Symbols Of An Elite Identity

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: When do you sit back and say that you’ve arrived? When you own that S class? Or live in a penthouse? Well, to that list you could add: When you consume a ‘By Invitation’ product or service —ie, lifestyle goodies open only to a select few.

So, how do you qualify as a member of an exclusive business club such as the Taj’s Chambers, or reside at a hi-end real estate property, or hold a credit card which provides customised services? Vijay Vancheshwar, a vice-president at DLF, talks about the 250 apartments that will soon be on the market for an astonishing Rs 4,500 a square foot. “Araleus is aimed at the category ‘A’ customer”, he says. Meaning, “high profile executives, entrepreneurs and NRIs”. And Rajiv Ahuja, vice-president at American Express, says that their “Platinum card is all about affluence”.

Suhel Seth

Industrialist Gautam Thapar is both. And he likes the concept. He also likes the fact that as a consumer of By Invitation products, he belongs with his “group”. Exclusivity matters to him, he says. The bill doesn’t.

Adman Suhel Seth, CEO of Equus Red Cell, differs in that he doesn’t see a snob quotient attached to his AmEx Platinum card. But he’s quick to appreciate the credit card as a “very big convenience”, with his shopping, travel and hotel/restaurant bookings all done via that product.