Gautam Sinha: Now, smell the coffee at Nappa Dori

A little over six years ago, Gautam Sinha started his own branded collection of leather products called Nappa Dori, which translates to “leather and thread”. Sinha, a graduate from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (Nift), Delhi, started out with a collection of colourful trunks with leather trims as well as a very well-received line of printed leather laptop sleeves and messenger bags. Today, Nappa Dori has six stores in India and two international stores, one each in Doha and Maldives. It also sells its products through distribution partnerships in Paris, London, the US, Japan and Singapore. Scandinavia, Europe and, closer home, Goa are next on Sinha’s wish list as sales destinations. The company recently opened its biggest store in Colaba, Mumbai, just behind the Taj Mahal Palace hotel.

Sinha spoke to Lounge on the sidelines of the LyFe Symposium in Delhi, a consortium that nurtures small, distinctive luxury brands from emerging markets. Spanning two days, the conference saw dynamic exchanges between select stakeholders from the luxury and lifestyle sectors in Europe, South-East Asia and India. Sinha speaks about the launch of Café Dori in the Mumbai store, Nappa Dori’s global expansion plans, and the launch of their first footwear collection. Edited excerpts from an interview:

What is the most interesting development currently under way at Nappa Dori?

Café Dori. It is my baby. I’m a coffee addict. It’s a test run at this stage in Mumbai. But I’m very keen on taking it forward. It is the way we see our brand growing. It’s a user experience we are trying to create with take-away coffee and dessert, a way of making the customer stay longer, enjoy the space, because it’s a design space and the ambience of the store conveys that. We have also started selling magazines in the store, all indie design magazines—from Kinfolk and Monocle to Cereal. So it is all part of enhancing the user experience. And I think it’s very important when you’re not trying to just sell a brand but an experience to the consumer.

Which product category sells the most at your stores?

Our laptop bags are best-sellers. Bags in general are also best-sellers. Our trunks have created this unique identity for us. People recognize Nappa Dori through a trunk, which is great.

Which new product categories are you planning to launch?

We introduced stationery last year, which did really well. We are now looking at luggage and footwear. We did a collection of shoes about two-and-a-half years back. It was a test run but it did really well. There was a collection of Ikat-lined footwear, only for women. It is just that shoes are a high capital-intensive category. Having said that, it is work in progress, and we should have something ready in a year or so.

Tell us about your international expansion strategy.

It is definitely on the radar. We are currently in Doha, at the international airport. We just opened our first store in the Maldives at a property called Huvafen Fushi, one of the best luxury hotels there. From a strategy standpoint, we want to be at airports definitely given that the DNA of Nappa Dori is core to the concept of travel. One of our biggest recent deals has been with Qatar Airlines in Doha. We are their official partner for amenity kits for business- and first-class passengers. I find this a good way to create awareness about the brand without spending too much money in terms of promotions. We are the first Indian brand to strike a two-year deal for over a million kits.

How has the customer profile at Nappa Dori changed over the years?

The Indian audience and clientele have increased a lot, because earlier I was catering just to the expats who were travelling. And while that number hasn’t gone down, the number of buyers from India has gone up.

Has your vision for the brand also changed alongside?

My vision hasn’t changed but the customer experience I want to share keeps evolving; it is not just about selling a bag any more. It is about creating destinations where people can enjoy certain things.

Resource: http://www.livemint.com

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Motorola-Lenovo to expand retail store presence

NEW DELHI: The Motorola-Lenovo combine plans to strengthen its offline retail presence in a bid to increase foothold in what it expects to be a challenging Indian market over the next three years. The company, however, will take a call on expanding manufacturing once the new unified tax regime sets in. 

Calling itself a challenger, the No 3 smartphone brand with 9.9% share as of December, will invest in setting up exclusive retail stores that will give hands on experience and sales for all phones, starting with pilots with large format retail stores such that half its sales comes from offline. Some new launches will include the Moto G5 and new Mods for the Moto Z. 

