Garden City, Silicon Valley of India, Pensioner’s Paradise -- Bengaluru or Bangalore as it is still referred to goes by many sobriquets. It is one of the fastest developing cities in India and displays a healthy mix of the modern and the traditional in all things. The architecture, the lifestyle, the people’s mindset, everything makes for an intensely liveable and likeable place – even the weather is gently bracing, not to forget the innumerable gardens that are an intrinsic part of the city. It is all these factors that have contributed to making Bengaluru one of the top contenders for the retailer’s paradise – and that includes jewellery retail too.%% Bengaluru city has a very interesting history of jewellery manufacture and retail. Basically, the manufacturing dates back to 300 years ago. Before that, neighbouring city Mysore was the manufacturing centre for jewellery – this was primarily because the Royal Palace was in Mysore, monarchs like Tipu Sultan and the Wodiyars before him were quite fond of their jewellery to say the least. Bangalore itself is divided into two parts – Bengaluru City, which developed around 300 years ago, and Bengaluru Cantonment, which was set up by the British around 200 years ago. Bengaluru City became a major manufacturing hub around 200 years ago, while the Cantonment became a very cosmopolitan area because of the migrant population that came in from the neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. %% At that time, the Bengaluru manufacturing scenario saw a lot of repousse work (embossing work) that still remains famous. Also, jewellery designs produced in Bengaluru saw the advent of closed setting work, which was similar to the Rajasthani closed setting work with enamelling, but the use of enamelling in these pieces was very sporadic. From 1880 onwards, open setting designs which were more European in style became popular here – the twist was that even with the European form, the designs remained predominantly traditional. Till around Independence, these three design infl uences – repousse, closed setting, open European setting remained the major products. From 1960 onwards, there was a huge change – fashionable jewellery became the norm. This was mainly because the city was rapidly becoming cosmopolitan in nature. In the ’90s of course, with the software boom, the city’s development was very fast and this was the time when the jewellery became very design oriented.

“As compared to the other key jewellery centres in South India, Bengaluru was very much advanced in terms of designs. Other states were also more traditional in their design outlook. The Bangalorean was willing to experiment – this has led to Bengaluru becoming known for its variety in patterns,” opines Vinod Hayagriv, Managing Director, C Krishniah Chetty & Sons, one of the premier jewellers in Bengaluru. CKC has been an integral part of the Bengaluru jewellery scene for more than a hundred years – since 1869. “Given the history of jewellery manufacturing, the city’s development in that field has not quite been what it could have been. People here are fairly laidback and relaxed-- they are not very ambitious. Even so, the jewellery manufacturing business in Bengaluru is to the tune of an estimated Rs. 1500 crores annually, not a small amount at all,” he adds. %% Jewellery retail in Bengaluru tells quite a different tale, though. This is one city where the customer is a tough cookie. The jewellery as investment rule does not apply here at all. As Hayagriv puts it, “Competitive is the key word for the market here. The percentage of people sticking to the age-old system of one trusted family jeweller is relatively less here. She will very easily purchase from different jewellers, so long as the product satisfies her.” %% The customer demographic here is very young, modern and willing to experiment – and that shows in their choice of jewellery too. Innovations, new concepts, new trends, and new ideas – the jewellery market in Bengaluru thrives on these. In fact, it is commonly known in the industry, that Bengaluru is the ideal city to try out new concepts – if it works here then it generally would work in the rest of the country too. Of course, the three original definitive concepts – repousse, closed setting and Europaen open setting designs remain evergreen for the Bangalorean. %% Says Pratap Kamath, Owner, Abaran Jewellers, “Picky and choosy are the two words that best describe the customer here. The emphasis on the design aesthetic is very very strong - if you want to see the best jewellery in the country, then a random sampling from any 10 retail jewellery stores is enough – the customer’s highly evolved tastes and preferences have ensured that only the best designs survive here. It’s a good mix of traditional and modern jewellery. Given the customer demographic, the Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh segment moves really fast.”

