Indulge for April 2012

April 2012 | Vol 1 | No 1 | Price R15.00

The Spaces Issue New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh*, Pune*

iNside Indulge

Contents Indulge April 2012 | Vol 1 | No 1

Casa Vadukut

B

lame my NRI-Malayali roots, but luxury real estate for me can mean nothing but an independent house built from scratch by craftsmen on a sylvan plot of land framed by coconut palms, jackfruit trees and some of those hardy box hedges that all the posh Gulf-return NRIs like to crisscross their little estates with.

There is something about poring over blueprints, floor plans and samples of marble and teakwood that elevates the idea of procuring a home from a financial transaction to a labour of love and a work of art. There is a certain intimacy and warmth about this often-bewildering process that sitting in a shabby formica-laden developer’s office in Gurgaon and handing over post-dated cheques cannot match.

However, trying to build your own home in one of our metros is an insanity. A few years ago, I accompanied my brother-in-law on a pilgrimage to the sales offices and “model flats” of a dozen developers and real estate agents all around the National Capital Region. The experience was utterly mindboggling.

Everything they say in that movie Khosla Ka Ghosla is true. Every single thing. At one point, we were being sold a flat, which technically belonged to somebody, built on land that technically did not belong to the developer at all, but was leased from someone else who was either dead or a fictional character. I do not

remember exactly.

Also, an agent told us the flat would appreciate immediately because they were expecting some sort of court stay order on the sales of around half the flats in the project.

But what if our designated flat got stay-ordered? “Oh we will give you another one, ji. We have a system.”

Shudder.

Thankfully, the flats, homes and technologies we showcase in this issue of Indulge should be much more straightforward to possess.

When we planned this issue, we were clear we did not want to show you page after page of apartment photos. For those, you can pick up the latest issue of any architectural or interior design magazine. Instead, we decided to focus on a few themes: industry trends in luxury real estate, the state of affairs in home automation, one of the greatest homes of all time, and brief profiles of three objects no luxury home is complete without—beautiful sculptures, high-tech bathtubs and high-end coffee machines.

We also asked an investment banker to tell us if it made sense for Indians to buy property abroad. And, Madhu Menon demystifies grilling, while Joel Harrison tells you how to invest in whiskies.

All in all a good issue to read in all homes, big and small.

SIDIN Vadukut (Issue editor)

The Spaces Issue 4| Giorgio Armani on the

art of luxury interiors, and the World Towers project

6

| Developers are betting big on smart-home features in their luxury residential projects

8|

A report on the luxury real estate segment in India—the growing trends, innovations and outlook

10| A selection of the

best coffee machines money can buy

18| A view of one of the greatest and most iconic homes of all time

20| A profile of Kohler’s wonder bathtub

22| The inside story of

how Lladro conceives and makes its famous porcelain figurines

Columns

14| Madhu Menon on the art of grilling

15| Joel Harrison on how to invest in whiskies

16| Shashank Khare on

investing in overseas property

NOTE TO READERS The Media Marketing Initiative on Page 21 is the equivalent of a paid-for advertisement, and no Mint journalists were involved in creating it. Readers would do well to treat it as an advertisement.

Cover design: uttam sharma

Cover image: istockphoto

Mint Indulge Editor: SuKumar Ranganathan Published/Printed By Vivek Khanna on behalf of HT Media Limited, HT House, 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi-110001; Printed at HT Media Ltd presses at B-2, Sector 63, Noida, Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar (U.P.); Plot No.-6, MIDC , TTC Industrial Area, Near Digha Bus Stand, Thane Belapur Road, Navi Mumbai-400078. RNI Registration: Applied For; ©2012 HT Media Ltd, All Rights Reserved.

PROFILE

Soaring

High

By Pradip Kumar Saha pradip.s@livemint.com

Mumbai-based Lodha Group announced in February its new luxury residential project in Upper Worli, Mumbai. Known as the World Towers, the ambitious project comprises World One, which the builder claims will be the world’s tallest residential tower at 117 storeys, and the World Crest, one of India’s tallest towers, soaring over 700 ft.

The World Towers will have three- and four-bedroom residences; villas, with a private pool; and duplex mansions with a private pool, gym and personal lift.

Lodha has partnered with several industry leaders to bring the project to life.

For example, Armani/Casa is doing the interiors, Pei Cobb Freed and Partners is the design architect, Ken Smith Landscape Studio is doing the landscape design, and Quintessentially is providing concierge services.

The World Towers will be part of Lodha Place, an 18-acre development project in Upper Worli.

Indulge spoke with Abhishek Lodha and Giorgio Armani about the project.

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INDULGE | April 2012

Giorgio Armani, president and CEO, Giorgio Armani Group

We gave the design an Indian feel What made you choose India over places like Singapore or Hong Kong where the demand for luxury is greater?

India is undergoing a period of enormous change and unprecedented economic development. It may be slower than that being experienced in other places, like China, but, according to experts, that’s what makes it potentially more solid and durable.

What is the nature of the partnership with Lodha Developers?

The World Towers is an offering that requires an in-depth understanding of the market on the part of the brand. It also requires the public to be ready for it.

It has taken years for the right conditions to be created to make the project feasible. Now that time has come, and Lodha is the perfect partner for us... We will bring our design expertise to the project and Lodha will bring its expertise in property development.

What’s the scene in luxury high-end interior designing? How is it different from the past?

As with most of the things in the luxury market, interior designing has also been affected by the global economic crisis.

However, this has not necessarily been a negative phenomenon. I believe that the problems in the world economy have meant that people are more aware of what constitutes good quality and

design. They are prepared to pay for luxury, but only if they perceive the luxury to be genuine.

What are the emerging trends in interior designing?

I believe that a designer should have a point of view and be passionate about pursuing, exploring and developing that point of view. I believe there is nothing to be gained from following transient trends as this can lead you to all sorts of different directions, and you could lose your own distinctive voice. So where interiors are concerned, I believe that people will want design that stands for something that shows there is a clear vision behind it.

Beyond that, my opinion is that good design should aim to produce things that are both beautiful and functional. Comfort is another key quality in everything I do. The same is true for interiors. Then there is the issue of quality. In future, only the best conceived and made interiors, in terms of quality, will be considered truly luxurious.

How has the experience in India been?

Has it been any different working here?

I have the utmost respect for India. It has entered the third millennium as a leader, with its information technology experts and mathematicians in demand throughout the

Abhishek Lodha, managing director, Lodha Developers

It took almost 6 months to convince Armani How did you think of partnering with Armani for the project?