“It’s going to be very challenging next three years, the top five brands will constitute 80% of the market, and they will be in the premium and sub premium segments and not so much in the bottom of the pyramid,” said Sudhin Mathur, newly-appointed managing director of Motorola India, who also heads the Lenovo phone business in India. 

The company plans to strengthen its offline strategy with expansion, with about 25-100 exclusive stores over the next three years. However, it will begin with about five to six stores in the near term. Currently, two-thirds of its business comes from the online channel. 

“Online market will only grow till the point where it is now, so next growth will come from offline... if half of the sales comes from offline in two years from now, would be great,” Mathur said. 

Resource: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

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PepsiCo, Coca-Cola in a bind in drought-hit Kerala

Kerala shopkeepers have decided to promote local brands over Coca-Cola and PepsiCo beverages, following boycott from counterparts in Tamil Nadu

Mumbai/Delhi: A potent blend of pride, economic nationalism and mounting concern over water security have the world’s two biggest cola brands in a bind in southern India.

Shopkeepers in drought-hit Kerala decided on Wednesday to promote local brands over Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. beverages after counterparts in neighbouring Tamil Nadu boycotted the multinational drinks. While retail groups claim the companies are siphoning off groundwater and selling products tainted with pesticides, academics and analysts say the soda giants have become scapegoats for a water crisis that’s become mired in politics and patriotism.

India is one of the most water-challenged nations, and fights over water have erupted between users periodically for decades. Failed monsoon rains over as many as the past three years in some states have parched rivers and dams, forcing farmers, manufacturers and municipal water suppliers to rely more on wells to meet their needs. Problem is, those too are drying up, and that’s hurting farmers, 

India’s economic mainstay.

“The root cause for the boycott isn’t the multinational companies, but the enduring fight between industrial users and farmers, especially in several drought-hit states,” said P.L. Beena, an associate professor with the Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

‘Make in India’

On top of that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to companies to “make in India” has given rise to a pro-India push—and, in some cases, an anti-foreigner backlash—that’s supporting local brands.

“With Modi at the centre, many activist groups and political parties are taking their agenda to the street more strongly than they have in the past instances,” Beena said.

The latest action means drinks from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which together have a 96% hold on India’s $4.9 billion soda market, will be kept off the shelves of more than 1 million shops.

Vendors would rather lose business than sell the products, said A. M. Vikrama Raja, president of a retailers’ association in Tamil Nadu with about 1.5 million members. The boycott started 1 March, a day before the Madras High Court dismissed a petition seeking a ban on the American soda-makers drawing water from the local Thamirabarani river.

“Instead of foreign sodas, we will promote local beverages,” said T. Naseeruddin, president of a retailers’ group that says it has more than 700,000 retailers in Kerala, which is facing its worst drought in 115 years.

Operation sensitization

The group stopped short of joining the boycott in Tamil Nadu after a meeting Wednesday with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a spokesman said. Instead, retailers will pursue “sensitization against multinational products” via a state-level conference, and seek a policy response from the state government.

India has at least 50 local drink brands, which are typically 20% cheaper than the global cola brands, brokerage Kotak Securities Ltd said in a 23 February report.

Manpasand Beverages Ltd, based in Vadodara, Gujarat state’s cultural capital, is “aggressively expanding its reach in Tamil Nadu to take advantage of the ongoing cola ban,” it said in a statement Wednesday. The company, which sells carbonated fruit drinks and juices, is setting up a Rs1.5 billion ($23 million) plant in Sri City, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) north of Chennai to cater to the demands of southern markets, it said.A boycott from farmers could result in Coca-Cola and PepsiCo losing “a big part of their consumer base in the rural areas,” said Oru Mohiuddin, a strategy analyst for market researcher Euromonitor International in London. Still, India’s rural population tends to prefer water, tea and fresh coconut water over sodas, and sales of carbonated drinks are slowing as Indian consumers switch to bottled water and other healthier options, Mohiuddin said.

