I recently sent my watch enthusiast friend an Instagram post of an Indian luxury brand “Jaipur Watch Company.” My expectation was to get an appreciation for the craftsmanship of those watches and a pride in the fact that now we have an Indian luxury watch brand that makes amazing watches.
But to my despair he responded, ‘why are they selling these watches at such a costly price?’
The shock hasn’t completely registered, I thought that maybe he hadn’t registered the fact that it was a luxury brand and so I added, ‘it’s a luxury brand sweetie, and in that regards I feel it’s a reasonable price.’
‘Bro! Have you lost your mind? Why would someone buy this watch at such a price when they can buy a European Luxury brand?’
This response shattered me at first but it brought me some understanding. This might ruffle someone’s feathers but for some weird reason a lot of Indians undermine the art and craftsmanship of their own origin. For some reason even if a similar product had been sold by a European brand, they would prefer that.
Now I have heard an argument from people that Europe is the capital of Luxury and that surely is true. Brands like Versace, Louis Vuitton and many such have had a legacy and it’s that legacy that people yearn to own in some form or way. Even if I would get a chance I too would like to own a piece of that legacy.
But with that being said, I somewhere feel that as a nation it is somewhere our responsibility to appreciate our own art and craftsmanship too. See the brands that have made it to a level have made it because people of their own nations appreciated their craft and commissioned these craftsman to further enrich their craft.
And this goes without saying that somewhere when an artist or a craftsman is appreciated both in words and monetary value, that person would bring more of that beauty. That beauty and craftsmanship when nurtured in India in that same way would represent India at global level. That would eventually contribute to the growth of the region, the state and eventually of the nation from which that craftsmanship rises. Otherwise it would be a hypocrisy to complain that our art, our cinema and our craftsmanship isn’t competing at an international level.
I think we must understand that we decide our own value and that too as a collective nation. So it hurts a lot when I listen a lot of potential clients a craftsman, ‘why shall I buy this at this price point from you when I could buy something at same price from a well known brand?’
I think it’s time when we must begin to appreciate our own heritage and the spread it across the world, because you know when a so called “enthusiast” says that why buy this when a so called brand provides at a similar price. Then at that point it’s not an enthusiast.
It has been a slow realisation that has come from a lot of such interactions and now I feel that I must use my platform and my voice to remind each Indian that, “we are a country of great talent and it’s time we must begin to appreciate that.”
I would love to have you hop on this journey and do your part, to support the craftsman in your region, if not with anything but a least bit of motivation, because that can go a really long way.
Thanks for reading, my sincere love and regards,
Arundeep Singh