We wanted the World Towers to be the best residential project not only in India, but in the world. And when we were thinking of the best partners, Armani was the obvious choice as the interior designer. The Armani team has been deeply involved in the design and execution of the project, which happens to be their first residential project in Asia.

his go ahead to this project.

Were there any difficulties in pursuing the project with them?

Of course, there were difficulties. It took almost six months to persuade Mr Armani who took a lot of time to study our projects, learn about our business and stuff like that. And only after so much of evaluation he gave

What kind of personalization options are you offering to the buyers?

There is significant amount of personalization options available to the buyers given the nature of the development.

There are various packages available.

The buyer can pick and choose what kind of stuff he wants in terms of

What kind of clientele are you targeting with the project?

I would say we are looking to provide the finest luxury product that is available in the country to anyone, from inside the country of abroad, who has the taste for the finer things in life, and understands luxury.

world. At the same time, its traditions and culture have become widely assimilated into the world culture. What I am trying to do in my work here is to respect this incredible history, while, at the same time, respecting my own aesthetics.

As for the differences between India and the West, I would say that luxury in India is generally more visible than it is over here (in the West).

Designing interiors is different from designing other lifestyle products. What were the challenges in catering to localized needs?

You are absolutely correct, and it is a mark of a global designer that he can bring his vision to disparate cultures and find a global audience that understands the brand’s viewpoint.

However, while working on the World Towers, it was absolutely imperative to create interiors that would work for a local consumer, and so I took advice on this and incorporated features such as dedicated prayer rooms. I also explored certain patterns and motifs that have an Indian feel—for example the use of latticework—that I have introduced in the interiors.

What are your future plans in India?

You can be certain that India is going to be a very important place for the Armani Group in the near future. I would like to bring my complete range of collections to the people of India in a substantial way. (edited excerpts; interview via email)

furniture, curtains, carpets, etc. For some of the larger apartments, there is a programme where the buyer can go to Milan and see the design of his home done at the Armani/Casa design studio and get to choose the furnishings over there.

What are the post-sale services you are offering?

The post-sales services are a very important aspect of all the projects that we do. In this particular project, we have the partners, too, to take care of the post-sales services. For example, Quintessentially will take care of all the concierge services of the buyers once they move in.

What is the price range of the houses?

The apartments at Lodha Place are currently priced between around R10 crore and R60 crore.

Trends

Smart Homes

The Plugged-in Life

Photos: Aniruddha Chowdhury/Mint

Home automation is the one of the latest marketing buzzwords in the Indian real estate market.

But do buyers care?

By Madhurima Nandy

I

madhurima.n@livemint.com nside a spacious, 6,000 sq. ft, five-bedroom apartment of an upscale gated community in a Bangalore suburb, its inmates can put on the music, draw the blinds, and dim the light—all with a few touches of a touchscreen. The mother can quickly check on her child playing in the garden, while sitting on her couch in the living room watching her favourite TV show.

These are some of the features of a demo flat at the Mantri Espana project in Bangalore, developed by city-based real estate firm Mantri Developers Pvt. Ltd. And the company, pleased with the results, wants to emulate these smart-home automation features across its residential projects.

To achieve this goal, Mantri has collaborated with Cisco Systems Inc., which will develop new information and communication technologies (ICT)-enabled real estate models to create smart urban homes where not just the apartment, but the entire project could be connected through a wireless network.

Home automation is the one of the latest buzzwords in an Indian real estate market that is constantly seeking to differentiate—especially in the high-end segment where buyer budgets have the room for automation. The concept was first introduced by the Lodha Group in its Bellissimo project launched in Mumbai in 2006. It later used the concept in the high-end Luxuria township in Thane, and is now using it in nearly all its projects, said R. Karthik, chief marketing officer at

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INDULGE | April 2012

Lodha Group.

The automation trend is fast catching up with other developers as well. In Bangalore itself, apart from Mantri, Total Environment Building Systems Pvt. Ltd is also using it for its Windmills of Your Mind project.

Each villa at Total Environment’s 24-acre project site in Bangalore’s Whitefield area costs around R5 crore. The project shares many of the automation features that the Mantri Espana offers and those can be accessed by using an iPad. Sobha Developers Ltd, another prominent property firm in Bangalore, is also marketing its Sobha Habitech project as a smart home project.

Features Smart homes in Sobha Habitech have conventional manual switches co-existing with centralized touchpad controls.

At Espana, various automation features can be accessed through a

wireless network using touchscreen or smartphone interfaces available for installation on popular mobile phone platforms. These features can be divided into different categories—light control, safety features, temperature control and entertainment.

Lights in an apartment can be automated to turn on as soon as one is home and turn off in case a room is unoccupied for a certain period.

They can also be programmed to turn on at sunset and off at daybreak.

From the security point of view, residents can receive email alerts in case a window is left open or the apartment is not locked properly.

Internet protocol cameras can be installed to keep an eye on the flat.

The entire house can be locked with a touch on the touchscreen monitor on the wall, and all security features can be accessed from a configured mobile phone.

Inside the rooms, window shades

Connected: Flat screen information display modules in a Mantri Espana apartment.

can be programmed to adjust for maximum energy efficiency based on the time of day or outside temperature, which helps save some energy.

The total energy consumption of the house can also be monitored through a TV or even remotely.

The interface allows the residents to see real-time energy use as well as current costs, and projected monthly costs.

As the master ICT planner, Cisco will help integrate technology into a community, and offer the residents services such as an intelligent concierge, doctor consultation, private tutoring and other digital lifestyle solutions not just within the apartments in a project, but also between various projects in the future, maybe through a centralized system.

These services will go into a dozen of Mantri’s projects across south India.

Cost factor At Mantri Espana, residents have the option of choosing from a host of services, and pay only for the bucket of services they pick.

Chairman and managing director Sushil Mantri says home buyers will be given an option to choose between platinum, gold and silver categories, prices for which will be R400 per sq. ft, R300 per sq. ft and R200 per sq. ft, respectively.

And while this gives customers greater flexibility, Mantri also says that systems are upgradable— customers can upgrade from silver to platinum categories later if they want to.

Not all developers are making these services optional though.

At Sobha Habitech, homebuyers automatically buy into these smart homes. Apartments in the project are priced at R80 lakh for a twobedroom flat of around 1,350 sq. ft, and upwards of R1 crore for a 1,700 sq. ft, three-bedroom home.

Reach Lodha’s Karthik said the company is using the home automation features in almost all its projects.

According to Sushil Mantri, this is just the beginning. He said that going forward, not just one project, but all the projects will be connected to each other, through a centralized control room.

Real estate consultants are hopeful that smart-home services will not remain confined to only luxury residences and will trickle down into mid-segment and budget homes.