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, based in Purchase, New York, declined to comment on the allegations of water exploitation and contamination, referring questions to their Indian units. The local units also declined to comment, referring questions to a statement from the Indian Beverage Association, which said that Hindustan Coca-Cola and PepsiCo India are compliant with all applicable regulations and that their products are safe.

The association said it’s “deeply disappointed” with Kerala retailers’ call to boycott the beverages since it hampers consumer choice, and said both companies use less than 0.5 percent of the water used by all industries in India, according to an emailed statement Wednesday.

Blacklisted brands

The blacklisting of the brands is, according to the association, against the spirit of Modi’s “Make in India” program, which gives preferential treatment to foreign companies that agree to have a portion of the manufacturing done domestically. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo provide employment to 2,000 families in Tamil Nadu and help support more than 200,000 retailers, the association said.

Pepsi’s beverage and snack units in India used 6.98 billion liters of water and added 19.7 billion liters through various water-saving programs in 2015, according to estimates the company said are verified by accounting firm Deloitte LLP. Coca-Cola India has achieved “full balance between total water used in beverage production and that replenished to nature and communities through community water projects,” it said in February 2016.

“There is a political overtone to the boycott,” said Ramu Manivannan, a political analyst and head of the politics department at University of Madras in the Tamil Nadu capital, Chennai. “It’s not just politics, but pure economics, too. Shopkeepers are making a politically correct stance by boycotting multinational beverages.’’

Subduing bulls

An anti-American backlash was sparked in January after animal rights groups, including the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, successfully petitioned the Supreme Court of India to enforce a ban on a popular Tamil spectacle in which people attempt to subdue bulls. The resultant ire of supporters of the event was initially directed at US-based PETA, but then shifted to more visible American targets: Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which together operate 60 bottling plants in India.

Neither are new to water-related community complaints in India. Coca-Cola’s plant in Plachimada, Kerala, was shut down by the state government in 2004 after protests that began in 2002, and the company scrapped a $24 million expansion in Uttar Pradesh state in August 2014, citing delays obtaining permits to extract more water.

PepsiCo sought police protection for water being brought to a plant in southern Tamil Nadu in 2015. The beverage-manufacturing facility, located in a water-stressed area, had been the target of a community-led campaign to shut it down, according to the India Resource Center.

Most companies share water with farms, which employ about half of India’s 1.3 billion people and contribute 18% of the $2 trillion economy. Agriculture gets the lion’s share, leaving industrial users to fight with municipal water suppliers for the precious resource.

The federal government in 2015 required companies to obtain permission to use groundwater. Last April, the then junior environment minister Prakash Javadekar said India would aim to reduce industrial water usage by half over five years by using newer technology to reuse, recover and recycle water.

Relief for India’s tiring aquifers can’t come fast enough. More than a quarter of groundwater systems are too salty, becoming depleted or are over-exploited, according to a 2013 Planning Commission presentation. In addition, at least 75% of the country’s rivers, lakes and other surface water bodies are contaminated by human and agricultural waste and industrial effluent.

Water protection

“No noticeable changes to the protection of freshwater sources is yet featuring on the Indian government’s agenda,” said Jenny Gronwall, program manager for water governance at Sweden’s Stockholm International Water Institute . “It seems as if the situation must get worse and the general public unite in loud protests before a reduce–reuse–recycle paradigm takes hold.’’

Targeting foreign brands isn’t likely to solve India’s water crisis, said Damandeep Singh, a director of CDP India, a non-profit that said it holds the world’s largest database of corporate-related water information using disclosures from companies such as Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Co. and Nestle SA.

“Beverage companies are at clear risk due to worsening water security,” said Singh, adding that companies and other users must work together to safeguard the river basins in which they operate. “Actions in water-scarce regions, like Tamil Nadu, have to be mapped out and planned much in advance and with extreme care.” 

Resource: http://www.livemint.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/ 

Amity hosts three day knowledge and entertainment extravaganza for youth

A three day knowledge and entertainment Amity Youth Fest 2017 extravaganza commenced today at Amity University Campus in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, which saw the participation of thousands of students from colleges and institutions across Delhi/NCR in various informative and competitive events.

