Brand nahi to style nahi.? This oft-heard tagline for a brand of sunglasses might just as well be the mantra for Indian weddings Inc. For this is another colonisation of an ethnic space by brands ? not just homegrown but also international ones as well.
Consider the figures. Experts put this seasonal, fairly ?unorganised?, variegated, layered industry to be worth about Rs 1,25,000 crore. And growing at about 25% per annum in recent years. The stats for hotelier-in-the-making and occasional actor Vikram Chatwal?s $30 million wedding last year are impressive ? 50,000 kilos of flowers from Hongkong, Bangkok and Kolkata, 3,000 candles, 65,000 metres of luxurious fabric, three chartered 737s and numerous private jets to fetch invited guests from various parts of the world. The case is but still behind Vanisha Mittal?s $60 million wedding her father threw her and 1,000 of their closest friends in 2005. A dream wedding and the flaunt-benchmark, with a 20-page invite, 10,000 flowers, 45 chefs? From apparel to premium gifting, embellishments to honeymoon, the sector’s multi-layered growth has been a success story in recent years. But even for the most lavish of weddings, it was considered pass? to flaunt brand names ? even when the wine was Mouton Rothschild or the cake Grand Marnier.
?With Indians ready to spend more and more on weddings, it is no surprise that top global brands see a potential gold mine here,? says Tarun Sarda, CEO, Vintage Publication, which organises Vivaha, a multi-city expo, which i five years has become a one-stop shop for wedding-related retail. Agrees Manish Chhabra, director, CTC Mall, who says western styles and concepts are increasingly being seen in Indian weddings. ?This is largely due to the range of events a wedding has today. While on the day of the nuptials the bride or groom may wear Indian dresses, this can change to some fusion variations for other functions,? he says.
And that is where the brands come in. International watch brand Longines is embarking on a unique experience with its bridal collection, launched by no less a person than the most discussed bride of the year Aishwarya Rai. ?This collection is a perfect match,? says Charles Villoz, vice president sales, Longines International. The list of participants at Vivaha, which once started as a jewellery and clothes extravaganza, this year includes names like Christian Dior, Maisha, Unifrutti, Christian Dior. Packaged fruit brand Unifrutti for example has wedding collections of fruit, which are being positioned as a healthy option, says India representative Shefali Tandon. ?The Indian wedding season is a prominent and important time for watch sales for Dior Watches,? says brand manager Karishma Manga. ?We have just introduced a limited edition Dior Christal Chronograph in Red for Rs 8,55,500. Even Apple iPod?s are a popular gift, with their first entry into the wedding expo scene this year, they have sold very well, says a company representative. And then there are Indians who are doing their ?branded? shopping abroad, as a recent report on a celeb wedding, held earlier this year, revealed. The dutiable goods imported were said to be worth around Rs 1 crore!
Even brands (Bang and Olufsen or Glaxo Smithkline or any 24-hour channel) not directly associated with weddings have figured out that the wedding season has all kinds of potential. A KSA Technopak study points to the evidence of premium gifting on the upswing, with brands cashing in on the opportunity. And the benefits are accruing to a number of sectors ?hospitality, tourism, media, real estate, retail and even entertainment. ?Today a wedding in Kuala Lumpur costs less than one on a comparable in upscale Delhi or Mumbai,? says Sarda. And this includes costs of travel and stay, for which top-end venues in destinations like Rajasthan and Goa are hard-pressed to accommodate the wedding rush! ?A popular singer recently charged Rs 30 lakh to perform at a Delhi wedding, while in another, the groom arrived in a helicopter and then gifted it to the bride!? reveals Sarda. So, if you have the moolah, even the King Khan will have to dance.
?The themes for weddings, which range from Rajasthani to Moulin Rouge, also provide ample scope for brands,? says Binti Kohli, director, Pace Weddings. People trying various things for various functions one organises, says the wedding planner. ?We also see the NRIs flowing in friends from the new country and hosting them at exotic places like Udaipur. The bills are in crores as fusion gets more and more established as a trend. Wedding planners and brands getting in are blending the best of international elements with the traditional mood.? Even in ?inauspicious? areas like wedding insurance Bajaj Allianz and ICICI Lombard have entered the arena, though insiders suggest that the concept has to gain acceptability. ?Many of families shy away from it as insurance makes one think of all the wrong reasons ? a bad omen on an auspicious event,? says Kohli.
The insurance sector is however a definite exception in this mad race as the branded
wedding arrives on desi shores with a vengeance. Don?t be surprised if to find exclusive rights not just for celeb magazines, but a whole gamut of products as well at a wedding at a neighbourhood palace. For the stakes are extremely high for brand India.
