Made in Italy, Made in France and such labels are trying hard to sell their brand of luxury in India. Even as we speak, the best and the brightest in the business are gathered in New Delhi to discuss the potential of the Indian market.
Luxury, so far, has been the preserve of the Europeans -- within that of the French and the Italians.
There are only a handful of luxury brands that have emerged from other countries or continents, even though there is no official body anywhere in the world that actually decides on who can call themselves a luxury goods company. So, why is it that luxury goods companies haven't emerged in decent numbers anywhere else?
Right now the buzz amongst design professionals (industrial designers, furniture designers, painters, sculptors et al) is that India is a rare country with a strong crafts base.
Getting anything of great beauty, handmade, here is still possible without it being prohibitively expensive -- the way it is now in the developed world, including in luxury-producing countries like France and Italy.
Owners and CEOs of luxury companies admit in private that the skills available in India are unparalleled. They admire India for its understanding of luxury and the discerning eye of its nationals.
In contrast, China is often ridiculed for having forgotten luxury after having donned the grey, uninspiring Mao suit for 60 years!
On record, the same CEOs talk about how they are not just selling luxury but also what their countries represent. So Brioni is very much about being Made in Italy as is Canali. The identities of these companies seem to be tied-in with nationalism.
When asked if any of these firms, all panting for a slice of the lucrative Indian market, would consider shifting part of their production base here, the answer is a horror-stricken 'no'. Indians, it seems, are discerning consumers but not fit to produce quality.
This double standard is laughable given that countries that claim to be selling luxury have pretty much lost their crafts bases and have had to shift production to other countries. It's an open secret that some of the biggest names in luxury get their embroideries done in India, they just don't tell the world about it.
The only way to take on such hypocrisy is to start a slew of Indian luxury brands that take the world by storm. We have the crafts base and the marketing brains. For us, luxury, Made in India, should be the next thrust area.
