A vinous handshake

It is time to uncork the bubbly. In a first for the Indian wine industry, 11 wineries have come together on a single common platform to launch the ‘Wines of India’ programme that will support

and promote Indian labels as one entity. The launch event was held at Mumbai’s AKA restaurant, with an interactive and structured tasting of the member wines. Sommelier Nikhil Agarwal, Founder and CEO, All Things Nice, is also the director of the programme and will be responsible for the retail promotions, consumer experiences, training and publicity. Agarwal said that the time was right for the industry to come together. According

to him, the fledgling Indian wine industry had the potential to become a serious contender in the global market. “Our aim is to stand together on an impartial platform and promote a culture of wine consumption in India as well as promote Indian labels overseas,” he said. The wineries that form part of this initiative have been selected on a meritorious basis, and comprise Sula Vineyards, Reveilo Wines, Grover Zampa Vineyards, Fratelli Wines, Nine Hills along with recently launched wineries Myra Vineyards, Charosa Vineyards, Vallonne Vineyards, Good Drop Wines Cellars, York Winery and Soma Vineyards.

India will account for five per cent of the total UHNWI (Those with $30million or more in net assets) population and six per cent of the billionaire population across the world by 2025, according to the Knight

Frank Wealth Report 2016. Via video conferencing, Singapore-based Nicholas Holt, Head of Research, Knight Frank Asia Pacific, pointed out that Asia led the absolute increase in UHNWI population in the world in the last 10 years, and would do so in the next 10 years too, with India accounting for a large part of this growth. “The strength and diversity of the Indian economy will continue to provide entrepreneurial and wealth growth opportunities, with the country set to see a doubling of its UHNWI population over the next 10 years,” he added.

In the last decade, the billionaire count in India has jumped by 333 per cent to 78 people, whereas the global growth was just 68 per cent, to 1,919 people. And in the same period, the UHNWI count in India rose by 340 per cent to 6,020 people, while globally there was a 61 per cent increase to 1,87,468 people.

Dr. Samantak Das, Chief Economist & National Director

— Research, Knight Frank India, said, “Among Indian cities, Mumbai leads the pack followed by New Delhi. Going forward, Mumbai will continue to maintain its number one position, but the rate of growth in the UHNWI population will be marginally higher in New Delhi than in Mumbai.” knightfrank.co.in

India to account for six per cent of global billionaires by 2025

(Left to Right: Gearing up for the launch of the ‘Wines of India’ programme; Craig Wedge of Fratelli Wines, Clive Castellino of Charosa Vineyards, Ashwin Rodrigues of Good Drop Wine Cellars, Cecilia Oldne of Sula Vineyards, Kiran and Yatin Patil of Reveilo Wines, Nikhil Agarwal of All Things Nice, and Kailash Gurnani of York Winery)

Wealthy Indians – Distribution as of 2015

Note: Net worth excluding primary residence

Millionaires ($1m+)

236,000

Multi-millionaire ($10m+)

14,800

UHNWIs ($30m+)

6,020

Centa-millionaires ($100m+)

760

Billionaires ($1000m+)

78

Mumbai leads in the UHNWI count

Mum bai

1,094

Delhi

545

Mum bai

357%

Delhi

335%

Mum bai

105%

Delhi

107%

Growth in last 10 years

Growth in next 10 years

Over the next 10 years, wealthy Indians

41% 22% 91%

Global 41% Asia 34%

Global 47% Asia 38%

Global 70% Asia 68%

Will increase their asset allocation to

residential real estate (primary or second home)

Will increase their asset allocation to

commercial real estate (property for investment alone)

Will increase their asset allocation to financial investments

(including stocks and shares, mutual funds, alternative investments)

Over the next 10 years, top 3 concerns around creation & preservation of wealth in India will be

SUCCESSION / INHERITANCE

ISSUES

#1 #2

GLOBAL ECONOMY

#3

TAX FOR THE WEALTHY

[ 2 ] blackbook | March 2016

News & Views

Luxury events

Luxe BytesA gourmet box

In 2014, Shaival Chandra, Owner, Gritty Foods, launched Hopping Chef, an online dining service which brought gourmet

chefs into your kitchen to whip up decadent meals. Now, Hopping Chef has launched an app, available on all platforms, and has introduced a ‘Hop Box’ — a ready to eat multi-course meal. These gourmet meals have been created by their in-house master chefs such as Ajay Thakur, Executive Chef, Le Mangii and Pallette and celebrity chef Michael Swamy. “We are targeting corporates and their employees with the Hop Box. While similar concepts are

already trendy abroad, we are the pioneers in this segment in India. We developed this app to offer gourmet cuisine to customers, who can order as per their convenience with one-click,” says Chandra.

