights between Istanbul and Australia. Once upon a time, flying between one African country and another often meant going via Paris or London. Now Addis Ababa (thanks to Ethiopian Airlines), Nairobi (Kenyan Airways) and Johannesburg (South African Airways) have all become African centres with extensive connections. The only place that seems to be missing out in this growth of hubs is India! If you want more than just a landing and taking off experience, surely there’s far more to see in India than the United Arab Emirates? So why isn’t Delhi or Mumbai a competitor to West Asia? Location wise, the Indian centres are probably even better situated on the Europe-Asia-Australia route than the West Asian airports. Niche, Niche And Niche Everything will continue to get more specialised. There’s still lots of demand for big, featureless, you-could-be-anywhere-in-the-world hotels, but there’s also a lot of demand for small, specialised places ranging from super-deluxe boutique resorts to interesting budget places. Aman Resorts may have kicked off the super-deluxe category, but there are plenty of other contenders today. Cruise ships are a big growth category anywhere, but much more interesting than the big ships are the small ones, whether they’re heading south to Antarctica, north to the Arctic searching for polar bears, nosing into lagoons on remote Pacific islands or threading their way up the inlets in Australia’s wild Kimberley region. Then, there are long train trips — South Africa’s Blue Train, Australia’s Ghan, the Trans-Siberian across Russia. Or, specialised visits to archaeological sites. Name a speciality and it’s a growth field. The author is co-founder, Lonely Planet (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 13-01-2014)
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India's Supreme Court on Wednesday (11 December) threw out a 2009 ruling by a lower court that had decriminalised gay sex, in a major setback for the cause of gay rights in the world's largest democracy.The top court stated that only India's parliament could change the law, by deleting a section of the penal code dating back to the 19th century, thus ruling that the Delhi High Court had overstepped its powers with its decision four years ago.The move shocked gay rights activists, who had expected the court simply to rubber-stamp the earlier ruling. In recent years, India's Supreme Court has made progressive rulings on several rights issues."We see this as a betrayal of the very people the court is meant to defend and protect," said Arvind Narayan, one of the lawyers representing the consortium of gay rights groups that was defending the 2009 judgment."In our understanding, the Supreme Court has always sided with those who have no rights."Section 377 of India's penal code bans "sex against the order of nature", which is widely interpreted to mean homosexual sex, and can be punished with up to 10 years in jail. The rule dates back to the days of British colonial rule in India."One would never expect the Supreme Court of India to make such a retrograde order, that is so against the trend internationally," said rights lawyer Colin Gonsalves."This takes us back to the dark ages. This is a day of mourning for us in India."India's Law Minister Kapil Sibal said he could not comment on the judgment and did not say if the government planned to seek an amendment to the law.But it seems unlikely the government will risk taking a stand on the issue in the short term. General elections are coming up in May in largely socially conservative India, and the Hindu nationalist opposition is already gathering momentum.The 2009 ruling to exempt gay sex between consenting adults from the ban was the result of a case brought by the Naz Foundation, an Indian sexual rights organization, which fought a legal battle for almost a decade.After the Delhi High Court ruling in its favour, a collective of mostly faith-based groups took an appeal to the Supreme Court."All the major communities of the country -- the Hindus, the Christians and the Muslims -- had appealed against the ruling of the Delhi High Court," a lawyer for a Muslim charity told reporters."They had said that this unnatural sex is not permissible in all the religions of the world."Thursday's decision could now be appealed through a so-called "curative petition", which would be heard by a panel of five judges."The Supreme Court's ruling is a disappointing setback to human dignity, and the basic rights to privacy and non-discrimination. But now the government should do what it should have done in the first place and seek to repeal section 377," Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement."Now it should join countries like Australia and New Zealand that have already abolished this colonial law that they too inherited and take the lead in ending such discrimination."In an apparent protest against the ruling, suspected hackers posted the phrase "supremecourt is so gay" on Pepsi India's Twitter account on Wednesday. The post was deleted and Pepsi India said its account had been "compromised." (Reuters)