The event has been organized to provide experiential learning to the students, test their intellectual and artistic prowess, besides opening up avenues for sharing mutual experience, skills and talent in the area of culture, literary and other activities.

The first day witnessed over 60 inter-institutional events/competitions/workshops such as the "Verbum Bellum- Debate", Poster Making Competition, Web Designing, "Kalam- Web Based Writing Competition", Code Hunt, Photography Competition, "Timecode- International Film Festival", Crime Scene Investigation, Ethical Hacking, Snap Story Challenge, "Amity Mock Parliament", Digital Poster Design Competition, Comic Making Competition, Robo Expedition Workshop, Autocad Workshop, Sensors Workshop, Internet of Things Workshop and others.

During Mock Parliament organized by Amity Law School, Centre-II, Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari, Former Chief Justice, Patna High Court and Mr. Tarun Vijay- BJP Leader and Former MP, Rajyasabha addressed the budding lawyers.

Mr. Tarun Vijay- BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP, said the mock parliament is a fine example to apprise students with the conduct of Parliament.

He remarked that India received its freedom after lot of difficulties and hardships and some part of India was maliciously annexed by immediate neighbours.

He called upon the students to know the history of the country and their roots which will help them to become good leader and great parliamentarians.

He remarked that education is of no use, if it is not directed towards the growth or development of the nation and urged the youth to actively participate in the politics to change the society.

He opined that a successful person is not the one with good position, successful career or wealth but the one who works towards the well- being of people and contributes towards development of the country.

During the Mock Parliament, students were divided into four committees, including Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, stakeholders Meet and Futuristic War Cabinet wherein students discussed various agendas such as "Demonetization, Foreign Development Policy, Personal Law and Indo- Pak War."

Sharing his views, Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari- Former Chief Justice, Patna High Court said that India has a largest parliament democracy and budding legal professionals should be aware about the nuances of the parliamentary debates of conduct. He remarked that the essence of democracy is to have a right to agree or disagree over issues and constructive debates are very important in parliamentary debates without which the growth of the Nation is not possible.

He stressed that in a Parliament, opposition should not merely criticize government policies just for the sake of downplaying the Government and people's trust need to be but over elected representatives by the political parties to ensure peace and harmony.

Amity Institute of Psychology & Allied Sciences (AIPS) started three day "PERSONA 2017 (AYF 2017)". PERSONA is a unique platform where fun, flare and enjoyment are blended with sensitivity to spread awareness and get enthusiastic participation of youth on emerging perspectives in psychology and their relationship to the happiness and wellbeing of humanity.

During the second day, a plethora of workshops, competitive and entertaining events will be held, including Mr. Amity Fitness Competition, Classical Dance Competition, Face Painting, Ethical Hacking, 3D Painting Workshop and others.

International Artists will perform as part of cultural evening including María del Mar Fernandez , Spanish Flamenco Singer best known in India for her rendering of the song Señorita from the 2011 hindi film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara; Band Shtuby and famous Israeli Drummist Oded Kafri from 6 p m onwards.

Resource: http://www.business-standard.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

IndiaMART Partners with TiE Delhi-NCR for Annual SME Conclave 2017

Prominent business leaders share their views on the impact of e-commerce, budget, GST, technology, and funding avenues for SMEs

IndiaMART, India’s largest online marketplace, organized the annual SME Conclave 2017 in association with TiE Delhi-NCR at the Welcome Hotel Sheraton in Saket, New Delhi. Themed ‘SMEs in new India’, the conclave featured several leaders from the industry discussing various facets of young businesses like marketing, finance, technology and more.

The event brought together TiE’s extensive mentor base and IndiaMART’s vast buyer and seller network to promote entrepreneurship in the country and share business-related advice with the SME sector. 