Bhuwan Gaurav, Marketing Head, Tanishq explains, “We also see a lot of traditional jewellery selling well here. Wedding jewellery made in the Karnataka style is very popular. Having said that, it’s important to realise that the market is extremely cosmopolitan in nature, and the customer buys as per requirement. There are people from all states and income segments residing here, necessitating the wide range in design and price points – versatility is important.“ %% Besides the finicky customer, jewellers also feel the heat from the competition – both from other jewellers who have recently set up shop here, and also from the international brands entering the market. “International brands do have a presence here, malls with huge jewellery stores are being built – all this of course means increased competition for the old time jewellers like us, but as is the wont of the typical Bangalorean, we accept the competition gracefully...In fact, in Bangalore, the competition is cut throat, it is very stiff and only the strongest and the fastest to adapt will survive here.” states Hayagriv. %% Rising prices of gold, silver and diamonds have not really hampered the market either. While Pratap says that there is no drop in sales, Gaurav opines, “Rising prices have only served to make the customer more value conscious. More than ever she wants good quality and designs that match the price she is paying. For the customer who has a budget, the grammage becomes lower, but jewellery is an integral part of the Indian psyche, so finally rising prices just mean that the customer ends up spending more.” %% Nevertheless, Bengaluru remains a good place to do business, which is mainly due to the skyrocketing development in the city. The city’s sprawling gardens, the huge residential buildings and complexes and IT offices, the swanky new malls that dot the landscape, all stand testimony to a city that is representative of the new Brand India. The spending power of the people of Bengaluru is very high. Most people here belong to the new wave of IT professionals and have disposable incomes handy. Jewellery is seen as an essential part of the wardrobe to be changed as per the apparel and is a fast selling item here.

The city’s development pattern has been such that retailing is spread across the entire city. “A whopping 60% of growth has happened in the last 20 years, and retailing is not concentrated in small areas, unlike other cities where some streets or areas have more jewellery trade happening,” says Kamath. Jewellery retail stores are present on Dickenson Road, MG Road, Koramangala, Jayanagar, Malleshwaram, Whitefield, Brigade Road, Commercial Street, Ulsoor -- in short throughout the city. %% While jewellers in Bengaluru are reasonably happy with the business, recent deveopments have left them just a wee bit upset – the increase in VAT for Karnataka state is the reason. As Hayagriv says, “The Government thinks that this step is going to increase their revenues, but what it doesn’t realise is that it will only destabilise the market further. Malpractices like under-invoicing will become rampant. We have protested this increase; let’s hope the Government sees our point of view soon.” %% Kamath puts it plainly and simply as a “deterrent” to doing good business. %% VAT increase, competition increase, nothing seems to faze the Bengaluru jeweller, however. And positivity is the key to doing business in the city. The city is expected to see huge growth in the next few years, and with that the jewellery industry too expects a substantial growth. While Kamath pegs it at a cool 30%, Hayagriv’s conservative estimate is at 15%. Gaurav sums it all up succinctly, “Putting a number to the growth of this rapidly expanding city may be difficult, but there definitely is going to be a lot of buying for sure!”

{{Bengaluru is the ideal city to try out new concepts- if it works here then it generally would work in the rest of the country too.$$ – Vinod Hayagriv}}

{{The customer’s highly evolved tastes and preferences have ensured that only the best designs survive here.$$ – Pratap Kamath}}

{{Rising prices have only served to make the customer more value conscious.$$ – Bhuwan Gaurav}}

Garden City, Silicon Valley of India, Pensioner’s Paradise -- Bengaluru or Bangalore as it is still referred to goes by many sobriquets. It is one of the fastest developing cities in India and displays a healthy mix of the modern and the traditional in all things. The architecture, the lifestyle, the people’s mindset, everything makes for an intensely liveable and likeable place – even the weather is gently bracing, not to forget the innumerable gardens that are an intrinsic part of the city. It is all these factors that have contributed to making Bengaluru one of the top contenders for the retailer’s paradise – and that includes jewellery retail too.%% Bengaluru city has a very interesting history of jewellery manufacture and retail. Basically, the manufacturing dates back to 300 years ago. Before that, neighbouring city Mysore was the manufacturing centre for jewellery – this was primarily because the Royal Palace was in Mysore, monarchs like Tipu Sultan and the Wodiyars before him were quite fond of their jewellery to say the least. Bangalore itself is divided into two parts – Bengaluru City, which developed around 300 years ago, and Bengaluru Cantonment, which was set up by the British around 200 years ago. Bengaluru City became a major manufacturing hub around 200 years ago, while the Cantonment became a very cosmopolitan area because of the migrant population that came in from the neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. %% At that time, the Bengaluru manufacturing scenario saw a lot of repousse work (embossing work) that still remains famous. Also, jewellery designs produced in Bengaluru saw the advent of closed setting work, which was similar to the Rajasthani closed setting work with enamelling, but the use of enamelling in these pieces was very sporadic. From 1880 onwards, open setting designs which were more European in style became popular here – the twist was that even with the European form, the designs remained predominantly traditional. Till around Independence, these three design infl uences – repousse, closed setting, open European setting remained the major products. From 1960 onwards, there was a huge change – fashionable jewellery became the norm. This was mainly because the city was rapidly becoming cosmopolitan in nature. In the ’90s of course, with the software boom, the city’s development was very fast and this was the time when the jewellery became very design oriented.