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Italians are known for their good looks, their charming manner, their sing-song accent and their love for food. Executive chef Francesco Apreda from Imago, the renowned Michelin star restaurant located on the sixth floor of Rome’s legendary Hassler Hotel, is no exception.As I meet him for a chat at Travertino, the Italian restaurant at The Oberoi, New Delhi, where he is currently doing a white truffle festival, he tells me about his love for food, his tryst with India and the various influences in his cooking. “My food can be described as having a traditional Italian base but with influences of the Orient. It is fusion cooking,” says Apreda who worked in Japan for a few years at the Italian restaurant Cicerone at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel. He also travelled extensively over South East Asia and those influences can also be found in his cooking.But what about India? Do Indian spices, styles and aromas influence his cooking? “Yes absolutely. I love India. I’ve been coming here for several years now as I’m a consultant with Travertino in New Delhi and at Oberoi’s Italian restaurant, Vetro, in Mumbai.” At least three dishes at the Imago have an Indian influence. “My potato pasta served with curry and king crab is very popular as is the duck cooked in tandoori style,” says Apreda. He admits he doesn’t have a tandoor so he marinates the duck overnight in yoghurt and then cooks it in a clay tureen with tandoori spices. “It’s my style of cooking and is well appreciated.” Another dish which has an Indian influence is the foie gras terrine with a hint of beetle nut powder. “Beetle nut is very acidic and so goes well with foie gras terrine,” explains Apreda. Michelin Star Chef Francesco ApredaThe first time Apreda came to India, he found the food too strong and the spices overpowering. But over the years, he admits, his palate has developed and he can now understand and distinguish between the different spices and herbs. “I appreciate Indian food a lot more now.”And what is his take on Italian food cooked by Indian chefs? “I’ve tasted Italian food cooked by Indian chefs and though it is nice, it is often an interpretation of Italian food, not authentic Italian. That’s because Indian chefs need to be close to the Indian palate so they put in a lot of spices.” At Travertino, he says, they try to keep the food authentic. All ingredients including tomatoes are imported from Italy to try and keep the flavour as authentic as possible. “When it first started eight years ago, people were not that knowledgeable. They would order a pasta and then ask the chef to add more spices to it. Of course, we did it because at the end of the day you need to satisfy the guest but we also tried to educate them.” Now, he says, things are different. Most guests are well travelled and are looking for the same flavour that they experienced in Italy. “They realise Italian food is more than pasta and pizza.” For instance, when he was doing the white truffle festival at the Vetro in Mumbai last year, they finished 2 kg of white truffle over five days. “I was surprised because white truffle is a very expensive ingredient and I wasn’t sure if Indians would take to it.” But people came in with families and showed him pictures of how they had gone searching for white truffles with dogs on their holiday in Italy. White truffles which are unique to Italy sell for over $3000 a pound and are found primarily in Northern Italy in the months of October and November. Such is the demand for this delicacy that a black market has cropped up, even while truffles are often sold at auctions.The white truffle festival at the Travertino is on till December 1, 2013, in case you would like to taste this delicacy or try one of Apreda’s special dishes.