Om Ahuja, chief executive, residential, at property advisory firm Jones Lang LaSalle, said that in the next one-two years, most developers are going to use some sort of automation features irrespective of the price. “However, given the weak power supply and back-up in many cities, I am not sure how these devices will work. I also think that many developers would use home automation as a strong marketing tool...,” he said.

Kaustuv Roy, executive director, Cushman and Wakefield India, however, says that it’s a futuristic trend and one has to wait and see to what extent homebuyers take to it.

He says that luxury homes with these solutions usually employ domestic help, and therefore many are questioning the need for such smart-home solutions. “So one has to do a reality check and find out the reach of these products,” Roy said. I

cover story

Luxury Space

In Demand Despite the Odds

The headwinds buffeting the overall real estate market don’t seem to be evident in the luxury segment. But developers are under pressure to differentiate their offerings in a niche that is getting highly competitive Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint

By Devesh Chandra Srivastava

R

devesh@livemint.com

ecently, a top executive of an IT company bought a 2,950 sq. ft four-bedroom flat in Mumbai for an astonishing R29 crore. Why did he pay so much? The location. The flat is part of an exclusive complex of 175 apartments and 10 bungalows at Cuffe Parade, each apartment and bungalow enjoying a spectacular view of the sea.

For that very reason and the exclusive services that come with the deal, the apartment was sold at a rate of R1.11 lakh per sq. ft.

Around 1,500km away, the country’s largest developer DLF Ltd is developing around 40 ultra-premium apartments in south Delhi under the names King’s Court and Queen’s Court.

The developer plans to sell these at a rate of around R40,000 per sq. ft. While Mumbai’s property market remains the most expensive in the country, DelhiNCR, too, is picking up fast.

This is contrary to what we keep hearing about the so-called troubleridden real estate market in India.

While the affordable and mid-range segments of residential space are

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INDULGE | April 2012

under some stress, the country’s luxury real estate remains in high demand both in the primary and the secondary (resale) market.

The demand According to a study by the Real Estate Intelligence Service at Jones Lang LaSalle India (REIS-JLL), an international property consultant firm, there has been a continuous demand for top-end residential spaces over the past two decades and there are several reasons behind this.

The first reason is the opening up of the Indian economy post-liberalization and the decision to allow FDI in real estate in 2005. Simultaneously, there was a steady percolation of wealth, leading to the rise of a new affluent class. This typically included chief executive officers, senior professionals, entrepreneurs in new businesses and rich non-resident Indians considering homes in India, the study said.

The second reason is the emergence of a class of Indian developers who anticipated this demand and the void being created at the top end of the housing market.

Thus emerged the need for exclusive housing at the heart of our metros.

One reason why the luxury housing space has always been in demand is the way it has been presented and sold to customers Surabhi Arora, associate director, research, Colliers International, an international property consultant firm, corroborates the trend.

“Regardless of the adverse economic scenario, demand for luxury housing is growing gradually. A number of projects were launched during the first quarter of 2012, across cities. Most of the new launches are happening in the peripheral/suburban areas…”

The evolution One reason why the luxury housing space has always been in demand is the way it has been presented and sold to customers. Projects in the segment have always been presented

as unique in terms of design, innovation, services and amenities. In comparison, the affordable and midsegment projects are often comprised of similar bare-shell apartments: generic spaces with unexceptional interiors and nothing but the most basic amenities and additional services. The difference shows, first of all, in the pricing.

A two-bedroom apartment in the affordable segment comes in the range of R1,500-2,500 per sq. ft, and a slightly bigger apartment in the mid-segment will cost around R2,500-5,000 per sq. ft.

At the same time, a luxury apartment will leave one poorer by R80 lakh to a couple of crores of rupees, depending upon its location, surrounding infrastructure, connectivity to central areas and the amenities and services that come with it. So a property worth R80 lakh would fall in the luxury segment in a tier-II city. But to get something of that size in a metro, one may have to shell out several times that amount.

Kunal Banerjii, president, M3M India, says, “The concept of luxury has been evolving constantly in the Indian market. What was luxury some four-five years back has now become

cover story Photo: iStockphoto

a common item... In the recent years, theme-based luxury projects have come into demand.”

It is because of this new strategy that developers are constantly launching new projects woven around a concept. Sports and other leisurely activities have been the core theme of many recent projects, and with newer themes being unveiled every day. This might be a premium, select market, but the developer’s challenge to distinguish each project is every bit as intense as more affordable segments.

Innovation While companies such as DLF, Unitech Ltd, Amrapali Group, Jaypee Greens and Orris Infrastructure Ltd are developing sports academies, golf courses and other such amenities in their housing projects, New Delhi-based Dhingra Projects is in the process of developing its mixed development project in Neemrana, Rajasthan.

Dhingra’s residential-cum-hotel mixed land use development project, Highway Cruise, will house a five-star hotel, studio apartments, retail outlets and facilities for entertainment and adventure sports.

This concept of destination homes and holiday homes is comparatively new, but fast picking up pace. DLF, too, has come out with a unique destination home project across three cities. Under the Sama brand, the company will develop ultraluxury housing projects in Shimla, Kasauli and Goa. DLF has tied up with Hilton Hotels and Resorts for the management and services of these dwellings.

Customization and value-added services have also become vital in this segment. This has led to the emergence of a group of developers who are focusing on serviced apartments along with their regular projects. A number of developers have announced projects offering fully furnished serviced apartments.

Changing lifestyle Premium customers also demand world-class décor. And this has been an interesting emerging trend of focus: flats are being equipped with cutting-edge materials, gadgets and trimmings.

New-age luxury homebuyers in this segment are now spending a significant amount on the aesthetics of kitchens and bathrooms, prompting appliance makers such as Miele and Siemens, ceramics and tiles companies such Orient, and sanitaryware makers such as Hindware and Kohler to expand their luxury offerings.

Outlook With land becoming scarce and property prices soaring, developers of luxury housing have to devise new ways to tackle the impediments. Real

estate analysts have said that concerns such as oversupply and delays in delivery of projects remain among the biggest hurdles in the Indian market.

Prices of up-market projects that are nearing completion are still holding on.

However, in the case of relatively new launches or those where not much

The concept of luxury has been evolving constantly.

What was luxury fourfive years back has now become a common item

work has been done on the ground, developers are feeling the pressure to reduce prices. Developers involved in huge township projects who are simultaneously doing luxury housing projects are already under pressure to reduce rates.