“As compared to the other key jewellery centres in South India, Bengaluru was very much advanced in terms of designs. Other states were also more traditional in their design outlook. The Bangalorean was willing to experiment – this has led to Bengaluru becoming known for its variety in patterns,” opines Vinod Hayagriv, Managing Director, C Krishniah Chetty & Sons, one of the premier jewellers in Bengaluru. CKC has been an integral part of the Bengaluru jewellery scene for more than a hundred years – since 1869. “Given the history of jewellery manufacturing, the city’s development in that field has not quite been what it could have been. People here are fairly laidback and relaxed-- they are not very ambitious. Even so, the jewellery manufacturing business in Bengaluru is to the tune of an estimated Rs. 1500 crores annually, not a small amount at all,” he adds. %% Jewellery retail in Bengaluru tells quite a different tale, though. This is one city where the customer is a tough cookie. The jewellery as investment rule does not apply here at all. As Hayagriv puts it, “Competitive is the key word for the market here. The percentage of people sticking to the age-old system of one trusted family jeweller is relatively less here. She will very easily purchase from different jewellers, so long as the product satisfies her.” %% The customer demographic here is very young, modern and willing to experiment – and that shows in their choice of jewellery too. Innovations, new concepts, new trends, and new ideas – the jewellery market in Bengaluru thrives on these. In fact, it is commonly known in the industry, that Bengaluru is the ideal city to try out new concepts – if it works here then it generally would work in the rest of the country too. Of course, the three original definitive concepts – repousse, closed setting and Europaen open setting designs remain evergreen for the Bangalorean. %% Says Pratap Kamath, Owner, Abaran Jewellers, “Picky and choosy are the two words that best describe the customer here. The emphasis on the design aesthetic is very very strong - if you want to see the best jewellery in the country, then a random sampling from any 10 retail jewellery stores is enough – the customer’s highly evolved tastes and preferences have ensured that only the best designs survive here. It’s a good mix of traditional and modern jewellery. Given the customer demographic, the Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh segment moves really fast.”

Bhuwan Gaurav, Marketing Head, Tanishq explains, “We also see a lot of traditional jewellery selling well here. Wedding jewellery made in the Karnataka style is very popular. Having said that, it’s important to realise that the market is extremely cosmopolitan in nature, and the customer buys as per requirement. There are people from all states and income segments residing here, necessitating the wide range in design and price points – versatility is important.“ %% Besides the finicky customer, jewellers also feel the heat from the competition – both from other jewellers who have recently set up shop here, and also from the international brands entering the market. “International brands do have a presence here, malls with huge jewellery stores are being built – all this of course means increased competition for the old time jewellers like us, but as is the wont of the typical Bangalorean, we accept the competition gracefully...In fact, in Bangalore, the competition is cut throat, it is very stiff and only the strongest and the fastest to adapt will survive here.” states Hayagriv. %% Rising prices of gold, silver and diamonds have not really hampered the market either. While Pratap says that there is no drop in sales, Gaurav opines, “Rising prices have only served to make the customer more value conscious. More than ever she wants good quality and designs that match the price she is paying. For the customer who has a budget, the grammage becomes lower, but jewellery is an integral part of the Indian psyche, so finally rising prices just mean that the customer ends up spending more.” %% Nevertheless, Bengaluru remains a good place to do business, which is mainly due to the skyrocketing development in the city. The city’s sprawling gardens, the huge residential buildings and complexes and IT offices, the swanky new malls that dot the landscape, all stand testimony to a city that is representative of the new Brand India. The spending power of the people of Bengaluru is very high. Most people here belong to the new wave of IT professionals and have disposable incomes handy. Jewellery is seen as an essential part of the wardrobe to be changed as per the apparel and is a fast selling item here.