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In his latest book, Faster — 100 Ways To Improve Your Digital Life, ethical hacker Ankit Fadia gives tips and tricks for a smarter online presence. Here are some pointers to optimise your Gmail:Un-send An EmailMany of us have cried in dismay within seconds of hitting the “Send” button on an incomplete or impulsive email. Did you know you had a second chance? Gmail allows you to keep your emails in limbo, lest you change your mind. Go to Settings > Labs > Undo Send > Click on Enable > Save Changes. After erroneously hitting Send, Gmail displays the following message: “Your message has been Sent. Undo View message. Click on Undo. You can also go back to Settings > General > Undo Send to select the number of seconds (up to 30) for which the Undo Send option is available. Search NinjaEver found yourself wading through 10GB of email trying to find one particular gem? Yes, you know there’s a search bar, but Gmail gives you more. Here are some self-explanatory keywords you can use as prefix (no space after the ‘:’) to your searches for a more accurate outcome: “to:, from:, in:YourFolder (for custom folders), in:chats”, etc. You can also combine some of them, such as “from:a@bw.in larger:15MB”, also“before:, after:, newer_than:, older_than:”, etc.Sifting SpamIf you have an email account, you’re bound to be spammed. There’s the prominent “Report Spam” button of course, but you can also use the More section to add further filters. Open a spam mail that made it through to your Inbox, click on More > Filter messages like these. You can modify this further by clicking on the “Create filter with this search”option on the pop-up.Hack AttackWith our lives on Gmail (and that’s hardly an exaggeration), you can never be too careful from who will try and take over. At the bottom-right corner of your Gmail inbox is the Last Account Activity feature that indicates the last time your account was active. Also, the Details link below it lists the IP addresses from where your account was active. So, if you think someone’s using your Gmail account without permission, you can scout for any illegitimate logs. You can us the What Is My IP Address website to track down any suspicious logs.Chats to SMSesMiss chatting with people who’re offline? Gmail has a SMS in Chat feature in their Labs. Once enabled, you can enter any mobile number and send them an SMS. Hover the mouse over the name of the recipient. Click on More > Send Text (SMS). Now enter the mobile number and your message. This service works on a Google credits system, so every time you send a message, you lose a credit, but for every message reply, you earn five! shrutic.bw@gmail.comTwitter: @chockro(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 21-10-2013)
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Click to view the range of luxury accessories (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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At a time when stress levels are hitting the roof, words of American poet and author Sylvia Plath come to mind: “There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.” Sure, one can have a hot bath at home, but imagine being surrounded by opulence and serenity, and pampered and goaded to forget your worries ensconced in man-made nature’s lap. It doesn’t get better. No wonder the Indian wellness industry is expected to touch the Rs 1 lakh crore mark by 2015. So, if you’re in need of some TLC, Lovina Gidwani Jha, founder and creative strategist of Spa Guide-n-Light and an expert when it comes to telling spas what they should and shouldn’t do, is the go-to person. Here’s her pick of luxury spas in India that are bound to take you a step closer to nirvana. Ananda in the Himalayas Garhwal, UttarakhandIndia’s first destination resort spa, Ananda is a restored palace in the picturesque foothills of the Himalayas, just above Rishikesh and by the river Ganga. It offers therapeutic treatments based on the principles of Ayurveda, yoga and meditation. Every treatment is customised by a spa expert in accordance with a guest’s nutrition, detoxification, stress management, beauty and relaxation needs. Ananda even offers retail therapy through its exquisite spa boutique that stocks everything from organic food to spa music.www.anandaspa.com Kaya Kalp, The Royal SpaAgra, Uttar PradeshSpread across 99,000 sq. ft in the city of the Taj Mahal, ITC Hotels’ Kaya Kalp is the largest spa in India. It has been designed to recreate the splendour of the Mughal dynasty, with pomegranate (a fruit brought to India by Babur) as its principal theme. The spa offers India’s first, luxurious white-marble Royal Mughal Hamam — a private bathing area where the guest is given a Persian-style body scrub, soaping and relaxing head massage — besides Ayurveda, indigenous local treatments and other international therapies. The rejuvenating ‘Passage to India Spa