The last six months have seen a correction of 5-10% in some prime areas of Mumbai. Going forward, one can expect a slight correction depending on the location of the projects and their progress. It may be the right time to enter the market and negotiate a deal with your developer. I To read interviews with Rajeev Talwar, group executive director, DLF Ltd, and Ajay Chandra, managing director, Unitech Ltd, on the luxury real estate market in India, go to www.livemint.com/luxuryliving.htm

Showcase

Coffee

Break The coffee machine has gone through its share of design changes in just over a century. Innovations have been added over the years and a simple coffee brewer has become a smart gadget. Indulge showcases a selection of some of the best coffee machines available in India.

Write to us at indulge@livemint.com

Five pointers to choosing the perfect coffee machine

CVA 3660 Miele’s CVA 3660 built-in coffee machine comes with flexible installation options and four portion sizes— espresso, coffee, double espresso and double coffee. It contains 20 capsules of up to five types to suit different tastes.

Specifications:

Multilingual display with self-explanatory user navigation

Programmable automatic switch-off and switch-on

Two stainless steel throughflow heaters for preparing coffee and steam simultaneously

Refill reminders for capsules and fresh water

System lock

Price: R1,89,990

Dhananjay Chaturvedi, managing director, Miele India Pvt. Ltd told Indulge about five points one should remember before buying a coffee machine:

Scharer Coffee Joy At a width of only 30.5cm, Coffee Joy from Swiss brand Schaerer is ideal even for bars, offices and meeting rooms.

Specifications:

Automatic cleaning, rinsing and decalcification programme

Start/stop dosing option

Elegant control panel with touch concept

Multilingual LCD display

Short press to dispense one beverage, and long press to dispense two beverages (for espresso, café crème and cappuccino)

Price: R2,70,100

ECAM 26.455 DeLonghi’s ECAM 26.455 auto espresso machine with auto frothing comes with various personalization options, which include choosing the amount of coffee and milk to choosing the temperature.

Capacity: Check for the capacity of the coffee bag and the water and milk containers. This will give you an approximate idea on how frequently you will need to refill the machine.

Also, check if the machine has a separate chute for ground coffee.

Specifications:

User-friendly operations: Try operating the machine yourself to get a feel of how user friendly the machine is. Also check the timer for automatic switch-on/off.

Patented autocappuccino system

Personalization options. Choose from short, medium or long, try a strong or extra-mild aroma, enjoy it piping hot, medium or low temperature

Can be used with either coffee beans or ground coffee

Adjustable coffee/water quantity

Programmable automatic switch-off and switch-on

Price: R2,00,600 Price: With the entry of bigger companies in India, the market for coffee machines has become very competitive.

However, if you love your coffee, always taste before making any decision.

CVA 5060 The CVA 5060 built-in coffee machine from Miele also comes with four portion sizes—espresso, coffee, double espresso and double coffee—and an automatic programme for making cappuccino and latte macchiato.

Durability: Replacing a built-in coffee machine can be a real headache, considering it’s hard to find similar hardware years later. Check how long your machine is built to last.

Specifications:

Multilingual display with self-explanatory user navigation

Clock display with battery back-up in case of power failure

Water temperature can be set for each drink

Two stainless steel throughflow heaters for preparing coffee and steam simultaneously Automatic rinsing and cleaning programmes

Price: R2,29,990 10

INDULGE | April 2012

Maintenance: Check how frequently cleaning and descaling is required. How is the service support? Is the service paid or free?

Is there any extended warranty certificate?

ESAM 5500 The ESAM 5500 from DeLonghi has a sleek design and also comes with various personalization options.

Specifications: Patented autocappuccino system

Personalization options.

Can be used with either coffee beans or ground coffee

Adjustable coffee/water quantity

Programmable automatic switch-off and switch-on

Price: R1,27,000 Where to buy/order: For Miele products, contact Miele Experience Centre, New Delhi, Ph: 011-46900045 For others, contact Coffeeworkz, Ahmedabad; Ph: 079-66611666 www.coffeeworkz.com

Column

The Art Of Grilling G rilling food has probably been with us for a few hundred thousand years; ever since one of our ancestors called Steve (not his real name) accidentally dropped some meat into a fire pit and discovered a delicious new way of enjoying food. Steve started jumping with joy, singing an Akon song, and was made tribal chief for his discovery. And thanks to him, we continue to enjoy a wonderful way of cooking food.

Grilling is essentially a method of cooking over a form of intense dry heat, often in the form of heated charcoal or wood. The grilling surface is at a distance of a few inches above the heat source, so the heat transferred is through thermal radiation, not direct conduction. The intense heat causes browning of the food surface (technically called the ‘‘Maillard Reaction”) and creates lots of tasty flavour compounds. Of late, with rising middle-class income, people have rediscovered grilling. Home grills are now readily available and don’t necessarily cost a lot.

Merely owning a grill doesn’t make one an expert, of course. But hey, when you can read Indulge every month, you don’t need to be one. Let me take you through the grilling minefield, and teach you how to make awesome grilled food.

Setting up your grill: So you have a nice fancy grill from a famous company. It probably looks like a big deep bowl with a metal grate on top, with space to dump charcoal. The first thing you need to make life easier is to go to a kitchen supply store and get a ‘‘chimney starter” (do a Google image search). This allows you to dump charcoal into it, set it on top of a gas burner and get the charcoal nice and glowing.

You can then empty this charcoal into your grill and

Madhu

Menon chef

be ready to go. Without the chimney, you have to use lighter fluid on your coal blocks, set it on fire, and wait till it’s covered in ash.

Now you need to set up ‘‘hot” and ‘‘medium hot” zones in your grill. Some foods take longer to cook than others, and the radiated temperature of a grill can be well over 200-250 degrees Celsius, so fatty or thick foods that need longer to cook will be burnt on the outside by the time the inside is done. For such things (examples later), searing food on the hot zone, and moving it to the medium zone is the best way. Making these zones is simple: instead of evenly spreading out the charcoal, move about 30% of it from one half to the other. To find out if both sides are hot enough, try the highly scientific test of holding your palm 12 inches above the grill. ‘‘Hot” is when you can’t hold it for more than 3 seconds; medium is about 6-7 seconds.

Lastly, clean the metal grate well with hot water and make sure nothing is left over from previous grilling sessions. Lay it on top of your grill and oil it by dipping a cloth or a kitchen towel in oil with a pair of grilling tongs and rubbing it liberally over the grate. Your grill is now ready to go, so let’s talk about what kind of food works for grilling and how to handle it.

Making marinades: A marinade is a flavourful mix of seasonings, herbs, spices, oils, alcohol and an acidic Photo: iStockphoto

medium whose purpose is to make the food tender and flavourful. The acid, usually in the form of citrus juices like lime or vinegar (both plain and flavoured) works on the protein structure of the meat surface, making it tender. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t penetrate beyond the meat surface, so if you want more tenderness all around, you’ll have to cut the meat into smaller pieces. But don’t soak it for more than a few hours because it will eventually make meats mushy.

