|
|
|
|
|
|
Smell this coffee
Baby’s day out
PACESETTER Archit Gupta
|
|
|
Smell this coffee In
a nation where tea has been the primary drink of choice, the coffee culture seems all set to make a dent and change the mindset of the upwardly mobile Indians who are showing a growing taste for foreign food and drink. The violent glam of the 1980s disco gave way to the elite pubs in the 1990s and the lounge bars of the new millennium. But now, for the hip and the happening, the haze of cigarette smoke is rapidly clearing. Though the pub and lounge bar culture still thrives, the young and not-so-young are soaking in the elegance and allure of another experience — the European-style street corner coffee shops that are becoming a part of city life and spreading to towns and highways. Time was when our rare brush with coffee was at a South Indian eatery where one could relish ‘filter’ coffee that came in a rimmed steel glass perched in a small steel bowl. It was a freshly brewed blend of coffee (80 per cent) and chicory (20 per cent). The beans usually came from the Coorg district of Karnataka where coffee is widely grown. In the 1960s and 1970s, these became a popular hangout for intellectuals, artists, musicians, political leaders, people with Left leanings and jholawalas who engaged in verbal duels and intellectual banter. Some of the regulars at the Indian Coffee House in New Delhi’s Connaught Place included names like I. K. Gujral, M. F. Husain, Amrita Pritam, Manjeet Bawa, Khushwant Singh and a host of others who made it a socio-cultural hub. Over the years, these coffee houses have still not lost their appeal and the 400-odd branches across the country are frequented by the young for their relaxed atmosphere and by old timers as a matter of habit. But with liberalisation came the wave of western coffee culture. Seeing the heady success of Indian Coffee House, the new millennium saw the entry of many popular western coffee chains, aimed at wooing professionals who wanted a convenient meeting place. What was first brushed aside as a fad, has, over the years, acquired a passionate following.
Affordable meeting places
According to New Delhi-based research and consultancy firm Technopak Advisors, from 175 in 2002, there were more than 1,500 coffee outlets in India by the end of 2011. These overseas brands have successfully made coffee a rage among upwardly mobile Indians. And what they are offering are affordable and convenient meeting joints which earlier could be facilitated only by expensive restaurants and hotels. The modern coffee shops are cozy and hark back to the languorous and relaxed pace of life. While pubs focus on music and alcohol, coffee shops offer an altogether different appeal. Here guests tend to troop in as early as 9 a.m. and they come virtually throughout the day and not just Intimate and luxuriously snug, these new socialising joints sport top-of-the-line furniture and a large range of coffees. The guests include professionals, students, even housewives, who come to relax over a cup of steaming hot or refreshingly cold coffee and nibble at snacks like muffins, bagels and paninis.
Relaxed ambience
“Pub hopping no longer holds the charm it used to. We would rather go to a place where seats are comfortable and the ambience relaxed, have a cup of coffee and catch up with friends,” says Aditya Bhagat, a young doctor at a private hospital. The trend is catching up rapidly and all major cities and towns are scrambling to have coffee bars of their own to provide professionals, businesspersons, students, friends and young lovers a place to relax and bond .
Networking sites
These coffee shops are also becoming a much-preferred venue for socialising. Says 27-year-old banker Shalini Nagpal, “When I got a promotion, I planned a bash for a few of my close friends where I wanted the two essential ingredients of a celebration — great snacks and a relaxed atmosphere where no one was trying to hustle us out. A pub with its blaring music and cramped atmosphere was out of question but a coffee shop fitted the bill perfectly.”
Stars of the show
With the annual Indian organised coffee café business valued at around $185 million (over
Rs 1,000 crore) and growing annually at the rate of 25 per cent it is not surprising that the world’s leading chain Starbucks is rubbing its hands in glee at the prospects of setting shop in India. It is arriving in India through a 50-50 joint venture with Tata Global Beverages and plans 50 stores by the end of 2012 which would eventually spiral to a mind-boggling 3,000 locations given its deep pockets. According to John Culver, the president of Starbucks in Asia, the company is going to move as fast to take advantage of the opportunity that exists in India where the economy is moving rapidly and the consumer is evolving fast.