Dinesh Agarwal (Founder & CEO - IndiaMART), Brijesh Agrawal (Co-founder & Director – IndiaMART) particularly focused on the need of digitization for MSMEs. Availability of adequate finances for MSMEs is a critical issue but it is people like Dhruv Shringi (Co-founder & CEO Yatra.com) who have changed the whole game. Dhruv shared his experience of making his company public. Dinesh Gulati (Director of IndiaMART), Alok Mittal (Co-founder and CEO of Indifi Technologies), Vikas Arora (Executive Vice President & Regional Business Leader, Emerging Business Banking of YES BANK), Padmaja Ruparel (President, Indian Angel Network) and Amit Sachdev (Co-founder & CEO, Cointribe) talked about the alternative financing options. Among the other eminent speakers present at the event were Sunil Dutt (President, Reliance Jio Infocomm) and Aman Nath, Founder & Chairman, Neemrana Hotels

Commenting on the conclave, Dinesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, IndiaMART, said, “India’s economic prosperity relies on millions of small & medium-sized entrepreneurs who are taking tremendous financial risks to create innovative products and services as well as job opportunities. Through this conclave, we wanted to reach out to these SME owners and assist them in overcoming all the obstacles that have been holding them back from fulfilling their dream of creating world-class enterprises.”

Brijesh Agrawal, Co-founder & Director, IndiaMART, added, “In the current competitive business environment, it is important for SMEs to create value for their customers. Digitisation is impacting all aspects of businesses today whether it is marketing, finance or logistics. These are exciting times for the emerging entrepreneurs and businesses as through the adoption of new technology, today’s SMEs can become large businesses tomorrow if they innovate and adapt to these trends with time.”

The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector in India has been thriving amidst a challenging environment and has experienced several highs and lows over the past few years. With the Indian B2B e-commerce expected to become a $700Bn industry, IndiaMART’s latest endeavor ties-in with its long-term vision to empower Indian SMEs with technology and strengthen the backbone of the country’s economy by betting big on entrepreneurship as a viable and promising career option.

Resource: http://bwdisrupt.businessworld.in

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Caterpillar, Kodak brand smartphones to hit India market shortly

UK-based Bullitt Group, the license holder for Caterpillar, Land Rover, JCB and Kodak brands for phones and audio products, is bringing some of them to India, the world’s largest smartphone market.

UK-based Bullitt Group, the license holder for Caterpillar, Land Rover, JCB and Kodak brands for phones and audio products, is bringing some of them to India, the world’s largest smartphone market, targeting niche users in the premium segment with its ‘rugged’ phones. Linda Summers, Chief Marketing Officer, Bullitt Group told ET that the company is already in talks with individual consumers and businesses to sell the Cat brand of smartphone meant for outdoor use, slotted for a launch this month. Excerpts:

Which mobile phone brands will be brought to India this year? And how many models of each?

Bullitt Group is the worldwide licensee of Caterpillar Inc. for ‘rugged’ mobile devices and accessories, and has global licences with Kodak and Land Rover for the design, development and marketing of mobile phones in the lifestyle and outdoor categories. We are excited to be bringing the Cat S60 by March and Kodak Ektra by April to India. As the opportunity presents itself, we will bring our other brands as well. Globally, 1 million Cat phones have been sold.

Would the group look at smartphones or feature phones, or both?

We believe in delivering devices which are innovative, differentiated and designed to meet the needs of consumers we believe will value the features and functionality our products provide. Through our brand partnerships, we have been able to bring distinct products to market which deliver real benefits to our consumers’ in their work and personal lives. We are currently focused on smartphones for the Indian market, but do have a significant customer base for our Cat branded feature phones in Europe. We will be keeping a keen eye on opportunities for these products too in the Indian market, but have no plans to launch right now.

Why has the Group thought of entering the Indian market now, specially when competition is so high here?

We do not compete in the mass products market. This is where we have observed the bulk of launches and competitive activities in the India market over the last months, with aggressive brand and variant launches appearing every few months. Following our evaluation of the India market over a the last year, we have spotted an opportunity for our partner brands. We recognise that India is a sophisticated market when it comes to smartphones and of course, one of the fastest growing ones too. However, we design and develop products with our partner brands which are designed to meet unmet or underserved needs of specific consumer segments, with a highly targeted offer.

