Macaron-omics

Chandni Nath Israni discusses Ladurée India’s marketing strategy, which at first glance seems non-existent — but on closer look, proves compelling.

- Tsunami Costabir

A quaint little French cafe, displaying the most decadent of world-class macarons, nestled amidst stores like Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany’s and Prada... are we in the Champs-Elysees?

No, it's just Ladurée India’s flagship store at Mumbai's BKC. Just as I start to feel overwhelmed by the luxury and grandeur of the Jio World Plaza, I spot Chandini Nath Israni, Co-Founder, CK Israni Group and the promoter of Ladurée in India. And my anxiety is washed away by her bubbly charm.

I sat next to her as she sipped on her cappuccino: “You must try our coffee.” A cold coffee served in silverware with Ladurée’s iconic ‘L’ dusted in cocoa powder on top. I couldn't miss taking a picture. Chandini tells me that she always loved work. And after years of being known as “someone's daughter, wife or mother”, she decided to start something of her own.

“I went around looking for brands to bring into India, and experienced quite a lot of rejection.” No one believed that she had it in her to scale a brand, given that she had no adequate prior experience in specific industries, like food and fashion, that actually caught her interest.

A Rocky Road

When Ladurée set its eyes on the Indian market, looking to expand, Chandini saw it as a perfect opportunity. She emailed the company and at her first meeting with the then Managing Director David Holder, he was sold on her ability to scale their business in India.