Wisdom From The Wise...

I have never understood people who spend a few lakhs on a pen or a watch. None of my businesses will ever cater to them.

When one is young and tries to rewrite rules, he is called "mad". But when he is finally successful, because he dared to risk it, he is called a "maverick".

I dont think any business plan can die just because of lack of funds. If one has a solid proposition and is willing to put all his effort into making it successful, he can find people willing to help him out. However, if funding is given primary importance, one will get stuck. Making finance the starting point of a decision making process stops businesses from taking many initiatives and ultimately slows down growth.

I believe my strength lies in understanding the needs and aspirations of the Indian customer. The Indian customer both challenges and intrigues me and as an organisation we still do not completely understand each section of our population. Our focus has been and will continue to be on watching, evaluating and capitalising the domestic consumption space. It is such a vast and diverse market by itself that there seems no apparent need to venture outside in the next couple of decades.

India historically has been a savings-led country. Not only are we very value conscious, nothing in our country is ever wasted or thrown away. Women in India are trained from their childhood to preserve everything. This holds true for apparels as well. The average Indian wears the same shirt or trouser for years, well after its colors have faded or the buttons have come off. In every Indian city there are women who trade new utensils for old clothes that are then sold in a second hand market. Many middle class housewives eagerly participate in this barter.