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Now, season's gifts outsourced to India
This year at swank stores of New York and London, Christmas shoppers will pick up scores of gifts made in India.
This year at the swank stores of New York and London, Christmas and New Year shoppers will pick up scores of gifts made in India.
Almost all top-end stores like Macy's, Wal-Mart, Selfridges and Bloomingdale are buying hundreds of gifts from the country in a new genre of outsourcing.
Shops here are working overtime to meet delivery deadlines of US and European buyers and readying to send out the first shipments of gifts by the end of the first week of November.
Most of these small and medium-sized factories are in suburban Delhi where
their neighbours are the giant call-centres, the very heart of India's mega
outsourcing industry.
"We've got orders for seven to eight items - mostly cushions, pillows,
Christmas tree hangings and stockings," Nebu Jacob, a gift manufacturer,
told IANS.
Jacob's Lakshmi Caminse, whose factory is in Gurgaon, produces popular gifts
like beaded mats and silk napkins and supplies names like Neiman Marcus,
Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale and Selfridges.
Gifts made in India sell between $50-500.
He said even festivals like Halloween and Thanksgiving feature high on his
manufacturing calendar.
"Major export items from Delhi for Christmas are garments. Bedroom
furnishing, dining table sets and other accessories are in great demand,"
said Bimal Mawandia, exporter and vice chairman of the Indian Silk Export
Promotion Council. He also owns a silk scarf factory.
Around 25 percent of India's total garments exports of around Rs.30 billion
($660 million) comes from the Christmas and New Year season.
"Garments, home furnishings with patch works, embroidery and embellishments
are very popular," said Sudhir Dhingra whose Orient Crafts is one of the top
exporters with a turnover of Rs. 5 billion ($110 million).
This year, for instance, the demand is for 1960s style kitsch items. "This
year the orders were for chunky pieces, very 1960s and hippy," said
Mawandia.
Pointed out Jacob: "Other than the usual green, red, purple, silver and
gold, this year there is a special interest for deep purple."
Though Indian gifts are very popular, competition is growing. "We have
competition from China, the Philippines, Mexico and even Sri Lanka," said
Dhingra.
"But till now, our traditional embroideries and crafts heritage has given us
an edge. Out items are more innovative and attractive."
Now, he said, a government push could really boost business. "A little help
from the government could make us a reckoning force. Not many countries can
match our variety, craftsmanship and expertise."
--Indo-Asian News Service
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3 IANS 3
India-Cinema-Karan (446 words)
Shah Rukh in Karan Johar's next directorial venture
By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service
Mumbai, Nov 3 (IANS) Karan Johar has taken off to London for one and a half
months to pen the script of his new directorial venture -- because he found
Mumbai too distracting.
"My script just couldn't get written here. Too many distractions, too many
social commitments, plus there's my new chat show ('Koffee With Karan'). I
realised I couldn't write seriously in Mumbai," Karan told IANS.
For his chat show, Karan has got together provocative permutations of guests
like Sanjay Leela Bhansali-Aishwarya Rai, Shabana Azmi-Shobha De and
Gurinder Chadha-Farah Khan.
"It's meant to be a fun show, lots of tongue-in-cheek comments... But no
offence meant to anyone," clarifies Karan.
Here's a sample of what the chat show has in store.
In the rapid fire round, Kareena Kapoor is asked who she thinks is a better
director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali or Yash Chopra... and Sanjay Leela Bhansali
is asked who he thinks is the worst actor.
Chuckles Karan: "I enjoy hosting the show. But I can't let my film suffer.
I've to leave Mumbai if I want my script to be readied."
While he shapes what promises to be a film most unlike his trademark style
of movie presentation, certain details are already in place, like the film's
title and the cast.
It can safely be said that this film about intimate human relationships will
star Shah Rukh Khan.
The leading ladies will come as no surprise to people who have been
following Karan's progression as a moviemaker. Those actresses who had been
trying desperately to mend bridges with Karan in the hope of getting into
his new film are in for a big disappointment.
Incidentally, Kajol, who's such an integral part of Karan Johar's cinema,
was keenly approached for a key role in his new film.
But since the film will require a longish period of shooting away from
India, Kajol had to beg off because of her baby.
And, yes, there's a very important young male actor in Karan's film, working
with him for the first time. He's definitely going to be the surprise
element in the cast when it is divulged.
Says Karan: "Though the cast will largely be without surprises, I'm
definitely moving away from 'The Karan Johar Style' in my new film, whatever
that style might be.
"It's time for me to look at human relationships from another angle. I don't
know where my creative urges are taking me. Right now, it's London."
In the meantime though, his new production "Kaal", directed by Soham Shah,
is going on the floors.
--Indo-Asian News Service
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