Indianised exotica
Most of the leading companies are adapting to the needs of the Indian market. Since Indians like to snack with a beverage, most of these outlets offer an extensive range of indigenised snacks like chicken tikka sandwich, paneer tikka sandwich, murg chole sandwich, millet bread chana sandwich, veggie samosa, mirch masala chatka, masala omelette, spicy barbeque paneer and more. Merchandising too is a major part of the business of these coffee shops. These chains offer a range of merchandise like teddy bears, business-card holders, mugs, coffee makers and packets of special brewed coffee. Others, too, are selling coffee-related merchandise like packs of premium coffee powders, coffee mugs, coffee grinders, funky T-shirts and caps. It is estimated that between 5 and 10 per cent of the revenue is generated from merchandising. With the competition getting hotter, coffee shops are sprouting up practically every where which offer a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere to enjoy a piping hot brew. If you, too, want to relieve stress and bond with friends in a serene and elegant way, a coffee outlet is the place to be in. The steaming cup of coffee will woo you back to an era of leisurely pace of life…an era lost in the rough and tumble of modern life.
|
||
|
|
Baby’s day out On
his second birthday, Rohan has all the material luxuries anyone can dream of in life. He lives in a sprawling bungalow that has a fleet of cars parked in its driveway. His bedroom is fitted with a gaggle of electronic gizmos, he has a dedicated staff of two nannies, ready to pamper to all his baby needs and desires. His playpen has toys especially flown in from wonderlands like London’s Hemleys and New York’s FAO Schwarz. His wardrobe has brands like Fendi, Gucci and Dior, which can make any fashionista drool. Rohan is one among the growing tribe of kids whose high-rolling parents are so loaded that they lead a life dominated with brands and designer labels. It is, perhaps, the case of being one up on people with similar status that Rohan’s parents — father a CEO of a leading publishing house and mother a corporate lawyer — pile him with goodies some of whose significance and value are lost on him.
Sophisticated awareness
But not for long. In all likelihood, children like Rohan grow up to react to brands with a sophisticated awareness, thanks to the flickering images of mobile phones, watches and other razzmatazz on the television screen. Says a visibly proud mother of eight-year-old Tanya, “For her birthday, Tanya wants a home theatre with a 72-inch Panasonic plasma and Lazy Boy chairs.” Today the toy story has a different tale to tell. The Teddy Bear, Scrabble, Monoply and Barbie may no longer hold a rich kid’s interest. In many upmarket homes, such toys are passé. And competing for a child’s attention in an increasingly sophisticated industry is no longer kid's play. There are ‘toy’ cars
(Rs 12,000-Rs 40,000) in which kids can actually sit and drive. These have an accelerator and a fully functional steering wheel. The hottest models today are the Formula One series. The high end ‘toy’ motorcycles
(Rs 5,000 onwards) are available in sports models too. The ‘Jeep’ model
(Rs 12,000) can accommodate two children. Then, there are battery-operated robots that range between
Rs 2,500 and Rs 6,000. And the computer-controlled ones can cost upwards of
Rs 40,000.
Designer wear
If the upmarket toy industry is surging, then designer wear and accessories are not far behind. Most leading labels in the world today have elaborate sections for children ranging from zero to 10-year-olds. Brands like Fendi, Chanel, Dior and others bring out annual collections for children, which are as much awaited events as those for the grown-ups. This year, Gucci’s collection for girls and boys was divided into two age groups, from 0 to two years and from two to eight years and comprised high-end clothing, shoes, accessories, gifts and sunglasses. Dolce & Gabbana has three main style lines — D&G Baby, D&G Junior and D&G Teen. All collections take their vibe from the collections for grown-ups and are aimed at parents who want their children to look cool and funky. However, child psychologists disapprove of the growing tendency of wealthy parents to spoil their kids with high market goodies. Says Dr Deepika Anchal, “We’re seeing the rise of micro nuclear families where both parents are working, have larger disposable incomes and, more often than not, very little time to spend with kids. They often go in for impulse purchases or give in to their children’s demands instead of buying what is most suitable for the child ”.
