A quaint little French cafe, displaying the most decadent of world-class macarons, nestled amidst stores like Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany’s and Prada… are we in the Champs-Elysees?
No, it's just Ladurée India’s flagship store at Mumbai’s BKC. Just as I start to feel overwhelmed by the luxury and grandeur of the Jio World Plaza, I spot Chandini Nath Israni, Co-Founder, CK Israni Group and the promoter of Ladurée in India. And my anxiety is washed away by her bubbly charm.
I sat next to her as she sipped on her cappuccino: “You must try our coffee.” A cold coffee served in silverware with Ladurée’s iconic ‘L’ dusted in cocoa powder on top. I couldn’t miss taking a picture. Chandini tells me that she always loved work. And after years of being known as “someone’s daughter, wife or mother”, she decided to start something of her own.
“I went around looking for brands to bring into India, and experienced quite a lot of rejection.” No one believed that she had it in her to scale a brand, given that she had no adequate prior experience in specific industries, like food and fashion, that actually caught her interest.
A Rocky Road
When Ladurée set its eyes on the Indian market, looking to expand, Chandini saw it as a perfect opportunity. She emailed the company and at her first meeting with the then Managing Director David Holder, he was sold on her ability to scale their business in India.
But from the very beginning, the journey was bumpy. They got their license to operate in May of 2020, and just as they started to begin operations, the lockdown was announced. “I was the first franchise owner in the history of Ladurée to e-sign my papers!” But the allure of Ladurée already existed among the affluent and well-travelled Indians.
Orders for big wedding parties, birthday celebrations and more poured in. The iconic macarons, whose recipe is still a mystery, flew in from the headquarters in Paris. Meanwhile, a central kitchen was set up at the Jio Plaza in BKC for all other productions. “Still, we only use Valor chocolate and the butter sheets for our croissants are flown in from the Paris HQ.”
Finesse is not an option for this iconic brand. But can such expensive taste resonate with the Indian market?
Re-Building Healthy Associations
The truth is, the Indian market is no stranger to luxury. Ladurée's menu laden with rose cakes, pistachio macarons and chocolate french toasts are all flavors we are well-familiar with.
What makes Ladurée's proposition unique is — their ingredients are top-of-class and each macaron has only about 60 calories. “All the colours we use are natural. Even if you eat 20 of our rose-petal macarons, you won't get that bright pink-coloured mouth.” Notably, as Indian consumers, we don’t always have the best experiences with macarons found in our country given their unappealing flavours, textures and tastes.
A category like this takes time to build up. But Chandini is in it for the long-haul. So, they venture into new cities through a small-scale pilot project – Ladurée carts. Through the cart, which is placed in a popular, upscale hotel or mall, they can gauge consumer sentiment and then decide whether or not that city is ready for a cafe. “Tier-two, tier-three cities are where some of our biggest orders come from.” Whether it is Bareilly, Meerut or Indore, consumers all over understand quality. And they’re willing to spend that extra buck for the best.
“I approach the brand the same way I approach being a mother. If I wouldn’t give something to my kids because it's not good quality, or it's not good for them, I wouldn’t give it to my customer either.”
With the kind of development and massive exposure to global culture that India has seen, consumers no longer feel an imposter syndrome when interacting with foreign luxury brands. Instead, it's been replaced with curiosity and experimentation. “Things like arugula salads or orange blossom macarons (that are devoured in the West) aren’t to everyone’s tastes — and that’s something we accept. As Indians, we have our own preferences.”
Local Loving
Chandini and her team are now working with Ladurée global’s head chefs to curate more dishes that integrate Indian flavours. Conversations about ‘chicken tikka sandwiches’ and ‘kaju katli macarons’ are already in advanced stages. Chandini wants Ladurée to be the ‘cafe next door’ for the well-travelled Indian who enjoys global culture.
And as for marketing, their strategy remains rooted in experience and word-of-mouth rather than loud campaigns. “When you taste what we have to offer, you’ll feel the difference.” As part of the ethos of a brand that is 163 years old, Chandini is not interested in short-lived hype, or loud marketing. But in genuine loyalty and love from customers.