The city’s development pattern has been such that retailing is spread across the entire city. “A whopping 60% of growth has happened in the last 20 years, and retailing is not concentrated in small areas, unlike other cities where some streets or areas have more jewellery trade happening,” says Kamath. Jewellery retail stores are present on Dickenson Road, MG Road, Koramangala, Jayanagar, Malleshwaram, Whitefield, Brigade Road, Commercial Street, Ulsoor -- in short throughout the city. %% While jewellers in Bengaluru are reasonably happy with the business, recent deveopments have left them just a wee bit upset – the increase in VAT for Karnataka state is the reason. As Hayagriv says, “The Government thinks that this step is going to increase their revenues, but what it doesn’t realise is that it will only destabilise the market further. Malpractices like under-invoicing will become rampant. We have protested this increase; let’s hope the Government sees our point of view soon.” %% Kamath puts it plainly and simply as a “deterrent” to doing good business. %% VAT increase, competition increase, nothing seems to faze the Bengaluru jeweller, however. And positivity is the key to doing business in the city. The city is expected to see huge growth in the next few years, and with that the jewellery industry too expects a substantial growth. While Kamath pegs it at a cool 30%, Hayagriv’s conservative estimate is at 15%. Gaurav sums it all up succinctly, “Putting a number to the growth of this rapidly expanding city may be difficult, but there definitely is going to be a lot of buying for sure!”

{{Bengaluru is the ideal city to try out new concepts- if it works here then it generally would work in the rest of the country too.$$ – Vinod Hayagriv}}

{{The customer’s highly evolved tastes and preferences have ensured that only the best designs survive here.$$ – Pratap Kamath}}

{{Rising prices have only served to make the customer more value conscious.$$ – Bhuwan Gaurav}}

Garden City, Silicon Valley of India, Pensioner’s Paradise -- Bengaluru or Bangalore as it is still referred to goes by many sobriquets. It is one of the fastest developing cities in India and displays a healthy mix of the modern and the traditional in all things. The architecture, the lifestyle, the people’s mindset, everything makes for an intensely liveable and likeable place – even the weather is gently bracing, not to forget the innumerable gardens that are an intrinsic part of the city. It is all these factors that have contributed to making Bengaluru one of the top contenders for the retailer’s paradise – and that includes jewellery retail too.%% Bengaluru city has a very interesting history of jewellery manufacture and retail. Basically, the manufacturing dates back to 300 years ago. Before that, neighbouring city Mysore was the manufacturing centre for jewellery – this was primarily because the Royal Palace was in Mysore, monarchs like Tipu Sultan and the Wodiyars before him were quite fond of their jewellery to say the least. Bangalore itself is divided into two parts – Bengaluru City, which developed around 300 years ago, and Bengaluru Cantonment, which was set up by the British around 200 years ago. Bengaluru City became a major manufacturing hub around 200 years ago, while the Cantonment became a very cosmopolitan area because of the migrant population that came in from the neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. %% At that time, the Bengaluru manufacturing scenario saw a lot of repousse work (embossing work) that still remains famous. Also, jewellery designs produced in Bengaluru saw the advent of closed setting work, which was similar to the Rajasthani closed setting work with enamelling, but the use of enamelling in these pieces was very sporadic. From 1880 onwards, open setting designs which were more European in style became popular here – the twist was that even with the European form, the designs remained predominantly traditional. Till around Independence, these three design infl uences – repousse, closed setting, open European setting remained the major products. From 1960 onwards, there was a huge change – fashionable jewellery became the norm. This was mainly because the city was rapidly becoming cosmopolitan in nature. In the ’90s of course, with the software boom, the city’s development was very fast and this was the time when the jewellery became very design oriented.

“As compared to the other key jewellery centres in South India, Bengaluru was very much advanced in terms of designs. Other states were also more traditional in their design outlook. The Bangalorean was willing to experiment – this has led to Bengaluru becoming known for its variety in patterns,” opines Vinod Hayagriv, Managing Director, C Krishniah Chetty & Sons, one of the premier jewellers in Bengaluru. CKC has been an integral part of the Bengaluru jewellery scene for more than a hundred years – since 1869. “Given the history of jewellery manufacturing, the city’s development in that field has not quite been what it could have been. People here are fairly laidback and relaxed-- they are not very ambitious. Even so, the jewellery manufacturing business in Bengaluru is to the tune of an estimated Rs. 1500 crores annually, not a small amount at all,” he adds. %% Jewellery retail in Bengaluru tells quite a different tale, though. This is one city where the customer is a tough cookie. The jewellery as investment rule does not apply here at all. As Hayagriv puts it, “Competitive is the key word for the market here. The percentage of people sticking to the age-old system of one trusted family jeweller is relatively less here. She will very easily purchase from different jewellers, so long as the product satisfies her.” %% The customer demographic here is very young, modern and willing to experiment – and that shows in their choice of jewellery too. Innovations, new concepts, new trends, and new ideas – the jewellery market in Bengaluru thrives on these. In fact, it is commonly known in the industry, that Bengaluru is the ideal city to try out new concepts – if it works here then it generally would work in the rest of the country too. Of course, the three original definitive concepts – repousse, closed setting and Europaen open setting designs remain evergreen for the Bangalorean. %% Says Pratap Kamath, Owner, Abaran Jewellers, “Picky and choosy are the two words that best describe the customer here. The emphasis on the design aesthetic is very very strong - if you want to see the best jewellery in the country, then a random sampling from any 10 retail jewellery stores is enough – the customer’s highly evolved tastes and preferences have ensured that only the best designs survive here. It’s a good mix of traditional and modern jewellery. Given the customer demographic, the Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh segment moves really fast.”

