1. The job: I I have been spending a lot of my time working on the launch of new brands in India that have been globally acquired by Samsonite. It is exciting to see how a brand or product will fit into the India market and to work on localising the brand to fit the tastes and needs of the Indian consumer. Currently, I am having great fun working on new product development and communication strategies for our outdoor lifestyle brand High Sierra. I check the sales and social media performance of the brand every night to get a sense of how the new brand is doing. It’s addictive, almost like checking up on betting scores.
2. The weekdays: I wake up around 6 am and use the first two hours of the day to catch up with my husband over a swim or breakfast. I use the commute to answer pending emails and get ready for work. I spend most of my day working with different brand teams on strategy, product development and communication plans. A lot of the decision making is delegated to the team. I choose to spend my time on key strategic areas and step into the day-to-day activities only for specific problem solving. I get an update on design and development once a week from our product designers and once a week con-calls with our brand teams based out of Hong Kong. I spend 10 days of the month travelling to different markets and stores. On the days I am in Mumbai, I try and get out of office by 6pm. Between 8 and 10pm, I catch up with friends and family or read books.
3. The weekend: My husband and I love to travel. We recently went white water rafting in Rishikesh and last month flew to Australia to watch a World Cup match. We enjoy the outdoors and spend a weekend every month in my country house in Nasik— gardening, walking and cooking. The rest of the time is spent enjoying Mumbai with friends and family. I relax and unwind with a good book and am a fan of the classics. I am currently reading Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
4. The toys: I am not much of a gadget person but I can’t do without my phone and Kindle.
5. The logos: I am a big Domino’s Pizza fan. I tend to wear Tory Burch shoes and the Canadian brand, Club Monaco for clothes.
—As told to Banasree Purkayastha
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