(In other words, those 24-48-hour marinades are not a good idea.)

Each culture has its own type of flavour mixes, from Indian Chicken Tikka to Jamaican Jerk Chicken, and I can’t cover it in detail in this piece. A good starting point is The Barbecue Bible by Steven Raichlen, which has a large selection of recipes from around the world.

Just don’t put anything with a lot of sugar into your marinade because excess sugar will caramelize and then burn on the exterior, blackening the food and leaving an unpleasant taste.

Keep a small amount of the marinade aside in a separate bowl. This will be used on the food a minute before it comes off the grill. One problem with high-heat grilling is that it will burn off much of the surface flavour, and using a basting brush to restore some of the flavour is a good idea, so your first bite doesn’t taste too burnt.

Grilling meat and poultry: Meat and grilling go together like Salman Khan and shirtless movie scenes.

Grilling meat is easy. Use long, flat cuts not more than ¾-inch thick that will expose the most surface area to the grill. Do not use very fatty cuts or cuts that need a long cooking time (see my previous column on cooking meat). Grilling is a quick, high-heat cooking method.

Remember that bone and fat both slow down heat transfer, so boneless meat is awesome. Bring the meat to room temperature before grilling. Shake off excess marinade so it doesn’t drip on to the charcoal. Once you put it on the grill, resist the urge to move the meat around every 10 seconds or you’ll have a sticky mess. If a nice brown sear with grill marks is important to you, flip the meat only once halfway through the cooking time. If you want the meat moister and more tender, flip once every minute. This gives you more even heat distribution but, of course, is more of a pain to manage.

What if you absolutely must make those pork chops or chicken legs and are now disappointed by my advice?

There are workarounds. While chicken breasts are the easiest to grill and take only 5 minutes, chicken legs can be grilled by first searing on the hot zone for a minute and then finishing the cooking on the medium zone.

Legs will take longer—about 20-30 minutes or so.

Tenderloin steaks too are delicious grilled this way, with the rich smoky flavour from the charcoal. Fatty pork chops can be conquered by either flattening the meat with a mallet or pre-cooking them partially at very low heat (about 120 degrees Celsius) in a regular oven for about 30 minutes before tossing them on the grill. Cook them on the medium zone, not the hot zone.

Grilling vegetables: Grilled vegetables are, in my opinion, the best way to enjoy vegetables with lots of flavour. Most large firm vegetables lend themselves to grilling—peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, corn, squashes like pumpkin, eggplant, potatoes, onions, and even non-vegetables like firm tofu and paneer. As a bonus, they cook fast, usually done in a matter of minutes. Just like meat, cut them as long and flat as possible. Keep them about ½- to ¾-inch thick. Too thin and you won’t have enough juicy insides. Too thick and you’ll burn the outsides by the time the insides are done.

Tossing the vegetables in some oil before grilling makes them cook even faster and improves their flavour. The oil prevents the heat from evaporating the water from the vegetable surface and locks it inside. So make sure your marinade has a wee bit of oil in it. Apart from that, you can use the same range of seasonings and flavour mixes as with meat. Just don’t marinate it for too long, especially if your marinade has salt, or you’ll end up with leaking vegetables in a pool of water.

Spiced potato wedges with paprika and thyme, olive oil and garlic rubbed eggplant, corn with rosemary butter and chilli, pumpkin in red curry and coconut milk, onions with Indonesian sweet soy sauce, tofu with a spicy Sichuan paste, paneer tikka, grilled peppers with salsa picante, mushrooms with peanut sauce...there are so many possibilities across so many cuisines. Even fruits like pineapple, firm mangoes, apples, peaches and pears can be grilled and enjoyed. The sugars in them caramelize and concentrate their flavour. Try it!

I hope this column has opened your eyes to the glorious foods that can be made with a grill. Summer is upon us, and what better time to have a grill party at home and call friends over. Now that you know what to do, you can be a grill master and, above all, have fun doing it. I

Madhu Menon is a chef, restaurant consultant and food writer.

Respond to this column at indulge@livemint.com

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INDULGE | April 2012

Column

joel

harrison

drinks consultant

Collecting Whiskies

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e all work hard; at least I’d like to think there is a good, solid work ethic among our readers.

You’re all not taking international holidays all the time, are you? Laid out on some sun lounger somewhere, while an attractive local serves you exotic cocktails made with the juice of handpicked fruits that only grow atop a mountain known locally as ‘‘The Mount of Certain Death”...

And, as the wage of sin is death, the reward for hard work on this planet should be a nice pay-cheque, or, if you’re really well looked after, a nice big bonus.

At Indulge, our job is to give you pointers on the luxuries in your life—the watches to wear, the cars to compare, the suits to suit you. See us as your sat-nav to splendour, your guide to gratification, your adviser to affluence and your leader to luxury.

However, you don’t want to spend all your life working, do you? At some stage you want to kick back on your sun lounger, pour yourself a large Johnnie Walker Blue Label, and not worry about office politics, rush hour traffic and rising taxes. You want to spend more time with your grandchildren, travel more, watch more cricket...you get the picture.

To enable this life of leisure, we are liquid assets (excuse the pun!), the encouraged to invest our earnings of first thing to do is get educated. Go out today to create returns for tomorrow. And and buy some books on whisky. Do a indeed, this is all very sensible advice. But quick Google search and order the Malt in today’s volatile markets, where do you Whisky Yearbook, 101 Whiskies To Try put your ‘‘hard-earned” money?

Before You Die and Jim Murray’s Whisky Well, most people will look towards Bible. This will familiarize you with the the stock market, property, bonds or big brand names. pension funds. These are all well-trodden Now, let’s be clear about this: the paths with plenty of people to offer you, most collectable whisky in the world at at a cost, sage advice along the way. this moment is the Scotch, and, within There are, of course, always that, the single malts. Irish, American and ‘‘alternative” investments. Wine, art and Japanese whiskies all have their place in cigars are all worthy of investment. But the market, but none quite get collectors wine doesn’t always win; art can often as hot as those unusual and exclusive be far from crafty; and cigars...well, your bottling from the home of the single malt. investment can go up in smoke.

