Zoya looks to redefine luxury jewellery in India

Enhances the experience of luxury through personalised and purpose filled customer engagement  

MUMBAI, India, Sept. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As India's retail environment gears up for the new normal, Titan, India's largest jewellery retailer is betting on brand Zoya, that has been redefining the luxury jewellery segment in India. Ajoy Chawla, CEO of Titan's Jewellery Division, was a panellist at Luxe Talks this weekend, sharing his insights into how Zoya is looking to enhance the experience of luxury, by engaging with customers in personalised and purpose filled ways.

"The concept of luxury has moved away from status display to being an expression of personal identity. The Zoya woman is well travelled, aesthetically astute and extremely discerning in her taste. Her journey is a heroine's journey, on which she reconnects with her own feminine self, breaking away freely from the patriarchy and dominance that may have influenced her for several years. It is a connection with her identity. Zoya is an expression of this connection," said Ajoy Chawla, CEO.

To appeal to his target audience, Chawla believes there must be two dimensions; "There is the cultural capital that the brand dips into, bringing it alive by creating authentic stories, and there is the impeccable craftsmanship and international design language which appeals to this discerning group. India's cultural capital was so rich and diverse that we felt there was an opportunity. However, while the soul of the brand is Indian, we wanted Zoya to be the best in the world because luxury is about indulgence in fineness, which is very unique," he said.

With the world of luxury traditionally being the domain of the well-heeled royals, Zoya looks at royalty in the modern context as an experience of privilege, delivered through careful, personal attention from the brand. For Zoya, the customer's experience and their engagement with the brand is paramount. Storytelling makes a big part of the brand's core culture.

"Every collection of Zoya is unique, and sometimes it takes a year or more from concept to delivery. Collections like Rajputana, Awadh, Banaras are all deep design stories, which are much sought after even today and we have collections inspired by the architecture of Italy, culture of Paris and more recently, we have done a collection inspired by gourmet," Ajoy Chawla further added.

These become especially important to the Gen Z and millennial consumer who Chawla believes may not care too much about owning or possessing products as much as treasuring memorable experiences which are unique, personalised, curated and cannot be replicated.

Ajoy Chawla further added, "At Zoya, we have been doing this both offline and online. An interesting way in which we have introduced a collection to the modern royalty of today is by having an indulgent, private event in our boutique for 10 couples, wherein we had celebrity chefs pair food, wine with our collection inspirations, curating a very memorable gourmet dining experience for them at the boutique." 

With responsible luxury becoming a key theme for consumers globally, Chawla points to sustainability being a core philosophy for the Tatas. "JRD once said that we are custodians of the wealth of the community. What we take from the community, we multiply it many times and give it back to the community. 66% of the group is owned by the Tata Trust. Therefore, everything in the group is about giving back to the community and taking the community to a different level of satisfaction, happiness and well-being."  

Titan specifically understands that its karigars are at the heart of the jewellery industry. "The artisan has to see dignity in what he is creating, why would the next generation of artisans come if what they see is exploitation, poor work conditions, and limited lifespans for work. The reason there is no dignity is because we want to maximise our profits and are hesitant to pay the artisan his due. For the last 30 years, the journey of our jewellery division has been about working very closely with the 10,000 odd artisans who work with us, ensuring that there is a certain dignity of labour. When we were doing gulabi meenakari work for Zoya's Banaras collection, we found that it is a dying art and there is only one family left that practices it, so how will this craft survive after this family? Therefore, it is very important that the craft and the craftsman are celebrated." 

Despite the lockdown, Zoya has witnessed an 85% recovery in sales when compared to last July and August. Rising spends on jewellery along with well-planned initiatives that include enhancing digital channels with initiatives such as video and WhatsApp sales, have help seamlessly take the brand's personal approach to luxury in its offline environments, onto its online assets allowing people to shop from the comfort of their homes. The brand opened a new boutique in Bangalore in April 2020 and is looking forward to the launch of a new collection at the end of this month in time for the festive season. 

About Zoya:

Zoya, the exquisite diamond boutique from the House of Tata, is a luxury brand of fine jewellery, renowned for its precision craftsmanship and distinguished design. Zoya now enters its tenth year of operations with a product created exclusively with the discerning, aesthetically astute woman as its muse. Unique inspirations from iconic destinations, history, culture, art, legends and the elements are translated into one of a kind designs by its panel of master craftsmen, forming the genesis of Zoya's myriad collections in contemporary as well as fusion styles. Zoya's four boutiques in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi, showcase luxury in its most undiluted form. Designed as exclusive galleries of fine design, each piece resonates with reflections of Zoya's inspirations from its journeys around the world and even the ones that dive into our souls. Zoya's personalized service focuses on providing an unmatched buying experience for its exclusive products.