Raymond Weil Establishes a Home in India

Luxury watch makers, Raymond Weil, are stepping up their investment in India and establishing an Indian subsidiary- RW India Private Limited.

Raymond Weil (RW) have always had a special relationship with India, being the first Swiss watch brand imported by the country thirty years ago. In fact, President & CEO Olivier Bernheim credits the brand with revolutionising the Indian watch market: “Most of today’s Indian luxury watch dealers were introduced to selling luxury watches thanks to RW”. Today, 30 years on, the brand sees continued potential in one of the world’s most important emerging economies. “Indian customers are becoming more and more knowledgeable and great watch connoisseurs”, observed Bernheim. So, how do RW plan to harness this potential?

Bernheim sees branding and increasing the number of distinguishable points of sale as the key to capitalising on the Indian market: “RW is more than ever committed to expanding in India, where our brand has been sustaining a continuous growth over the last 30 years. Our aim is to maintain our brand awareness and our presence in the most distinctive and selective points of sale”.

With this in mind, the company has just opened its first stand-alone boutique in the country in Delhi — the biggest RW outlet in the world. And two new shops are also planned in Hyderabad and Pune.

From a more logistical point of view, RW will open a Bangalore subsidiary on Sunday, June 13. (RW already has one office in the IT hub).

Nor are RW limiting their investment to one emerging economy. Development in China is also being targeted. The Geneva-based company, who have a ten year history in China, will see the number of its points of sale rise in 2010 from 88 to 135, with the recent opening of a store in Nantong, an important economic centre near Shanghai.

Sources
Deccan Herald
FHS