The Hindu Business Line : Pantaloon's Idiom for `design management'

MR KISHORE Biyani, Managing Director of the Rs 1,100-crore Pantaloon Group has designed a new role for himself. He's reportedly invested about Rs 3 crore (in his personal capacity) in Idiom, a Bangalore-based design firm, but Mr Biyani maintained that his interest in the design firm was beyond the financial.

At the launch of the company today, Mr Biyani told Business Line that Indian design should come out of the boutique outfit mindset and scale up proportions.

He was also looking into business ideas in design management and education, he added.

"I'm looking at incubating ideas in design management and making a start with this one. Undoubtedly, Idiom is one of the largest companies of this kind in the country."

Idiom is a merged entity of two Bangalore-based design firms, Esign and Tessaract Design.

Incidentally, Esign had played an active role in designing all the brands of Pantaloon Retail India Ltd (Big Bazaar, Central, Pantaloons, Food Bazaar).

Tessaract Design also worked on product design, furniture design, retail environments and workplaces.

Idiom is currently working on a games and entertainment centre, called F123, for all Pantaloon malls, which will be launched in two-three months.

According to Mr Girish Raj, Chief Insights Officer, Idiom, the games have been designed in-house and are based on Indian themes.

Mr Raj, who also looks after operations, said that besides the initial Rs 3 crore investment, the company would look at investing another Rs 3-5 crore during the year.

"The money will be used in areas (like people and technology) which will give us scalability and facilitate quick turnaround for our projects."

Idiom's other projects include rural retail brand Godrej Aadhaar, which is being redesigned and repositioned, Royal Orchid Hotels, WorldSpace, Infosys, New India Hotels, Levis Signature and Tata Indicom.

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