February 29, 2012: Mr Abhay Gupta, recent recipient of the Retail Icon title by Asia Retail Congress, launched his new initiative Luxury Connect, in collaboration with Mr Rajat Bhattacharya, Co-founder & Chief Sourcing Officer and Mr Love Ranga, Co founder & Chief Strategy Officer.
Mr Gupta, Founder, promoter and CEO of Luxury Connect, is the former Executive Director of Blues Clothing Company Ltd. Mr Bhattacharya comes with an experience of over 35 years in the sourcing and education business with a vast international exposure of joint ventures tie ups. He was instrumental in setting-up and operating for five years of Pearl Academy of Fashion’s Bangladesh Campus. Mr Ranga, a NIFT graduate, is a specialist in the fields of planning, luxury buying and merchandising, e-commerce and sourcing.
Luxury Connect has a clear focus on luxury, aiming at four verticals: Luxury Training and Education, Consulting, Luxury E-commerce, and Sourcing.
Identifying a lack of trained and skilled manpower, LC has linked up with globally reputed educational institutes to provide luxury specific education and training at both executive and student level. The programs will further be rotated to major cities so that a vast majority can take advantage of this opportunity. LC will be commencing its first educational programmed from April 2012.
Luxury Connect has thus collaborated with SDA Bocconi, School of Management, Italy to launch its first Luxury Business Management Program in India. Luxury Connect is also in talks with EIML, Paris (International School of Luxury Brand Management) to introduce various specialized luxury courses in cosmetics, fragrances, jewellery, watches and hospitality. Luxury Connect plans to initiate these education and rraining courses by late 2012.
Adding another feather in their cap, Luxury Connect has also teamed up with Jean Claude Roustant to launch "Luxury Customer Experience Management Program" in India. Mr Roustant, a columnist for LuxuryFacts, was also the Retail Training Director at Louis Vuitton for 13 years. Besides LV, he has also served as GM at AIHH (Association of 11 finest watch making brands) and at FHH (Foundation of Haute Horlogerie, Geneva).
Understanding the recent FDI regulation changes in single brand retail, Luxury Connect will also provide consultation services to brands entering India, covering the areas of Partner Search, Market Segment Analysis, Marketing and Advertising Strategy Formulation, Buying & Merchandising Management, Retail Planning, Retail Operations Management, Location Proposition and Study, how to achieve projected Sale Figures, Mystery Shopping, Stock Liquidation and various other segments.
LC will also provide advice and options on how brands can fulfill the mandate of 30% sourcing from India without compromising on quality. Luxury Connect will also be focusing on creating a lucrative of e-commerce model, though that will come in their scheme of things at a later stage.
Having an impressive list of industry experts on its advisory board, LuxuryFacts columnist and CEO of Sacha Orloff Ltd, HH Alexandra Orloff, has also given her insights and support to Luxury Connect.