Within this arena, the current Last month in this space, I mentioned champions are from celebrated closed the very expensive John Walker and distilleries such as Port Ellen and Sons Diamond Jubilee whisky (priced at Rosebank. These are ‘‘fallen soldiers” of £100,000 a bottle), released to celebrate the distilling world, from a time when Queen Elizabeth’s 60-year rule in the UK. whisky wasn’t as popular and the owners I went on to talk about recently released took ‘‘head over heart” decisions to stop figures, which show that ‘‘from 2008 to production at certain sites. An example the end of 2011, the top 10 performing of the madness that these bottles can whiskies gained more than 400% in create can be seen each year when the value, with the top 100 returning a 245% owner of Port Ellen—Diageo—puts gain, and the top 250 running at a 180% out an annual release from the leftover gain. Compared with gold, which grew by stocks of the distillery (which closed in 146% over the same period, whisky looks 1983). This year was the 11th in the series to be a jolly good investment”. and it hit the shops at £299. The run of Needless to say, I received mails just 2,988 bottles worldwide sold out with questions about collecting and investing in whisky. (I must say that what follows is a rough guide to investing in whisky. As with all investments, you must expect some risks.)

If you are keen to diversify your investment portfolio away from stocks and Precious piece: The Johnnie Walker Diamond Jubilee whisky. shares, and into

immediately, and, a few weeks later, the same bottle was at auction sites for over twice that price. Crazy stuff.

Other wise investments are rare or limited edition bottles from single malts such as the Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Macallan and Dalmore.

Especially, the whiskies from the Isle of Islay—Lagavulin, Bowmore, Laphroaig and Ardbeg are all worth a punt. When it comes to blends, Johnnie Walker limited editions tend to go well, too.

If you are looking to invest, go for bottles that are ‘‘limited edition” or ‘‘single cask” and try and buy what are known as ‘‘Own Bottles” (i.e., releases by the distillery owner, not independent bottlers). Very old bottles (those from the 1970s, 60s and 50s) are always going to be very rare. However, when you’re looking at such bottles, make sure the liquid inside is neck-high (a bottle can lose contents and, hence, value).

Also make sure the labels are in good condition. And, unlike wine, you should store the bottles upright. This is to stop the alcohol eating away at the cork.

Try to store them in a cool, dark place away from damp air and at a constant temperature too, if you can.

The main piece of advice is this: have some fun. Whisky shouldn’t be stored away as it was made for drinking. So if you are going to invest, try drinking some, too. I promise it’ll make the ones you have hidden away an even greater pleasure!

Finally, as per the advice earlier, investments can go down as well as up... but unlike stocks, if the bottom does fall out of the whisky market, you can always have one hell of a party with your ‘‘investments”. I

Joel Harrison is a drinks writer and consultant and co-founder of the website Caskstrength.net Respond to this column at indulge@ livemint.com

Column Photo: iStockphoto

Pizza, Prada And Foreign Makaan

W

hen buying Indian real estate is complicated enough, foreign real estate must seem positively daunting. But is it really?

The ongoing global economic malaise has created an opportunity for Indians to own prime residential real estate. The domestic populations of countries such as the US and UK are still working off the loans they took during the boom.

Anaemic domestic demand has led to declining house prices. As the balance of power has shifted towards buyers, foreigners have exploited this opportunity to own residential real estate at fairly reasonable levels.

The scope of the opportunity in some markets can be seen in chart 1. In most countries, the decline in house prices following the global credit crunch has left them at levels where they were five or more years ago. The exceptions being Canada and Australia, which are yet to see any meaningful decline.

Additionally, the strong recovery in foreign equity markets from their lows in March 2009 is yet to be seen in housing markets. Apart from stagnating

Chart 1: HOUSE PRICE INDICES Australia

180 160

Spain

UK

Canada

USA

140 120 100 80 60

Ireland Mar 03

Mar 04

Mar 05

Mar 06

Mar 07

Mar 08

Mar 09

Mar 10

Mar 11 Nov 11

Source: S&P/Case-Shiller US Home Price Index, UK DCLG House Price Index, STCA Canada New Housing Price Index, Spain House Price Index by Ministerio de Fomento, Australia House Price Index Established Homes by Australian Bureau of Statistics, Ireland House Price Index by CSO Ireland (All rebased to 100 from March 2003, except Ireland from March 2005 and Spain from March 2004)

Chart 2: HOUSE PRICE INDEX (UK LAND REGISTRY) 250

ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA

WANDSWORTH

200 150 100

LONDON

50 0

Jan 03

Jan 04

Jan 05

Jan 06

Jan 07

Jan 08

Jan 09

Jan 10

Jan 11

Jan 12

Source: www.landregistry.co.uk (House Price Index rebased to 100 on Jan-2003)

Graphics by Naveen Kumar Saini/Mint

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INDULGE | April 2012

Shashank

Khare

investment professional

or falling prices, the number of transactions has also fallen compared with the pre-credit crunch period. A few courageous buyers have stepped into this fearful market following Warren Buffett’s dictum that the time to be greedy is when others are fearful. However, most of the foreign buyers have been the global ultrarich buying multi-million-dollar properties. But this does not mean that one needs to be a Russian oligarch or a Middle Eastern sheikh to buy a house in London, New York or Valencia for that matter. For example, there are decent London properties available under half-a-million dollars.

The question to be answered is whether it makes sense to invest in real estate abroad. Intuitively, total returns (both capital appreciation and rental yield) from real estate in Western countries are expected to be lower than in India. Chasing the highest return in India has merit but is a blinkered view. From a portfolio perspective, foreign real estate has two advantages: first is of diversification and the second is wealth preservation.

A foreign asset denominated in hard currency in a nation with stable rule of law provides protection against unexpected downside. Russian, Middle-Eastern and European investment in the London property market is mainly to benefit from this characteristic.

Where to start

Investing in foreign real estate is not a fiendishly complicated task. The standard metrics of evaluation are applicable but need slight modifications. What needs to be borne in mind is that unlike financial assets, real estate is a domestic asset with risk and return driven by domestic factors. The first step is to gain knowledge of the domestic economy and demographics. This sounds obvious while making real estate investments in one’s own country. Overseas, however, this is a much greater challenge.

Once the fundamental drivers are analysed, the investor needs to evaluate the legal landscape. This would include whether foreigners are allowed to buy domestic housing and the strength of protection afforded to their property rights. It would also include

the degree of regulation and transparency in the housing market. A lot of Western nations would satisfy the criteria of being open, transparent and with regulated jurisdictions. However, for Indians, the US and UK are preferred investment destinations. This is because of language and presence of similar commonlaw legal systems.

Other Commonwealth nations such as Canada and Australia would also be in the list were it not for the fact that their housing markets are yet to deflate.

Ireland could be a contender were it not for its poor macroeconomic outlook.