Status symbol
What drives parents to purchase such expensive toys and apparel for their children? Excessive wealth? Status? The answer is both. These gizmos are meant mostly for children of ultra rich parents, who think nothing of splurging half a lakh of rupees for a toy or designer wear. Apart from toys and apparel, even accessories, come with a status attached. Most global companies have a line of goodies that come with whopping price tags. These range from strollers to baby carriers, from cots to rocking chairs, bath tubs to feeding bottles and sun hats to nappy changing bags apart from gizmos like baby-special computers and laptops. Says Aarti Khanna, wife of a prosperous Delhi-based jeweller, “I bought my two-year-old son a laptop which comes with a software to teach the basics of numbers, alphabets, shapes and even personality development tips, all coded in separate CDs. It cost me
Rs 85,000 but look at its potential.” Thus, even as the laptop replaces the humble Carom and Snakes & Ladder as the preferred toy and entertainment tool, high-end toy makers are making a big push to connect their products with computers and the internet. So, while technology, designer wear, accessories and gadgets compete for the wealthy parents' attention, it may be fitting to declare.
|
||
|
|
The successful tax man By simplifying the basics of filing returns, he created a business opportunity for himself Vasudha Gupta Whether
it is the creation of Facebook or Apple, anyone who thinks out of the box is sure to make it big in today’s world. Archit Gupta (27), having a bachelors in engineering from IIT Guwahati and a masters in computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, decided to make things easy for the masses. His website Cleartax.in helps people to prepare and file tax returns online. Created with a goal of being friendly, the website starts out by asking simple questions, before moving on to complex ones. “The support staff is just a click away,” says Archit. He received an amazing response and the user base is increasing each day. He also offers a unique service for women. While men possess a better knowledge of money matters, the website services are free for women. “Women will hardly talk about tax returns and are less inclined to deal with money matters than men,” feels Archit. His website has contributed towards increasing financial literacy among women. At present it has several happy women customers. Archit’s exposure to the attitude towards start-ups began in the US itself. This gave him a clear-cut idea of the gaps between India and the US. He is now certain of a few integral points in terms of business entrepreneurship. “The Silicon Valley is far more used to start-ups and is a more mature internet market,” he says. India, on the other hand, for this young lad is a little low on business friendliness and is also a bit restless. “In a striking contrast to Indians, professionals in the US create long-term value for a company and have a closer ties with their firms. The Indian Internet growth opportunity is huge though and that’s where we are focused.” he adds. His masters degree in computer science helped him procure the sought-after research internship at Microsoft Research Labs. He also did a research assistantship at Wisconsin around the same time that Facebook was beginning to become the phenomenon that it is. “I was at a point where I was not even certain if I wanted to be attached with a start-up. It was not until mid-2010 that Archit decided to come back and found his calling in ClearTax. “Living in the US is much harder than one can actually imagine. Staying without family, friends and being a stranger in a land is not as glorious as it seems from far away,” Archit says. It was while bouncing different ideas to his father, a chartered accountant, that Cleartax.in took birth. Putting it across in simple terms, Archit says, “Our only USP is our simplicity.” After all, it was the simple thought of sharing things online that kick-started Facebook, right?
|
||
|
|
Those who have a fireplace usually huddle around it in winters. But those who have the moolah have the fireplace come to them. The Eclypsya fireplace is mobile and can be taken wherever you go…bedroom, drawing room, or in the open. Created by American designer Benjamin Mesnard, the fireplace, with glass on both sides, provides warmth from every angle, and ushers in a romantic mood. Above all, it guarantees to be your hottest cold weather friend. price: $6,270
(Rs 3.45 lakh)
CLEAR PICTURE
price: $22,105
(Rs 12,15,775)
CHILL WITH CHUMBY
price: $100
(Rs 5,500)
Is sitting on the office chair for hours giving you a pot belly and making you lethargic? If yes, then you need the office chair strength trainer being sold by American mail order dealer Hammacher Schlemmer. The chair trainer will keep you fit and enable you to build and tone muscles. The straps are attached to a backrest and the elastic bands and pulley system provide resistance as you perform weightlifting movements while sitting on your chair. The trainer also helps relieve muscle tension that accumulates during long periods of sitting. When you buy this chair, you will surely look forward to going to office. price: $200