The celebrity chefs at Hop Box have created an extensive menu, offering Indian, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Burmese, Japanese, Middle-Eastern and even Indonesian cuisine. Apart from food, the app will also feature about 200 recipes videos created by the chefs. hoppingchef.com

BlackBook looks at new and upcoming brands that are making their mark in the rarefied world of luxury TheluxlisT

Reshma Chhabria Kumar

— Neeti Mehra

Love is Skewed is a crucifix-shaped, handcrafted receptacle. With a single stem, this duco painted, teakwood vase is set at a precarious

angle, but never tips over. The Weekend is also a clever creation. A wooden bottle holder, it resembles an inflated accordion. These quirky artefacts come from the HIIH collection, a design-led, artisan-made decor brand founded by interior designer Reshma Chhabria Kumar. “There is beauty

in simplicity,” says Chhabria Kumar, who straddles two global cities, Tokyo and Mumbai, and draws

inspiration from them. Who: Chhabria Kumar has over 14 years of

experience in the field of interior design. Having completed a diploma in PV Polytechnic, Mumbai, she worked with several design firms before branching out on her own. Her evolving design sensibilities led her to conceptualise

HIIH, with the underlying thought that ‘design lies in the details.’ Moving

away from mass production, Chhabria Kumar

says, “Each piece is crafted by a different artisan.” What: Her design sensibility is a combination of Japanese aesthetics and Indian detailing. Over the years, she has worked with immensely talented artisans, and she hopes to bridge the gap between the former and the design world. “We create for the design and quality conscious crowd who have limited access to these artisans. There is always space for great design,” she adds, with an eye on the future. hoW: According to Chhabria Kumar, customers today seek quality

products at a fair price. With the demand for quality growing, so will HIIH prosper, she asserts. The products are currently available in Japan and Mumbai and Bangalore. “So far, the best response has come from the international market,” she says. Currently HIIH retails from its own website (h2hshop.com) and a design portal, Engrave — The Maker’s Market (engrave.in), Chhabria Kumar will eventually retail from brick and mortar stores in India.

HIIH’s zen-like simplicity and versatility in design attempts to bring the vision of the designer and the artisan closer

A SIMPLE DESIGN

hotel operations Summit India (hoSI) 20164 april, 2016

JW Marriott Aerocity New Delhi

The 4th edition of HOSI, a dedicated forum for hotel professionals in the region, will be a day-long conference that debates techniques to improve operational efficiencies, enhance service standards, optimise revenues and increase bottom lines. This edition puts the spotlight on general managers. HOSIconference.com

Luxury Beyond Product5-6 april, 2016

Trianon Palace Versailles

France

Hosted and moderated by New York Times’ Fashion Director, Vanessa Friedman, and other

Times’ journalists, this luxury conference addresses the most critical challenges and unexpected opportunities — in today’s luxury battlefield. Expect rigorous discussions on new strategies and a host of fresh ideas to reach out to the complex luxury consumer. luxurybeyondproduct.com

Hopping Chef has launched an app that brings gourmet meals to your doorstep

Vinitaly 10-13 april, 2016

Veronafiere, V.le del Lavoro, 8,

Verona, Italy

The world’s leading international wine and spirits exhibition, Vinitaly receives over 4,000 exhibitors and 1.5 lakh visitors from over 120 countries. Celebrating its 50th edition this year, visitors can expect meetings, tastings and targeted workshops that build up a conversation among different stakeholders. Vinitaly.com/en

News & Views

[ 4 ] blackbook | March 2016

market chatter

appoint ment

“New aristocrats prefer showing off their privilege with hard-to-get retro clothes and objects, studying obscure subjects at university or even taking loud outrage-driven political positions, or making conspicuous donations to sometimes wasteful charities.” — Sam BowmanExecutive Director, Adam Smith Institute.

“It’s a mess. It’s just powdering something that people don’t want to

see anyway — to make a statement. But the reality is that you have to give people the time to make their choice, to order the clothes or handbags, and to produce them beautifully, so that editors can photograph them. This way is chaos.” — DeSigneR KaRL LageRfeLD’S verdict on the high-speed economy that has lately taken hold of the luxury industry.

