Window To The World

Four-month-old Varana wants to be India’s answer to Hermès, and to position ‘Made in India’ as a force in the uber-luxe space — starting with an expansive upscale store in London’s historic Mayfair district

- Pankti Mehta Kadakia

When you think of ‘Made in India’, it’s likely that you think low-cost, mass-market products. A four-month-old luxury brand wants to dispel this myth, starting with a sprawling four-storey outlet at the upscale Dover Street in Mayfair, London — the only Indian brand on the block.

Varana, which gets its name from Varanasi, is a concept brand with an East-meets-West sensibility, and price tags that parallel Hermès. Its founders have been leaders in Indian markets — Sujata Keshavan is considered a pioneer in the South Asian design industry, and was a founder at Ray+Keshavan, an influential design firm eventually acquired by British conglomerate WPP; Ravi Prasad was the President and CEO of personal care brand Himalaya, and is credited for moving the company from being a pharmaceutical manufacturer to a head-to-heel wellness brand; and Infosys-bred Meeta Malhotra, Varana’s digital head. Together, they embarked on a mission: to create a global brand of the highest quality, one that will emanate India’s fine craftsmanship and design sensibility.