The country’s top watchmaker Titan Company Ltd has come out with a special edition of watches — The Namma Tamil Nadu Collection — inspired by the culture, art and the architecture of the State. The Bengaluru-headquartered company, known for its design and innovative capabilities, is seeking to expand its business. Revathi Kant, Chief Design Officer of the company, who has been spearheading the effort to create differential products for the company, spoke to BusinessLine during the launch of the new collection. Edited excerpts:

Are you attempting any ‘Go local’ strategy with the new Tamil Nadu-specific collection?

Titan is a national brand and we are available everywhere. We also cater to multiple consumer segments and we have got watches across price bands. We are a very inclusive player and a consumer-centric company. There is so much happening in the watch industry with smart watches and the entry of global players. As an established brand, we need to continuously innovate doing newer things in tune with the trends to be seen as a progressive brand. While we have been bringing the history and heritage flavour in our jewellery business, we thought of doing it for watches that look modern but with the local tradition and art flavour. So, the Tamil Nadu Collection is based on three iconic inspirations — textile crafts, temple architecture and Tamil scripts. The collection has seven distinctive timepieces for both men and women in the price range between ₹4,500 and ₹7,000. Though artistic dials are mew, we have made it as simple as possible. The idea is to have a mass appeal.

Why have you chosen Tamil Nadu for this and will you plan such collections in other States as well?

Yes, there is so much to be celebrated in India in every State. But we chose Tamil Nadu first because of our deep-rooted connect with Tamil Nadu as we started the journey here in 1988. Our journey over the years has been incredible in the State. It contributes about 12 per cent of our business. From a creative point of view, there is so much to unearth in Tamil Nadu.

How strong are your design capabilities?

We have a design excellence centre, which is a separate corporate vertical catering to the design needs of our businesses – jewellery, watches and eyewear. We have a 75-member team that is multi-disciplinary and they are from some of the best design schools in India. The launch of several exciting products by our design team has helped growth in businesses. This Diwali, we launched the ‘Maritime’ collection, inspired by sea voyages during the medieval era, better known as Age of Discovery. Our design competence has been nurtured through extensive consumer research, creating product differentiation suiting our various consumers.

How is the design space evolving in India?

Design is a continuous evolution. As a country, we are coming of age as far as design is concerned. I strongly believe that design is not just a superficial thing to make products look good. It is a tool that should be seen solving problems in consumers’ lives. Before creating a design, one needs to keep consumers in mind, be aware of emerging trends and manufacturing constraints, as well as have a holistic understanding of the business. If it’s done that way, it will be successful.

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