(Rs 11,000)
ALLURE OF VALLURE
price: $465
(Rs 25,575)
If your choice of drink is vintage, should your bar be modern? Certainly not. Add a touch of retro to your watering hole with the 16th century Italian Replica Old World Globe Bar. The portable bar opens from the centre to reveal a stunning arrangement of bottles and glasses. Other paraphernalia can be displayed on the bottom shelf. The all-wood bar, with brass accents and metal rolling coasters, promises to transport you back in time in the first sip. price: $130
(Rs 7,150)
They are cool and trendy and made from materials ranging from denims, leather, polycarbonate and silicon to suit your style. The range of iPad cases and covers by Envent offer protection from scratches and accidental falls. Available in a form-fitting design, they are lightweight, comfortable to grip and ultra slim. They also have adjustable standing angles which enables the user to work in different positions of the iPad. And best of all, when you buy one you get a screen protector free. price: Range between
Rs 1,099 and Rs 4,099
CAPTURED BY THE GLARES
price: $170 (Rs 9,350)
HELLO, IT’S TAG HEUER
price: Between $7,800 and $20,000
(Rs 4.29 lakh and Rs 11 lakh)
BATHE LIKE A KING
price: $790,000
(Rs 4,34,50,000)
|
|
The European-style coffee shops are fast becoming a part of the city life replacing the filter coffee culture of the Indian Coffee House of the 1950s
Uber rich parents are loading their babies with designer goodies, gadgets and gizmos
The filter coffee culture received a tremendous boost with the emergence of the Indian Coffee House in the 1950s. Owned and managed by employees, these coffee houses instantly caught the imagination of the people because of their unhurried pace and pocket-friendly rates. Liveried waiters served customers from a limited variety of dosas, vadas, omelette toast and tomato sandwiches. All of which were washed down by piping hot cups of coffee.
Two of the most commonly available coffee beans around the world are — the Arabica (Coffea Arabica) and the Robusta (Coffea Canephora). The Arabica bean is self-pollinating and the taste can range from sweet to tangy depending upon the region it is grown in. Robusta is a hardier bean but at 2.2 per cent has a higher caffeine content compared to Arabica’s 1.2 per cent. The result is that Arabica scores in taste and flavour thus explaining why almost 80 per cent of the world coffee production comes from the Arabica bean as compared to 20 per cent from the Robusta bean.
WORLD’S TOP 10 COFFEE PRODUCING NATIONS
Espresso is the base of a large number of coffees. It is made by funnelling boiling water through coarsely ground coffee beans resulting in a foamy drink with strong and concentrated flavours.
Cappuccino
is a brew with an Espresso base. The foamy coffee is topped with steamed and foamed creamy milk and sprinkled with cinnamon or coffee powder—or both.
Caffé Latte originated in America in 1980 and it too has Espresso as a base. To this is added steaming cow’s milk (traditionally) whipped to a froth. It is served in a mug and topped with milky foam.
Caffé Mocha usually referred to as a ‘Dessert in a Cup’ has Espresso as the base topped with steaming milk. To this is added chocolate syrup and is topped with with cream and a sprinkling of chocolate powder.
Macchiato strikes a balance between strong and milky coffee. It is a intense shot of Espresso coffee that has a teaspoon of foamed milk or a few drops of cold milk to whip up a strong brew.
Irish Coffee is actually a cocktail comprising hot coffee, Irish whiskey and brown sugar. The three ingredients are blended to a smooth consistency and to this is added thick cream which is allowed to float.
That it has some of the snazziest fashion studios for men and women around the world is old hat. But what is lesser known is the fact that Ralph Lauren also runs a chain of children’s boutiques that cater to boys and girls between the ages of two and 16. Well-heeled parents throng to these outlets for Pony, Striped, Pleated Polos and a lot more. Little girls can choose from colourful tank dresses, collar dresses and ruffled drop waist dresses and cascading jerseys all embroidered with the Polo Pony.
Theophile & Patachou, one of Europe's leading baby accessories brands, provides comprehensive and coordinated furniture sets with matching accessories. It is known for its complete room options including cots, chest of drawers, changing tables as well as bedside lamps, linen, blankets, towels, baby care baskets and pillows in a variety of styles and colours. One of the highlights of the company is the Prestige Baby Bed, which is now available at the DLF Emporio in New Delhi.
If you are a fashion-conscious parent and believe in over-loading your infant with branded wear, then your baby’s designer wardrobe will not be complete without a fancy sun hat. And who does it better than British fashion house Burberry? The lightweight baby hat has a wide brim with ties under the chin to keep it in place. It has the classic Burberry check pattern and is designed to protect your little one’s eyes from the glaring draft and sunlight.