Will the brands be sold online or offline?

The product will be available via both online and offline channel. We will ensure that our consumers have access to the product through the channels they prefer to use. In online, we’re talking to Amazon for local sales.

What are the likely price points that you plan to enter the market?

Our products are priced to offer value for money to the consumer and reflect the functionality and benefits of each device.

How are the devices different from the lot already here?

These are rugged, tough devices that are waterproof, dust proof, break proof, military grade, with infra red dual cameras, which can be used to make phone calls, access the internet as well. As an example, people in South African forests use the Cat phones’ infra red camera to track baby rhinos. In India, we’re talking to the fire departments of Delhi and Mumbai for using the phone. We’re also talking to various industrial verticals.

Who makes the devices? And how do you plan to sell offline?

Compal Electronics, based in China. We have a distributor Brand Eyes, out of Noida, which will sell the phones at is own six stores in Delhi NCR, and they will also distribute it to 40 high street retailers in India, to start with.

Resource: http://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/

Groupe SEB launches Tefal brand in India

Groupe SEB, world leader in small domestic equipment with a turnover of 5 billion euros in 2016, is all set to revolutionize the cookware and small electrical appliances segment in India. The France-based consortium has launched Tefal with a premium range of products across segments such as Cookware, Food & Drink Preparation, Breakfast, Linen Care and Home Care.

Tefal ingenious and durable products will ensure Indian consumers get the best out of everyday, with the assurance of making their home a better place, in a fast-paced and ever-changing world.

CEO, Groupe SEB India, Sunil Wadhwa said: “Groupe SEB is pleased to launch the flagship premium Brand Tefal in India. This launch is in sync with the Groupe’s strategy to establish leadership position in the market. Tefal’s launch is the next phase in Groupe SEB’s expansion strategy to dominate the market with products which are designed in France, acknowledged for their innovative solutions and are equipped with patented technologies providing perfect results.”

To begin with, Tefal non-stick cookware, steam irons and air purifiers will be available in Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. By June 2017, Tefal would be available across 13 metros and mini-metros in the country and product range would also be expanded with the addition of food preparation and breakfast categories. With a gradual expansion in range, Tefal would have an extensive product portfolio available in the market by end of 2017.

Highlighting the importance of India in Groupe SEB’s expansion plans worldwide, Chairman & CEO, Groupe SEB, Mrhierry de La Tour d’Artaise said “Since Maharaja Whiteline became Groupe SEB’s 100 per cent subsidiary, Wadhwa and his team have doubled the sales, they have increased tremendously the product development and the number of after-sales service all around India where we have a state-of- the-art production facility (in Baddi – Himachal Pradesh). After the Maharaja Whiteline brand, we will now introduce in India, one of our most famous international brands: Tefal. We will start with cookware, irons, kitchen appliances and air purifiers. In the second stage, we will be launching food preparation products like juicers, mixer grinders before introducing more and more products. We will start with four cities, then nine and then the whole country. We have big ambitions for India and we will invest a lot here.”

With price points ranging from an affordable Rs 699 for a frying pan to Rs 37,599 for the Masterchef gourmet kitchen machine, the state-of-the-art Tefal products have been designed in France, produced and sourced from global factories.

For now, Tefal plans to introduce more than 40 products across five categories in the market gradually. And there will be more to come thereafter.

Groupe SEB acquired a 100 per cent stake in Maharaja Whiteline in early 2014. Since then, the Groupe SEB India has grown by more than by over 100 per cent, and has introduced more than 170 products in the market. Along with the new products, there has been a phenomenal growth in the global SDA major’s distribution network, not just in the north — erstwhile Maharaja Whiteline’s bastion — but also in many other states in the country.

Groupe SEB India, with its brand Maharaja Whiteline is currently present across all the Indian states with its 22 branch offices. Groupe SEB India is one of the very few appliance companies which has its own state of the art factory. It helps in producing very good quality and durable appliances in India itself.

Resource: http://www.indiaretailing.com

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/