“There is a preciousness with Asian clients that appreciates handmade things and, of course, branded things. Artistry and craftsmanship are something that keeps coming up.” — HowaRD guyChief Executive Officer, Design Q — a consultancy service.

“We can use the machine of Samsonite foot soldiers on the ground to expand Tumi’s global footprint. Tumi can help us cover our gaps.” — RameSH TainwaLaChief Executive, Samsonite on the world’s largest luggage vendor’s foothold in the premium-luggage segment with the take over of Tumi, while offering the latter distribution channels to expand in Asia and Europe.

snippets

RIteSh ChoudhaRyhas been appointed as the Director, Food and Beverage at the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. He has been associated with the Taj Group of Hotels for over a decade. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring that the food philosophy of Taj is reflected through its culinary repertoire. Apart from his stint at the Taj, Choudhary has been associated with leading brands such as The Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts and JW Marriott. He has been bestowed with the award for Young Hotel Restaurant Manager of the Year 2009-2010 by FHRAI. tajhotels.com

Fabi debuts in DelhiAfter the influx of numerous apparel brands in India, it is the turn of independent accessories labels to explore the market. The newest entrant is Italian accessories brand FABI, founded by brothers Elisio and Enrico Fabi in 1965. Its first store has been opened in Delhi by Mescos Shoes, a subsidiary of the MESCOS Group that has interests in leather garments, shoes, and pharmaceuticals. Sameer Singh, Director, Mescos Shoes, said that they would introduce standalone stores in Mumbai and Kolkata next. With its headquarters in Monte San Giusto, Italy, FABI has over 300 employees, including master

shoemakers and artisans and has over 120 stores globally, including its boutique in Delhi. fabiboutique.com

Kate Winslet sparkles in NIRAV MODI Actress Kate Winslet wore NIRAV MODI jewels to the 88th edition of the Academy Awards, where she was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress for the film, Steve Jobs. Her Ralph Lauren ensemble was accentuated by the ‘Luminance Bracelet’ and matching ‘Luminance Earrings’ and a 2K ‘Pear Celestial Ring’ — a total of nearly 100K of diamonds. “The jewels express superior craftsmanship and innovation — whether it is the unique diamond cuts or delicate mechanisms that allow the gems to move and adapt with the wearer,” said Winslet. NIRAV MODI recently opened a store in New York, and is about to open a store in London this year, in addition to existing boutiques in Hong Kong, New Delhi and Mumbai. niravmodi.com

Kate Spade’s India ambitionsReliance Brands has inked a partnership to bring Kate Spade New York, a label synonymous with playful sophistication, vibrant colours and graphic prints, to India, through a long-term distribution contract and retail license agreement. Craig A. Leavitt, Chief Executive Officer of Kate Spade & Company, believes that this expansion is an important step for the brand, as they look to engage with the global marketplace. “With India’s rapid development and increasingly aspirational consumers, we see significant growth opportunities in the region in the long term,” said Leavitt. Kate Spade will retail through standalone stores in the country by the second half of the year. Darshan Mehta, President and CEO of Reliance Brands, said that the label’s “strong design point of view will resonate with Indian consumers.” katespade.com; ril.com

Gaggan Asia’s best for second year running Gaggan, superstar Chef Gaggan Anand’s progressive Indian cuisine restaurant in Bangkok, has scooped the title of the Best Restaurant in Asia 2016 for the second year in a row. His boundary pushing cuisine, including memorable dishes such as Who Killed The Goat? (lamb chops cooked sous vide) and I Want My Curry! (crab curry served in tiffin pots), served with the occasional theatrics and backed by a strong beverage menu, has earned him the accolade. In second place is Tokyo’s Narisawa that’s helmed by Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa, who spent eight years training in Europe. It serves French cuisine with Japanese ingredients. Singapore’s Restaurant Andre’s Singaporean take on southern French nouvelle cuisine has seen it move up two places to the third place. Meanwhile, Chef Manish Mehrotra’s Indian Accent has risen from 22 last year to the ninth position in 2016, and Wasabi by Morimoto, Mumbai has bagged the 44th spot and Bukhara, New Delhi the 45th position. theworlds50best.com

News & Views

[ 6 ] blackbook | March 2016