Bhuwan Gaurav, Marketing Head, Tanishq explains, “We also see a lot of traditional jewellery selling well here. Wedding jewellery made in the Karnataka style is very popular. Having said that, it’s important to realise that the market is extremely cosmopolitan in nature, and the customer buys as per requirement. There are people from all states and income segments residing here, necessitating the wide range in design and price points – versatility is important.“ %% Besides the finicky customer, jewellers also feel the heat from the competition – both from other jewellers who have recently set up shop here, and also from the international brands entering the market. “International brands do have a presence here, malls with huge jewellery stores are being built – all this of course means increased competition for the old time jewellers like us, but as is the wont of the typical Bangalorean, we accept the competition gracefully...In fact, in Bangalore, the competition is cut throat, it is very stiff and only the strongest and the fastest to adapt will survive here.” states Hayagriv. %% Rising prices of gold, silver and diamonds have not really hampered the market either. While Pratap says that there is no drop in sales, Gaurav opines, “Rising prices have only served to make the customer more value conscious. More than ever she wants good quality and designs that match the price she is paying. For the customer who has a budget, the grammage becomes lower, but jewellery is an integral part of the Indian psyche, so finally rising prices just mean that the customer ends up spending more.” %% Nevertheless, Bengaluru remains a good place to do business, which is mainly due to the skyrocketing development in the city. The city’s sprawling gardens, the huge residential buildings and complexes and IT offices, the swanky new malls that dot the landscape, all stand testimony to a city that is representative of the new Brand India. The spending power of the people of Bengaluru is very high. Most people here belong to the new wave of IT professionals and have disposable incomes handy. Jewellery is seen as an essential part of the wardrobe to be changed as per the apparel and is a fast selling item here.

The city’s development pattern has been such that retailing is spread across the entire city. “A whopping 60% of growth has happened in the last 20 years, and retailing is not concentrated in small areas, unlike other cities where some streets or areas have more jewellery trade happening,” says Kamath. Jewellery retail stores are present on Dickenson Road, MG Road, Koramangala, Jayanagar, Malleshwaram, Whitefield, Brigade Road, Commercial Street, Ulsoor -- in short throughout the city. %% While jewellers in Bengaluru are reasonably happy with the business, recent deveopments have left them just a wee bit upset – the increase in VAT for Karnataka state is the reason. As Hayagriv says, “The Government thinks that this step is going to increase their revenues, but what it doesn’t realise is that it will only destabilise the market further. Malpractices like under-invoicing will become rampant. We have protested this increase; let’s hope the Government sees our point of view soon.” %% Kamath puts it plainly and simply as a “deterrent” to doing good business. %% VAT increase, competition increase, nothing seems to faze the Bengaluru jeweller, however. And positivity is the key to doing business in the city. The city is expected to see huge growth in the next few years, and with that the jewellery industry too expects a substantial growth. While Kamath pegs it at a cool 30%, Hayagriv’s conservative estimate is at 15%. Gaurav sums it all up succinctly, “Putting a number to the growth of this rapidly expanding city may be difficult, but there definitely is going to be a lot of buying for sure!”

{{Bengaluru is the ideal city to try out new concepts- if it works here then it generally would work in the rest of the country too.$$ – Vinod Hayagriv}}

{{The customer’s highly evolved tastes and preferences have ensured that only the best designs survive here.$$ – Pratap Kamath}}

{{Rising prices have only served to make the customer more value conscious.$$ – Bhuwan Gaurav}}