Though the Armani kids accessories maybe a recent addition to the Italian luxury brand’s growing repertoire, it is already coming to be known for its finesse and style. Take, for example, its classic pair of soft-soled baby booties. The trainers-style booties feature a panelled mesh and leather design with a double velcro strap fastening. They have the signature metal Armani eagle logo embellished on the side. Soft and comfortable, these are a great pair for those little feet.
When it comes to dressing up little girls, no one does it better than Baby Dior. In a departure from its earlier soft pastels and patterns, this year the hues have become brighter and more dazzling. The emphasis has been on red, pink and blue clothes, shoes and accessories. This stunning red pleated silk bubble dress and bloomers of the same colour and material with the Dior Teddy Bear logo on the side is sure to make a baby girl look like a little princess.
ONADA EVALUTION BATH TUB
A rocking chair is just the thing to have for breast-feeding mothers. Besides gently rocking the baby to sleep, it also builds a close bond between the mother and the child. But two Dutch designers have improved on the traditional rocking chair by creating the
Rockid. This all-in-one rocking chair and cradle allows you to remain hands-free while softly swinging your little one to sleep. When your child outgrows the cradle, you can reconstruct the Rockid into a good old fashioned rocking chair.
The latest Crocs Chameleons collection is a fascinating accessory for your child. Fascinating because the footwear changes colours and the child can see magic in real action. From trendy silhouettes such as the Shirley Girls to the classic silhouettes such as the Translucent Clogs, parents can choose from a variety of cool and comfortable styles for their precious little one.
GUCCI BABY CARRIER
LALILU LUXURY SILK CRIB BEDDING
FENDI PUSH CHAIR
Majestic Carriage Crib: Costing Rs 10,99,725, the majestic crib is custom-built and made from solid cedar frame. It features a front leather seat and rear box designed as a changing table. It takes 10 to 12 weeks for delivery.
COLD-WEATHER FRIEND
It’s picture perfect, goes the ad line. And it’s no exaggeration. LG’s new ultra high definition TV is a class apart. It is the world’s first 84-inch Cinema 3-D-equipped UHDTV. It offers a resolution of 3840 x 2160. Which is a waste as no network in the world offers such a high resolution. However, the impact of the clarity can be felt with a Blu-Ray player, or even some PS3 games justifying its hefty price tag.
It’s a clock whose time was bound to come in the era of the networked world. The chumby-one multi-functional alarm clock not just wakes you up in the morning but also connects you to the world. That’s because it’s a computer hidden in a clock. From the latest news and weather forecast to stock quotes, video clips, photos and games, everything is displayed on the clock whose face doubles up as a monitor. It also has a FM tuner and will connect you to Facebook and Twitter. There are a host of other features to keep you connected without switching on a TV or a computer.
GET FIT AS YOU SIT
Don’t expect to find this at your local liquor vend. In fact, you’d be very lucky to see it at upmarket shops as well. Vallure, a super premium vodka made in Germany, is endorsed by some of the biggest names in the celebrity circuit. Each bottle is cased in 24-karat gold and packaged in a two-piece black shell with a red velvet interior. It is made from the finest German winter wheat and goes through triple gold filtering. No wonder it was the drink of choice of Russian Czars.
RAISE THE BAR
COOL COVERS
These will be a God-send for anyone with a sting operation in mind. The polarised sunglasses record high-definition video through a pinhole-sized lens in the bridge of the frame. A built-in microphone records stereo sound and the sunglasses can also capture 8 megapixel still photos with the touch of a button. Video is recorded in AVI format and the internal 4 GB memory stores up to one hour of real time. So the next time you want to capture someone on film, do it through the sun glares.
TAG Heuer makes great watches. Right? Yes it does but it also makes great phones as well. The renowned watchmaker is calling up the cellphone industry with its Manufacture Series, a new collection of luxurious cellphones made with the state-of-the-art technology. There are six different versions of the phones, each of them unique in its own special way. Crafted from solid metals and covered in calf-skin leather and embellished with silver, gold or diamond studs, they come as a limited edition and are all set to become a collector’s item.
Does the very thought of a warm bath after a stressful day send soothing waves to your mind? Yes, it does and many people do spend time refreshing themselves once they are back home. Now you can do it in style, lounging in a flawless crystal bathtub. London’s mega department store Harrods has on display a bathtub carved from the purest white rock crystal quarried in Brazil’s Amazon region. Designed by Italian firm Baldi, it took six months to create and is truly fit for a king — and that goes for its price tag as well.