Having decided on a country, the next step is to drill down to the city and area level. Economics and demographics are also important to evaluate the attractiveness of cities. For an example, New York with a resilient finance industry is better than Detroit with a declining car-manufacturing industry. Determination of a specific area requires the services of a local expert. It also involves enormous amounts of due diligence. The final step is to analyse investment economics under the familiar heads of transaction costs, tax treatment, mortgage availability, rental yields and running costs.

Local experts such as estate agents and lawyers are necessary to execute the investment decision. While there are specialized real estate agents and legal firms catering to the international buyer, most of them operate in the multi-million-dollar segment (around R5 crore and above). Investors with smaller pots may be better off just talking to the agents and lawyers that the locals use.

Let’s use the London market as an example.

London is one of the investment options that Indians should consider. The UK economy, bogged down after the credit crisis, is recovering, albeit slower than the US. London is the main contributor to the UK’s gross domestic product and the main destination for immigrants into the UK, around 250,000 of whom arrived between June 2010 and 2011. Immigration combined with limited land availability and restrictive planning laws keeps the demand for housing up. London prime property is also the object of desire for the rich from Russia, the Middle East and Europe. Their purchases in the sought-after postcodes such as South Kensington, Belgravia and Knightsbridge led to a percolation of demand to other areas of London. This is mainly the reason why the London property market has massively outperformed the broader UK market.

Unfortunately, for rupee-denominated investors, the currency’s recent plunge has made London property 13% more expensive compared with last year. However, waiting for the rupee to appreciate or depreciate should not enter the investment decision since, when you think about it, that is a separate foreign-exchange trade in itself.

Having decided upon London, the next question to answer is where and what type of property to buy.

Unless one wishes to compete with the global superrich and pay an enormous premium for a postcode brand, the lesser-known residential areas outside of Zone 1—as the heart of Central London is called—are preferable. They offer potential for capital appreciation and are still reasonably priced in comparison as shown in chart 2. It compares Wandsworth, a popular residential area for young families, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, a magnet for the global super-rich.

The ideal investment property is one which costs less than £1 million. This has two main advantages; the first obvious one is of a lower stamp duty.

Properties between £250,000 and £500,000 pay 3%, and those between £500,000 and £1 million pay 4%, compared with 5% for properties above £1 million and 7% for those above £2 million.

This exemplifies the implicit political advantage of not being classified as a ‘‘rich man’s property”. It is very important in today’s economic environment where Western governments are trying to raise tax revenues. The second advantage in choosing such property is dual demand—from people lower down the property ladder looking to upgrade, and from people above looking to downgrade, such as when children move out and the couple wishes to move into a more manageable property.

London is only one of the options from a plethora available to the smart and affluent Indian investor wishing to add foreign real estate to his portfolio. There are hundreds of more options from chalets in Swiss ski resorts to cut-price Spanish seaside villas. However, due diligence of national and local factors are the key.

Those who are short on time can still add foreign real estate to their investment portfolios using real estate investment trusts (REITs). But that is a discussion for another day. I

Shashank Khare is a London-based investment professional, learning from the capital markets what they didn’t teach him at IIM Ahmedabad.

milestones

The Chanel Apartment

Parisian Splendour Photo: CHANEL/Photo O.S.

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Photo: Hachette Filipacchi Photos-Photo: Kamermann

Photo: CHANEL/Photo O.S.

n 1910, Coco Chanel opened a hat shop called Chanel Modes at 21 Rue Cambon in central Paris, just a stone’s throw away from Place Vendôme, the heart of Parisian, and indeed world, fashion. As business boomed, Chanel took over the whole building at the nearby 31 Rue Cambon and converted it into a combination of a boutique, reception room, studio and her private apartment.

Today, 31 Rue Cambon is a shrine to this pioneer of the finer things in life. And the gentle inspirations and legacies of these rooms can be seen in Chanel products to this day. Indulge showcases Coco Chanel’s apartment, one of the most glamorous living and working spaces in the world.

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Write to us at indulge@livemint.com

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INDULGE | April 2012

1

milestones Photo: CHANEL/Photo O.S.

1 The diwan/sofa: Chanel used this iconic diwan as both ‘‘throne and day bed”, according to Chanel literature. She worked and rested here, reclining on cushions quilted like her handbags.

Coffee table: The coffee table is arrayed with gifts from the Duke of Westminster including crystal balls and three vermeil boxes with gold interiors. In the 1920s, Chanel had a love affair with the Duke. The boxes were some of her most precious objects in the apartment.

2 The chandelier in this picture of Coco Chanel working with model Odile de Croÿ is constructed from interlocking cast iron 5s and Cs: Chanel’s favourite number and initial.

3 The apartment houses eight of Chanel’s collection of what it estimated to be 32 folding Coromandel screens. She loved these screens, using them to shield doorways, thereby indicating to guests that she did not want them to leave. The screen here shows the camellia flower, a recurring motif in Chanel’s collections.

4 Chanel hated the cold and kept a fire burning here. Above the mantelpiece is a variety of Eastern and Western sculpture. And in front, the oft-photographed glass table supported by a sheaf of golden wheat crafted by jeweller Robert Goosens.

5 Chanel was born under the Leo

star sign and loved the lion motif.

6 The octagon is a legendary part of the Coco Chanel canon, seen most prominently in the shape of the Chanel No. 5 bottle. Several mirrors, especially eight-sided ones, adorn the apartment.

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4 Photo: CHANEL/Photo O.S.

Photo: CHANEL/Photo O.S.

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April 2012 |

INDULGE

19

Showcase

The Eureka

Experience The Fountainhead VibrAcoustic from Kohler combines sound vibrations, music and chromatherapy in four preset compositions to provide a soothing effect.

The soft pliable material and segmented design provide versatility and comfort as it rolls up to support the head and neck of the users. It also provides the users means to rest their necks as they float in the bath.

Soothing instrumental compositions play above water while acoustic vibrations sweep through the water and around the body.

Write to us at indulge@livemint.com

Key features The unique head pocket cradles the neck and the head and lets the user experience the sounds underwater comfortably Personal music with DTV-bath interface enables users to access their own playlist from an MP3 player or computer Customized chromatherapy for better relaxation.

Lighting is choreographed to the music which allows the user to select a preferred colour scheme to suit her mood

Other specifications: Material: Acrylic Left/right drain options Water overflows into horizontal overflow drain for maximum bathing depth Includes remote control

Cost of indulgence:

Price: R16.57 lakh

for the 88-inch version (from 1 May), including all accessories and installation

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INDULGE | April 2012

profile

Shaping Masterpieces When it came to creating the Spirits of India series, Valencia-based Lladro began by getting the hang of Indian iconography

Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint

research, we might be able to bring out an Indianized version of our classic figurines such as the Mother and Child.