Journey’, combining guided meditation with Ayurveda, is also a must-try. www.itchotels.in/hotels/itcmughal/kayakalp/spa-agra Sereno Spa, Park Hyatt GoaThis wellness and fitness destination spa alongside Arossim beach is set in lush beachfront gardens in idyllic south Goa. Sereno offers a range of holistic massage therapies, the most popular of which are the Synchronised Abhayanga (four hands massage) and Marma Massage (which includes massaging the crown chakra). The spa combines Ayurveda and yoga, and is the first Indian spa to offer the Sarvanga Swedan Yantra, or whole body medicated steam bath. This is performed in a special cubicle with aromatic herbs that help detoxify the body.goa.park.hyatt.com/en/hotel/homeOberoi Spa, Wildflower HallShimla, Himachal PradeshSituated in the lap of the Himalayas, Wildflower Hall is a fairytale luxury resort amid virgin woods of pine and cedar. The Oberoi Spa offers holistic Ayurveda, Oriental and Western treatments in private spa suites or pavilions with spectacular views. Other than the usual line-up of exotic body scrubs, floral baths, beauty treatments and personalised yoga sessions, the spa also offers the unique experience of therapeutic sound and vibrations of Tibetan singing bowls to cleanse and enhance the chakra energy centres of the body. www.oberoihotels.com/spas Maya Spa, The Zuri KumarakomKumarakom, Kerala Amid the Kerala backwaters, The Zuri Kumarakom houses southern India’s biggest spa with two separate wings — one for Ayurvedic treatments and the other for Western/Oriental styles. On the shores of the Vembanad Lake, Maya Spa offers a wide range of hydrotherapies, natural health therapies and solutions. It also features the unique ‘body temple and meditation island’, and the famous Shirodhara and The Cloud 9 massages.www.thezurihotels.com/ kumarakom/maya-spa Amatrra spa, Hotel Ashok New DelhiClaiming to be India’s only metropolitan lifestyle spa, Amatrra fuses the concepts of Astroscience, Ayurveda and Naturopathy in its treatments. The idea is to create, harmonise and balance individual energy in a spa experience. This is also evident in the ambience, therapies, food menu, beauty services, as well as the product line. The spa has spacious self-contained treatment suites, including Kerala Ayurveda treatment rooms, Oriental treatment rooms, mediation rooms, etc., and even a ‘couple suite’. www.amatrraspa.com Myrah Spa Mumbai, MaharashtraMyrah is a luxurious day spa — with Zen-like interiors, brocade backdrops, crystal chandeliers and ornate gold mirrors creating a balance of opulence and serenity — that gives guests a welcome relief from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai. Myrah offers a bouquet of global spa therapies such as the Asian blend massage, aroma signature massage, Thai yoga massage, etc. Its facials are one of Mumbai’s best, and the spa also offers a pregnancy menu. www.myrahspa.com The Six Senses Spa, Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa ResortGreater Noida, Delhi NCRThe Six Senses Spa is a unit of the globally renowned Thailand-based Six Senses Spa. Luxuriously spread over 90,000 sq. ft, with beautiful courtyards, it offers a wide array of holistic therapies for complete harmony of mind and body. The spa’s philosophy of balancing all the senses is creatively represented in the spa menu, which features signature, personalised and locally inspired treatments, Asian and Ayurvedic therapies, oxygen facials, etc, all administered by expert therapists. On offer is also colonic hydrotherapy, as well as classes for yoga, pilates, meditation, qi gong and tai chi. www.sixsenses.com Asian Roots Luxury SpaNew DelhiAsian Roots is an award-winning luxury spa that merges the various traditional therapies from Bali, Japan, Thailand and India to offer its guests a novel and holistic experience. As the name suggests, the ambience and décor of the sprawling two-level spa are Asian. It boasts of state of the art medical technology, and apart from spa and salon services, it also offers cosmetic dermatology and hair transplant treatments, and has cricketers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir vouching for it. It also has sister concerns in Ahmedabad and Bangalore. www.myasianroots.com Spa la Vie Mumbai, MaharashtraBearing the name of the house of L’Occitane en Provence, the leading French cosmetics brand, Spa la Vie is a Mediterranean wellness sanctuary in the Lower Parel area of Mumbai. It features signature L’Occitane therapies, with soaking and emollient properties, in freestanding bathtubs and private steam chambers in every treatment room. Guests can pamper themselves with shea from Burkina Faso and Immortelle from Corsica, or experience a Provencal wrap in one of the city’s first stone heated hammam beds.www.itsmyvie.com/loccitane-spa-la-vie-mumbai Inputs from Shruti Chakraborty(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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