Design, craftsmanship two brand pillars of Zoya: Titan's C K Venkatraman

Zoya is our luxury brand, renowned for its precision craftsmanship and distinguished design, says Venkatraman

Design has been a key differentiator of Titan brands. What has been the contribution of design in Zoya’s performance? 

Design and craftsmanship are the two brand pillars of Zoya making it one of the biggest differentiators. The brand presents a collection every season inspired by iconic cities, art, heritage, nature and even food. Zoya is currently designed for high net worth Indian women but we definitely see an opportunity for the pret line for consumers in evolved markets as well. Our design team is carefully selected. Our head designers have experience with the largest international brands like Van Cleef and have designed for global royalty. That perspective is valued at Zoya, a brand with its heart in India and eye on the world.

How does Zoya as a brand differentiate itself from Tanishq? 

Zoya is our luxury brand, renowned for its precision craftsmanship and distinguished design. Each collection is focused on the Zoya woman —someone who is aesthetically astute, discerning and globally aware. Each collection takes nine months to a year to create from concept to delivery. Unique inspirations from cities, history, culture, art, legends and the elements are translated into one of a kind designs by a panel of master craftsmen forming the genesis of Zoya’s myriad collections. As a luxury brand, along with presenting a uniquely designed product there is great emphasis on elements of customer experience. Boutique interiors are designed to showcase luxury in its most undiluted form, and great attention is given to customer experience and engagement. 

This may take the form of one of a kind gesture, a uniquely curated experience for a special occasion that a customer will cherish or small details like the carefully curated menu of hors d'oeuvres being served in boutique. Zoya’s entire luxury experience is exclusive yet extremely personalised.

The luxury market in India is growing very rapidly -- and there is demand even beyond the top metros. How are you planning to tap this potential?

The luxury market is definitely on the upswing and Zoya is well positioned to ride the wave. Zoya is a special brand for Titan and are looking to expand fast in the coming year. We opened a second store in Mumbai last year, and relocated the flagship boutique for the brand in Delhi to a much larger space. We will soon be entering the south Indian market with a new boutique in Bengaluru and are also looking at expansion into other key cities in India. The Zoya stores are designed like galleries of fine art with products displayed luxuriously by collections and indulgences like private viewing areas. So, finding spaces that can accommodate the luxury experience that Zoya stands for is key and that takes time considering the retail infrastructure of Indian markets.    

Today a digital presence is imperative for brands. How do you plan to use that medium? 

Digital is very important for Zoya. We've built huge brand advocacy through digital and that is most important for a luxury brand like ours. We are trying to redefine the way luxury jewellery is sold, and our fundamental goal is the same as in offline marketing – providing an exclusive and personalised luxury experience to our customers. For instance, we probably have the fastest response time in the industry for queries on digital, and these queries are not answered by someone in a call centre, but a sales person from the boutique who will ultimately serve you.  

Our brand strategy on digital is focused on two aspects — storytelling and driving engagement. We are reworking our website to enhance customer experience and developing specialised video content on social media to bring alive our stories. The storytelling around the brand and product reflects our philosophy, inspirations, designs and craftsmanship. It may be through a carefully planned gallery of posts on Instagram that showcase our products or a video series with leading stylist that also echoes the evolved mindset of the Zoya customer.

How do you ensure the diamond and gemstones are ethically sourced?

We have a team of professionals and qualified gemologists who in addition to ensuring the highest quality of diamonds and gemstones for Zoya, also ensure ethical practices in the value chain right from the source. Right from the beginning, we have worked with select diamantaires, who are sight holders of reputed diamond mining companies like De Beers, Rio Tinto and Al Rosa providing us the confidence on the practices followed in mines and trading of “rough” diamonds. The Kimberly Process Compliance Certification has accompanied every supply, assuring us about the origins of the diamonds not involving conflict sources.