How long does an idea take to come in to form? For example, how long did the Rama and Sita pieces take to come to the stores after conception?

It took me a year to make the Rama and Sita pieces. From there, it took another year to finish the product, fine-tuning it.

It takes a lot of time to finish a product with the kind of details that you see on them in the stores.

By Pradip kumar saha

A

pradip.s@livemint.com

t its outlet in a Gurgaon mall, Lladro, the Spanish makers of high quality porcelain figurines, has redone a corner to give it a similar look to the office Raul Rubio has in Valencia. There is a photograph of the picturesque City of Porcelain on the wall, and on the desk in front of him, packets of plastilina clay (plasticine, a type of modelling clay)— all to make him feel at home.

Rubio was in India for live demonstrations in four cities to take Lladro customers through the intricate process of creating some of the brand’s remarkably detailed, nuanced porcelain works of art. Of particular relevance to the Indian market is the fact that Rubio is one of the sculptors working on the Spirits of India series and the creator of the Rama and Sita pieces—the latest and perhaps most iconic works in the series.

Rubio’s methods can only be described as tranquil. Slowly, with infinite patience and with the precision of a surgeon’s hands, he carves his way through a mound of plastilina clay. After three hours of assembling dozens of pieces of clay, Lladro’s wildly popular Veena Ganesha sculpture begins to take shape.

History Lladro was set up in a small family workshop in the village of Almassera, Valencia, by three brothers—Juan, Jose and Vicente—in 1953. By 1958, demand for their products grew so much that the family workshop had become too small and the brothers decided to move their small company to a warehouse in the neighbouring town of Tavernes Blanques.

Today, Lladro makes all its products in the City of Porcelain—a 100,000 sq. ft complex in the heart of Valencia’s Tavernes Blanques quarter— which the company opened in 1969.

India connection The Spirits of India series was launched with the Hindu Children figurines in 1986, years before Lladro actually began to sell products in India directly.

(This has been a peculiar trend over the years; Lladro continues to sell hundreds of Indian themed pieces in the international markets.) Realizing the potential in the country, Lladro finally entered India in 2000, and now operates through eight boutiques across the country.

Research Before every piece that Lladro makes, the company does intensive research.

Before it launched the Radha Krishna series, for example, staffers were flown to India and then sent to places such as Vrindavan and Mathura to understand the culture and traditions of Indian religious sculpture in general and Radha Krishna representation in particular.

After months of research and travel, the reconnaissance team returned to Spain. A limited edition of 3,000 pieces of the Radha Krishna figurines was launched in 2005. These were sold out by 2009. production Rubio was at work at his office when the Rama and Sita proposal came to him in 2009. He was given excerpts from the Ramayana and images of

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INDULGE | April 2012

There are a lot of Indian artists doing the same kind of work. Do you know any?

There certainly are many artists in India doing it. And doing it for centuries now.

You look at the temples here, the walls, and you can’t help but appreciate them.

But in terms of individuals, no I haven’t met anyone. Also I haven’t studied any individual artist.

Is there any individual you draw inspiration from?

There have been many influences.

Especially, the Renaissance artists— Michelangelo, 19th century French artist Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux to name a few.

Now the latest influence is coming from the East and the Orient.

Raul Rubio, sculptor

I am living my dream

W

ith a four-day stubble and uncombed hair, Raul Rubio fits the description of an artist.

37-year-old Rubio is from Valencia, Spain. He spoke to Indulge with the help of a translator about his passion and his association with Lladro. Edited excerpts: How did you get into sculpting?

Since childhood, I wanted to be a sculptor.

It runs in my family. My father was a sculptor as well. I studied fine arts at the Polytechnic University of Valencia.

I joined Lladro’s art school in 2000, and after two and a half years apprenticeship, I joined Lladro’s team of sculptors.

Which was your first global project?

The first project to get global recognition was the Ganesha under the Spirits of India series. The Rama and Sita also is

the deities to study and develop the basic sketch, while, once again, footsoldiers in India marched up and down temples and museums collecting imagery. It took around 12 months for Rubio to finally develop a model in clay that pleased the Lladro team.

The model was then sent to the

The Spirits of India series was launched in 1986, 14 years before Lladro actually entered India.

another very important project.

What’s your India connection?

I have always been fascinated with Indian culture, which reflects in the sculptures. Indian culture is very exotic.

It’s very different from the culture we have back home—the religions, different faiths, number of deities. Also, the ways the sculptures are made are very different. And that caught our attention.

Have you studied about India before doing the Spirits of India series? What are your sources of information for the creation of the sculptures?

I have studied about the gods and goddesses, not particularly about India in general, to understand the feelings and sentiments before making the sculptures. The position of their hands, expression of the eyes, the way they sit, to understand the balance and serenity.

Basic information comes from the scriptures. I had read fragments from the Ramayana before doing the Rama and Sita pieces. Then we do intensive search over the Internet also for the images. We also take feedback from the Lladro team here in India.

What other projects have you done for Lladro?

Apart from the Spirits of India series, I have done different projects such as the Japanese Warrior Boy, the classic Lladro pieces for the European market, and the Boy Scouts for the US market.

Why does religion form the core of the Spirits of India series?

From outside India, the first image of the country, when it comes to sculpting, is represented mainly by religion, various deities and exotic stories. So it was only natural to start with the religious theme.

But that said, in future, when we travel more to India and do more

How has the India experience been?

It’s been a very nice experience. The reception has also been great. To get know about the numerous gods and goddesses, interesting stories about them—it’s absolutely fascinating.

production team. Moulds were made from Plaster of Paris. “The number of moulds depends on the number of parts that a model has, and can go up to 1,500,” said a spokesperson from Spa Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd, Lladro’s Indian partner, describing the production process.

Liquid porcelain was poured into the moulds and once they were done, the pieces were carved out of the moulds and were bonded again by pouring liquid porcelain over them.

Painted and varnished pieces were then fired for 24 hours at 1,300 degrees Celsius. This process gives the product the sturdiness and also reduces the size of the pieces by up to 15%.

After another round of accessorizing, the prototype pieces

were ready for final approval, following which mass production started.

Every piece was then checked manually for quality and given a unique number, and finally shipped to the stores.

The limited edition of 1,800 pieces of Rama and Sita figurines arrived in Indian stores in 2011, and is currently priced at R4 lakh a set.

What is your dream project?

I am living my dream and to continue doing it is my aim.

Response Customers love them, Lladro told Indulge, and Rubio has already started working on the next pieces in the Spirts of India series—Laxman and Hanuman. Lladro intends to present the quartet of Ram, Sita, Laxman and Hanuman pieces as the Ram Darbar set sometime next year. I