Luxury Legacy

Meet Tikka Shatrujit Singh, the visionary who paved the way for luxury brands to thrive in India. One of the most iconic figures in India's fashion and luxury industry, the former head representative of LVMH in Asia tells Samreen Tungekar about his journey, what today's consumer wants, and how Indian tourism can turn the world on its head.

- Samreen Tungekar

You worked in finance and banking before joining Louis Vuitton. What led to the transition?

I think it was simply a chance meeting at a corporate function with the President of Louis Vuitton. He had never been to India and was curious, and I happened to be the only Indian at that corporate function in Hong Kong. We ended up at the same table and had a very pleasant conversation. He asked me to take him to India to explore the country, and I agreed. During our trip to India, he asked me to join him at Louis Vuitton. He was a unique individual and an exceptional business leader with a different skill set. He was a gentleman and made everything incredibly exciting.

Tell us about your journey bringing Louis Vuitton to India.

Before 2002, luxury companies were not permitted to operate in India. Louis Vuitton, as an industry leader in luxury, with a chairman who was ahead of his time, decided to pioneer the market and be the first to enter India. The dialogue then started with the Ministry of Commerce. I believe they were also surprised that a company like LV was interested in coming to India, which had no infrastructure in place at the time. But, as I said, we think outside the box. Some of our first meetings were with Prithviraj Singh 'Biki' Oberoi, then chairman of EIH Ltd, the flagship company of the Oberoi Group-another industry icon. He met my chairman over lunch, and both agreed that Mr. Oberoi had a beautiful office space at The Oberoi in New Delhi. So, two pioneers understood where they were coming from and what they could accomplish together. That's how the journey in India began. The rest, as they say, is history.